Recaps
Chat recaps and transcripts
A recap turns one hour of live conversation into something people can find and share for years. Here's how to keep an archive of your sessions.
Automatic transcript tools were a big part of the old Twitter chat scene. Paste in a hashtag and a time window, and you'd get every post from the session in one long page. Most of those services are gone, mostly because of changes to X's API, and the full-transcript habit went with them.
What replaced it is better for most chats: a short, edited recap written by the host. This page covers how to build an archive of them. For step-by-step writing advice, see how to write a chat recap.
Recap or full transcript?
| Edited recap | Full transcript | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 500 to 1,000 words | Every post from the hour |
| Effort | An hour or two | Hours by hand, since few tools remain |
| Readers | People actually finish it | Mostly skimmed or ignored |
| Credit | You choose and credit standout answers | Includes everyone, wanted or not |
| Best for | Nearly every chat | Research, legal or archival needs |
If you need a complete record, for example for a course or a formal event, tell participants at the start that the full session will be archived, and give them a way to opt out.
What every recap should include
- The session's date, hashtag and topic in the title.
- A two- or three-sentence introduction: what was discussed, who the guest was, roughly how many joined.
- Each question, with a short summary and two or three credited answers.
- A few takeaways in your own words.
- The date and time of the next session, in more than one time zone.
- A link to the previous recap, so your archive links together.
Credit and permission
Answers posted publicly with a chat's hashtag were written for an audience, and quoting a sentence or two with the author's handle and a link is normal practice. Embedding the original post is better still: it shows the author's words exactly and stops showing if they delete it.
Get permission before using anything from a protected account, a direct message, a group chat or an unrecorded Space. Remove anyone's contribution if they ask. If you quote a Space recording, quote it accurately and don't present a paraphrase as a quote.
Where to keep the archive
- Your own website or blog. The best home. Each recap gets its own page, readers can find old sessions in search, and you can embed posts.
- A thread on X. Good for a quick recap of a small chat. Pin the latest one or link it from your pinned schedule.
- One index page. Whatever you use, keep a single list of all past recaps, newest first. Link it from your profile and from your upcoming sessions schedule.
Spaces
If you record a Space, your archive entry can be short: title, date, speakers, the recording link, and a few timestamps for the best moments. If you didn't record it, write a brief summary of the main points and say clearly that it's a summary. See how to host an X Space for recording settings.