Playbook · 2026

How to write podcast show notes with Claude: step-by-step.

Good show notes make an episode searchable and shareable. This playbook gives you a prompt template that turns a transcript into a summary, timestamps, and pull quotes.

Short version

Paste the transcript and tell Claude the show and audience, then ask for a summary, key takeaways, timestamped topics, and pull quotes. You get complete, SEO-friendly show notes from raw audio in minutes.

The prompt template

This template does the tedious part: reading the whole transcript and extracting structure. Paste your transcript into the brackets.

Copy, paste, and fill in the brackets

You are my podcast producer. Write show notes from this transcript. Context: - Show and episode: [name, guest, topic] - Audience: [who listens] - Transcript: [paste full transcript] Produce: - A 2-3 sentence episode summary (SEO-friendly, keyword-aware). - 5-7 key takeaways as short bullets. - Timestamped topic list (approximate from the transcript order). - 3 pull quotes worth sharing on social. - A 1-line title option. Rules: faithful to the transcript, no invented claims. Do not use em dashes.

The 'no invented claims' rule matters: keep show notes faithful to what was actually said. Turn the pull quotes into Twitter threads with Claude for distribution.

The step-by-step workflow

Set up a Claude Project. Add your show name, audience, and a sample of past notes for format as project knowledge so you never re-paste context. Claude Projects keep brand voice, examples, and rules in one place.
Paste the prompt template. Fill in the bracketed fields with your specifics. The more precise the inputs, the less editing the output needs.
Generate two or three variations. Ask for the full notes, then tighten the summary and quotes. Pick the strongest and tell Claude what you liked so the next pass sharpens it.
Iterate, do not accept the first draft. One follow-up instruction (tighter, warmer, shorter, more specific) usually does more than re-prompting from scratch.
Edit for voice and accuracy, then save the prompt. Claude gets you most of the way; you own the final 20 percent. Save the working prompt so next time is a two-minute job.

A worked example

Paste a 45-minute interview transcript. Claude returns a tight summary, seven takeaways, a timestamped topic list, and three shareable quotes, turning an hour of manual note-writing into a five-minute review-and-edit.

What to avoid

Vague prompts. 'Help me write this' produces generic output. Specifics in, specifics out.
Publishing or sharing without editing. Always do the final human pass for voice, facts, and judgment.
Skipping the Project setup, which forces you to re-paste context every single time.
Treating Claude as a vending machine instead of a thinking partner you iterate with.

Frequently asked questions

Can Claude write show notes from a transcript?

Yes. Paste the transcript and it produces a summary, takeaways, timestamps, and pull quotes. Keep it faithful to the transcript and review before publishing, as the template here specifies.

How do I make show notes SEO-friendly?

Ask Claude for a keyword-aware summary and a clear title. The summary and topic list give search engines text to index from an otherwise audio-only episode.

Can Claude generate social clips from an episode?

It can pull the most shareable quotes and turn them into posts or a thread. The audio or video clipping is separate, but the copy comes from the same transcript.

Will the timestamps be accurate?

They approximate from transcript order. If your transcript has real timestamps, include them and Claude will use them. Otherwise spot-check before publishing.