Starting a Meeting
Groupthink captures your meetings and turns them into notes, transcripts, and recaps. You can have the notetaker join automatically based on your calendar, or start it yourself for a specific call. This guide covers every way to get the notetaker going.
Heads up: Adding the Groupthink notetaker to a meeting requires an active trial or paid plan. Without one, the notetaker will not start.
Overview
There are two ways the notetaker gets into a call:
- Automatically, based on your calendar and your attendance setting
- Manually, when you want notes for a specific call
The notetaker can either join as a visible participant in your Google Meet, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams call, or record privately through the Groupthink desktop app so other participants do not see it.
Before You Start
To use calendar-based and automatic features, connect your Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar. This lets Groupthink see your meetings and the conferencing details attached to them.
You can still capture an impromptu call without a calendar connection by pasting its link, as described below.
Start the Notetaker from a Meeting
When you are looking at a meeting in Groupthink, use the Start Notetaker button to begin capturing it.
- Open the meeting and click Start Notetaker
- Choose how you want the notetaker to work:
- Public with Bot sends the Groupthink notetaker into the call as a visible participant to take and present notes
- Private with App records the call locally through the Groupthink desktop app, with nothing visible to other participants
- If you chose Public with Bot and the meeting already has a conferencing link, Groupthink joins that call. If there is no link yet and you use Google Calendar, Groupthink creates a new Google Meet and adds the notetaker for you
- If Groupthink needs a link, the Start the Notetaker window opens. Paste your call link into the Meeting URL field and click Start Notetaker
The Private with App option needs the Groupthink desktop app. If you do not have it installed yet, Groupthink will prompt you to download it. See Private Desktop Recording for setup and troubleshooting.
Start a Meeting from the Sidebar
The sidebar has two buttons for starting a meeting.
New Meeting
Click New Meeting to start a fresh call right away. Groupthink creates a new Google Meet, opens it in a new tab, and adds the notetaker so your conversation is captured from the start.
Join Meeting
Use Join Meeting... to add the notetaker to a call that is already happening or already scheduled.
- Click Join Meeting... in the sidebar
- In the Start the Notetaker window, paste your call link into the Meeting URL field (it accepts Google Meet, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams links)
- Click Start Notetaker
- If your call uses a lobby or host admission, admit the Groupthink notetaker when it requests to join
Add the Notetaker to a Calendar Event
When your calendar is connected, your scheduled meetings appear under Upcoming. Each event that does not have Groupthink on it yet shows an Add Notetaker dropdown.
- Go to Upcoming in the sidebar
- Find the event you want to capture
- Open its Add Notetaker dropdown
- Choose to send the notetaker into the call as a visible participant, or to take notes privately through the desktop app
Groupthink will then attend that specific event when it starts.
Auto-join Settings
You can have Groupthink attend your meetings automatically so you never have to start the notetaker by hand. Your attendance setting lives in User Settings > Calendar, under How should Groupthink attend your meetings? It is a single choice that applies to all of your future meetings.
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Privately Take Notes | Groupthink records privately through the desktop app. No bot joins the call and other participants do not see Groupthink. |
| Automatically Join All Meetings | The Groupthink notetaker joins your meetings as a visible participant and shares notes with attendees. |
| Let Me Choose Each Time | Nothing joins automatically. You add the notetaker to specific calls yourself when you want notes. |
For the full walkthrough of how to fine-tune which meetings Groupthink attends, see Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a paid plan to start a meeting?
Yes. Adding the Groupthink notetaker to a meeting requires an active trial or paid plan. If your trial has ended, upgrade from your settings to keep capturing meetings.
What is the difference between Public with Bot and Private with App?
Public with Bot sends the Groupthink notetaker into the call as a visible participant, and notes can be shared with everyone. Private with App records the call locally through the Groupthink desktop app, so nothing joins the call and your notes stay private to you.
Can I capture a call that is not on my calendar?
Yes. Click Start Notetaker and choose Public with Bot, or use Join Meeting... in the sidebar, then paste the call link into the Meeting URL field. The call does not need to be on your calendar.
Which video platforms work?
Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. You can paste any Meet, Zoom, or Teams link when you start the notetaker manually.
Why did the notetaker not join my scheduled meeting?
Check that your calendar is connected, that your attendance setting allows the notetaker to join that meeting, that the event has a conferencing link, and that your workspace has an active trial or paid plan.
Do I have to admit the notetaker to the call?
If your call uses a lobby or host admission, yes. Admit the Groupthink notetaker from the lobby when it requests to join, the same way you would admit any other guest.
Getting Help
Questions about starting a meeting? Email support@groupthink.com.