How to edit your Beam Note – Help Centre

You can watch the video or read the text guide below to understand more on how to edit your Beam Note with prompting in the chat feature. We have two formats available to suit your learning style.

Video Guide

Text Guide

Prompting is simply how you instruct the AI in Beam Notes to refine your summary, change formatting, or request follow-up actions. Learning how to prompt effectively is the best way to customise your templates and maximise the value of your meetings.

Every time you record a Beam Note, you will see a dedicated chat feature to the right of your summary. Think of this chat interface as your prompting control centre.

What Can You Do with Prompts?

You can use the chat box to interact with your notes in three primary ways:

Edit and format your summary: Restructure the layout, apply specific professional frameworks, or change the tone for different audiences.
Extract specific information: Search the transcript to pull out direct quotes, specific details, or answers to questions about the meeting.
Execute follow-up actions: Instantly draft emails, letters to stakeholders, or action lists based entirely on what was discussed.

Here are some further details on how to get the most out of your Notes with prompting:

1. Editing the Summary

You can guide Beam Notes to alter the structure, tone, details, or layout of your generated draft. Short, clear sentences work best when updating text.

Apply Structured Headings: Rewrite the summary to fit a preferred organisational structure.
Example: “Rewrite the summary, capturing everything that was said, and organise it into the following numbered headings: 1. Background, 2. Cognitive, 3. Communication, 4. Physical health, 5. Self-care.”
Add Subheadings: Drill down into specific sections for better clarity.
Example: “Add subheadings for ‘Needs’ and ‘Strengths’ within each section.”
Incorporate Missing Sections: Add entirely new segments after the initial draft is generated.
Examples: “Add section 6 titled Actions, and include the action owner and the deadline.” or “Add a final section summarising the meeting as a whole.”
Incorporate Additional Text: Blend external details into your existing document.
Example: “Incorporate this into the summary: [paste text]. Add it within the existing headings.”

2. Frameworks and Audience Rewrites

Beam Notes can completely adapt its output to match specific professional frameworks or shift the tone for external stakeholders.

Apply Frameworks (e.g., SMART Targets or GROW Assessments): Convert meeting data into structured targets or professional evaluation models.
Examples: “Give me these recommendations as SMART targets. Update this in the summary.” or “Write out a GROW assessment of this meeting.”
Rewriting for Specific Audiences (e.g., a Child): You can ask Beam Notes to rewrite a summary as a letter to a child using age-appropriate language.
Examples: “Rewrite the summary as a letter addressed to the child, using language suitable for a reading age of 7.” or “Rewrite the summary using friendly language suitable for a twelve-year-old.”

3. Searching the Recording and Extracting Quotes

You do not have to just change the text; you can use the chat box to investigate the transcript of the meeting.

Search the Transcript: Ask specific questions about what occurred during the session.
- “What did [person X] say about their son’s mobility?”
- “What medical conditions does the service user have and what medications do they take?”
- “Who was present in the meeting?”
- “Did Samantha give her daughter’s age?”
- “Were there any contradictions in the discussion?”
Add Direct Quotes: Pull verbatim text back into your summary documentation.
Example: “Update the summary with direct quotes from [person X] about [topic Y]. Minimum [X] quotes.”

4. Drafting Communications and Translations

Look beyond the summary to perform administrative and follow-up tasks based entirely on the information discussed during your recorded meeting.

Draft Letters and Emails: Quickly generate professional correspondence for colleagues or external entities.
- “Write a draft letter to the GP about this meeting.”
- “Write an email to my colleague about the meeting.”
Translation: Convert summaries or drafted communications into other languages.
Example: “Translate the letter into Romanian.”

Best Practices for Effective Prompting

To save time and get the most accurate results, think of prompting as "handholding" the AI through exactly what you want it to do. When Beam Notes asks you, "How can I help? I'm here to make edits or change requests for you," keep the following principles in mind:

Principle	Best Practice Description
Be Instructional & Specific	State exactly what the change is and where it should happen. Use explicit phrasing like "Rewrite the summary" or "Write in this chat" so the AI knows where to place the output.
Keep it Concise	Keep instructions short. If you want to make several distinct changes, it is much better to separate them into individual prompts rather than grouping them into a large paragraph.
The "Human Test"	If a colleague were to sit down at your device, read your prompt, and instantly know exactly what you are asking for, then Beam Notes will understand it too. Vague requests will yield vague results.
Manage Edit Limits	Avoid making more than 10 changes to a single summary note, as an excessive chain of edits can sometimes confuse the system. (Note: You can ask unlimited questions in the chat box; this limit only applies to rewriting the main note).
Prep Before Audience Shifts	When rewriting a summary for a different audience (like a child), make as few manual edits as possible beforehand (ideally only name changes). Altering the layout after a large number of manual changes increases the risk of text inconsistencies.

Troubleshooting and Final Tips

Treat the chat feature as an ongoing conversation. If a prompt does not work or gives you an unexpected result, simply delete the prompt request, reword it to be clearer, and try again.
If there is something you want changed, simply ask for it. If Beam Notes can do it, it will!
Resetting your summary: If the summary doesn’t look quite right, you can easily reset it. Just click the three dots in the top-right corner of your summary and select Reset summary.
If your note appears to be stuck on a "rewriting" or "thinking" status, please try to refresh your web page. If the note still has not been updated after a refresh, please reach out to our support team.

Need more help? Get in contact by launching live chat or emailing us via support@beam.org.

Disclaimer

Beam Notes is not ChatGPT, Google or other search browsers. It cannot access or provide information outside the meeting transcript or your organisation’s knowledge base, if this is enabled.

Beam Notes does not provide professional advice or recommendations.

Generative AI behaviour may vary. Not all prompts will work the same way every time, and results may differ between summaries.

If you regularly need to adjust General Meeting headings, the most reliable approach is to request a custom template for your organisation.