How to export meeting action items to your calendar

The short answer

Collect the action items with an owner and a due date, save them as an .ics file, and import that file into your calendar or task app. Check how your app handles imported tasks, since some calendars only import events. MediaFind (Pro) pulls action items out of a meeting recording on your computer and exports them as an .ics file.

What an .ics file is

An .ics file uses iCalendar, an open standard (RFC 5545) for exchanging calendar data. The same format can hold events, to-dos and journal entries, which is why nearly every calendar app can read at least part of one. It's plain text, so you can open it in a text editor to see what's inside.

The catch is that events and to-dos are different things. An action item is naturally a to-do with a due date, not a meeting with a start and end time, and apps differ in whether they show imported to-dos.

Importing an .ics file

• Google Calendar. Google's help describes importing on a computer: Settings, then Import & export, select the .ics file, choose a calendar, and click Import. The help page talks about events and doesn't mention tasks, so to-dos may not appear there.
• Calendar on Mac. Apple's guide says you can choose File > Import or drag the file into Calendar, then pick which calendar receives it. Imported items lose any custom color.
• Other apps. Many calendar and task apps import .ics. If to-dos don't show up, try an app with task support, or add the items by hand from the notes.
• Import into a separate calendar first. It's easy to delete a whole test calendar if the import isn't what you expected.

Without an export feature

Plain meeting notes still work: write each action item as owner, task, due date, then create the tasks yourself. It's slower, but deciding what "by end of next week" means while the meeting is fresh is useful in itself. Reviewing the list at the start of the next meeting catches anything that slipped.

How to do it in MediaFind

Meetings mode is part of Pro. Everything, from transcription to the export, happens on your computer, and no bot joins the call.

1. Record a meeting live from your microphone, a browser tab, or on a Mac both sides of a Zoom, Teams or Meet call, or add a recording you already have.
2. Open the meeting to see its key points, decisions and action items, each linked to the moment it was said.
3. Check each item and its owner. A spoken due date such as "by Friday" is dated from when the meeting took place, and a vague one like "by Q3" is left undated rather than guessed.
4. Export the action items as an .ics file of tasks, or export the meeting notes (overview, action items and decisions) as a document.
5. Import the .ics file into your calendar or task app as described above.

Good practice

Tell people when a meeting is being recorded and get their consent where the law or your workplace requires it. Keep transcripts where they belong: the plain transcript exports (Word, PDF, SRT, VTT, text) are free. See meetings, meeting notes without a bot, and guides for Zoom, Teams and Google Meet recordings.

Frequently asked questions

What is an .ics file?

A plain-text file in the iCalendar format, an open standard for calendar data. It can hold events, to-dos and more, and most calendar apps can import it.

How do I import an .ics file into Google Calendar?

On a computer, open Settings, choose Import & export, select the file and a calendar, then click Import. Google's help describes importing events.

Why don't my imported action items show up?

Action items are usually saved as to-dos, and some calendar apps only import events. Try an app that supports tasks.

Is exporting action items to a calendar free in MediaFind?

No, meeting notes and the .ics export are part of Pro. Transcript export as Word, PDF, SRT, VTT or text is free.