Ever had a killer meeting, only to spend half your afternoon figuring out how to send the highlights to a client without exposing your whole calendar or inbox? If you use Fathom to record and summarize meetings, you already know it’s great for capturing what matters. But sharing those highlights—without oversharing or causing a privacy mess—isn’t always straightforward.
This guide is for people who need to share meeting recaps, action items, or even full recordings with folks outside their company. Whether you’re working with clients, vendors, or partners, you want to keep things secure and simple, with zero drama.
Let’s walk through exactly how to share Fathom highlights safely, avoid common mistakes, and keep everyone’s data where it belongs.
Why “secure sharing” actually matters (and what to watch out for)
Before you hit “send,” let’s get real about the risks:
- Private info: Meeting recordings and transcripts often include sensitive stuff—names, emails, maybe even financial numbers.
- Access sprawl: If you share a link too widely, anyone could stumble onto your meeting details. Not great.
- Compliance headaches: If you work in a regulated industry (finance, healthcare, etc.), sloppy sharing can lead to bigger problems.
Bottom line: Don’t just grab a link and hope for the best. A few extra steps now can save you a world of pain later.
Step 1: Decide exactly what you need to share
Don’t default to sending everything. Ask yourself:
- Does the external person need the full transcript, or just a summary?
- Are there parts of the meeting that shouldn’t be shared?
- Is video necessary, or will written highlights do?
Pro tip: Less is usually more. The more you share, the more you have to worry about. Stick to what’s actually useful for your stakeholder.
Step 2: Use Fathom’s export and sharing features (but read the fine print)
Fathom gives you a few ways to share meeting highlights:
A. Share a highlights link
- In Fathom, find your meeting and look for the “Share highlights” or “Copy link” option.
- This generates a unique URL. Anyone with the link can view the highlights and, depending on your settings, sometimes the full transcript or video.
Reality check:
These links are “unlisted,” not fully private. If someone forwards the link, others can see it too. There’s no built-in password protection or expiration. This is fine for low-stakes meetings, but not for anything confidential.
B. Export highlights or transcripts
- You can export highlights as text or markdown, or download the full transcript.
- Paste the highlights into an email, document, or your client portal.
Why this matters:
You control exactly what gets shared—and you can redact or edit before you send. No surprise leaks.
C. Download video or audio
- Fathom lets you download recordings in some plans.
- You can upload these to secure file-sharing platforms (think Google Drive with tight permissions, or your company’s secure share).
Heads-up:
Video files are big and can be a pain for recipients to download or stream. Only send these if someone really needs the footage.
Step 3: Clean up your highlights before sharing
Don’t just copy-paste and go. Check for:
- Sensitive info: Names, emails, pricing, internal commentary—cut anything that shouldn’t leave your company.
- Typos or AI oddities: Automated summaries aren’t perfect. Skim for weird phrasing or mistakes.
- Action items: Make sure tasks are clear and assigned, so your external contact knows what’s next.
Pro tip:
If you’re sharing a transcript, consider running a quick search for your company name or other sensitive keywords.
Step 4: Pick the right sharing method for your stakeholder
How you share depends on who you’re sending to and how sensitive the info is.
For low-sensitivity, quick shares
- Fathom highlights link is usually fine.
- Paste highlights into an email if you want to avoid links.
For confidential or high-stakes info
- Export and send highlights via secure email (with encryption if possible).
- Use your company’s client portal or a trusted file-sharing service with access controls.
- Avoid putting sensitive info in email bodies if you can help it—attachments or portal uploads are safer.
For regulated industries
- Double-check your company’s policies. Some industries ban sharing meeting recordings/transcripts outside the org.
- Use only approved, audited channels. Don’t rely on Fathom’s basic link-sharing for anything that could land you in trouble.
Step 5: Set expectations and permissions
Don’t assume people will know how to handle what you send.
- Tell them what you’re sharing: “Here are just the highlights, not the full meeting.”
- Remind them not to forward: “Please keep this link private.”
- If needed, set expiration: If your sharing tool allows, set access to expire after a certain period.
Down-to-earth tip:
If you’re not sure whether someone should have access, don’t send it until you check. It’s way easier to add access later than to undo a leak.
Step 6: Keep an audit trail (without driving yourself crazy)
If you’re sharing sensitive info, keep a record of what you sent and to whom.
- Note the date, recipient, and what exactly was shared.
- If you use a client portal or secure file share, most have basic logging built in.
Don’t overcomplicate it:
A simple spreadsheet or note can save you hassle if questions come up later.
Common mistakes—and how to avoid them
- Forwarding the wrong link: Double-check you’re sending just the meeting highlights, not your whole Fathom dashboard.
- Sharing full transcripts when highlights would do: More info means more risk.
- Forgetting to redact: Review before you send—once it’s out, it’s out.
- Ignoring recipient security: Ask if they have a preferred way to receive sensitive info.
What about integrations and automations?
Fathom connects with tools like Slack, Notion, and CRMs. It’s tempting to automate everything, but think before you wire up automatic sharing:
- Risk: Automated flows can blast sensitive info into places you don’t intend (like a public Slack channel).
- Control: Manual review is slower, but safer for external sharing.
- Best practice: Automate internal sharing if you want, but keep external sharing a human-in-the-loop process.
Ignore the hype: What Fathom doesn’t handle for you
- No real access controls on shared links: Anyone with the link can view.
- No password or expiration settings (as of early 2024): You’ll need to handle this elsewhere if you need it.
- No redaction tools: Editing and censoring is up to you.
If you need airtight control, export and use your own secure systems. Don’t trust “unlisted” links for secret stuff.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple and stay in control
Sharing Fathom meeting highlights with external folks doesn’t have to be a headache. The big idea: share less, review before you send, and use secure channels for anything sensitive. Don’t get sucked into fancy automations or over-complicate things—pick the method that fits the risk level.
Start with these steps, pay attention to what you’re sending, and you’ll avoid most of the common pitfalls. If your sharing needs change, tweak your process. Simple beats perfect, every time.