> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://guide.scribe.gov.sg/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://guide.scribe.gov.sg/guides/generate-summaries.md).

# Generate Summaries

Summaries are at the core of Scribe. Every time you generate summaries, you'll have the options to summarise **By Sections** or **By Templates.**&#x20;

#### When do I use Sections and Templates?

* **Sections:** Best for one-off conversations. Allows you to summarise the conversation by specific themes or details, in the format you want.
* **Templates:** Best for recurring meetings or conversation types, such as interviews or intake assessments. Gives you highly structured documentation that matches your exact formatting and tone every time.

#### Get Started

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><a href="/guides/generate-summaries/summarise-by-sections.md">Summarise by Sections</a></td><td>Pick your own headers and get a summary shaped around what you care about</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/guides/generate-summaries/summarise-by-templates.md">Summarise by Templates</a></td><td>Turn an example of your writing into a template you can reuse</td></tr></tbody></table>

***

<details>

<summary>What's the difference between Default Overview and Summaries?</summary>

<table><thead><tr><th width="96.28741455078125"></th><th>Default Overview</th><th>Summary</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Best For</td><td>Getting a quick overview of your conversation</td><td>Creating notes with specific sections and documentation styles</td></tr><tr><td>Creation</td><td>Automatically generated by Scribe</td><td>Generated by you</td></tr><tr><td>Structure</td><td>High-level breakdown of the whole conversation</td><td>Custom structure that you define</td></tr><tr><td>Format</td><td>Standard format and detail</td><td>Customisable style, detail, and format</td></tr></tbody></table>

</details>


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://guide.scribe.gov.sg/guides/generate-summaries.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
