What each one is for
A template is a list of section names and one line of guidance. For example, the Sales call template has sections such as Account context and Objections and risks. When an AI writes your note, it uses the template for the order and the names of the sections. A template also gives you a starting outline while you type notes during a meeting.
A playbook is a saved prompt. You run it on a note, or on all your meetings, to get an answer: a follow-up email, a to-do list, a short summary. The answer shows in the Ask area. A playbook never rewrites the note.
Writing a note in a template’s shape needs your own AI key. Inserting a template while you type does not. Running a playbook needs your key too, except Copy prompt, which works without one. See AI keys and which brain answers.
The templates that come with KeptNote
- General: Context, Discussion, Decisions, Next steps. The usual choice.
- 1:1: Check-in, Updates, Feedback, Growth and support, Decisions, Next steps
- Standup: Progress, Blockers, Decisions, Next steps
- Sales call: Account context, Goals and pain points, Current process, Requirements, Objections and risks, Commercials and timeline, Decisions, Next steps
- Interview: Candidate context, Experience and examples, Competencies, Candidate questions, Evidence and concerns, Recommendation, Next steps
- User research: Research context, Participant context, Current behavior, Needs and pain points, Quotes and evidence, Opportunities, Decisions, Next steps
The note always keeps Decisions, Next steps and Open questions in their own places. Sections the meeting never touched are left out. Anything that fits no section goes into a last topic.
Choose a template for a meeting
- Before you record. Choose Detailed Setup… in the File menu and pick one under Note shape. A quick start with Command-N uses General. KeptNote has no setting for a default template.
- While you record. Use the template menu in the row under the title. Its tooltip reads Note template. KeptNote saves your choice at once.
- After the meeting. Open the menu next to Improve or Rewrite at the top of the note, and pick one under Templates. KeptNote writes the note again in that shape. This needs your own AI key. A check mark shows the template used last.
A template that you deleted, or that KeptNote cannot find, falls back to General.
Insert a template while you type
On the live meeting page, in your notes, type / at the start of a line.
A list of templates opens under the slash. Keep typing to narrow it by name.
Press the Up and Down keys to move. Press Return, Enter or Tab to choose. Press Escape to close the list.
KeptNote replaces the slash with the template’s sections. Each section becomes a heading with an empty bullet, and your cursor lands on the first bullet. You can undo it. The slash list works while you record. It does not work in My notes on a finished note.
Browse and make templates
Choose Note Templates… in the File menu. You can also press Browse templates in Detailed Setup…, or All templates… in the Improve menu. The sheet Note templates opens. It lists KeptNote templates and Your templates, with a search box.
Press New template. It starts as a copy of General, and nothing is saved yet.
Type a Template name.
Under Meeting context, write what KeptNote should prioritize. The field asks What should KeptNote prioritize? Use up to 500 characters.
Under Sections, name each section. Press Add section for another one. A template can have up to 12 sections, and each name can have 1 to 60 characters.
Press Save.
To change a template of your own, select it, edit, and press Save. To remove it, press Delete and confirm. Meetings that used it then use General. KeptNote templates are view only. KeptNote has no duplicate button, so make a new template and copy the sections you want. Your templates are stored on your Mac and appear in every template menu.
The playbooks that come with KeptNote
Each playbook has a name, a one-line summary and a category. After a meeting playbooks work on one note. Across meetings playbooks search your library.
- Write follow-up email: a short follow-up email from this note.
- List my todos: every action item that belongs to me.
- Write TLDR: five bullets or fewer with what mattered.
- Draft team update: a short update ready to paste into chat.
- What did I miss: catch up fast on this conversation. See What did I miss.
- Interview scorecard: strengths, concerns and the words behind each.
- Key insights: what they need and struggle with, in their words.
- Agenda for next time: what to pick up when you meet again.
- Trace decision history: every decision with its evidence. This one is Across meetings.
Run a playbook
You can run a playbook in three ways.
- In an Ask bar, type / to list playbooks, then choose one. In a note, the list shows After a meeting playbooks. On Home and on the Ask page, it shows Across meetings playbooks. See Ask your meetings.
- Press a suggestion chip in the Ask bar. The chip changes with the meeting, for example Follow-up email after a sales call.
- Choose Apply Playbook… in the Note menu, or press See all next to Playbooks on the Ask page. The Playbooks sheet opens. Select one, then press Apply. Apply needs a note to be selected for After a meeting playbooks, and needs your AI key. Copy prompt copies the prompt and the meeting’s words, and sends nothing. You can paste them into any AI you like.
Make your own playbook
Open the Playbooks sheet and press New playbook. It starts as a copy of Write TLDR.
Fill in Playbook name and One-line summary. The summary can have up to 140 characters.
Choose a category. Choose After a meeting for a playbook that works on one note, or Across meetings for one that searches your library.
Write the Prompt, from 1 to 2000 characters. Say what you want, for example: List every decision, who made it, and the exact words.
Press Save.
To remove one of yours, press Delete and confirm. KeptNote playbooks cannot be edited, and there is no duplicate button.