Summary
Catch up fast with /summary. Buddy uses AI to summarize the last 10 to 500 messages in a channel so you can see what you missed.
On this page
Missed a long conversation? /summary reads the recent messages in the channel and posts a short
AI-written recap, so you can catch up in seconds instead of scrolling.
Before you start#
Summary uses OpenAI to write the recap. See AI and your messages for what's sent.
How to use it#
Run the command in the channel you want summarized.
Type /summary. Add amount to choose how many recent messages to read (10 if you leave it out).
Buddy posts the summary in the channel for everyone to see.
/summary [amount] EveryoneSummarize recent chat history.
| Option | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| amount | How many recent messages to read, from 1 to 500. Higher numbers are capped at 500. | 10 |
Good to know:
- Messages with no text (only images or embeds) are skipped.
- Very long conversations are trimmed to the most recent part before summarizing.
- The summary is short (a few sentences), so a recap of 500 messages stays high level.
- The summary never pings anyone, even if it mentions people.
- Each member can run an AI command once a minute, and all AI commands share a per-server budget of 12 AI replies a minute.
AI and your messages#
When you use /summary, Buddy sends OpenAI the text of the messages you asked for, each with the
sender's username, so the summary can say who said what. Nothing is sent until you run the command.
See the Privacy Policy for how this text is handled.
The summary is posted publicly in the channel. Don't use it in a private staff channel if the people who'll see the reply shouldn't read the recap.
Examples#
/summary amount: 100
Alex and Sam planned Saturday's build contest: the theme is "underwater base" and entries close at 8 PM UTC. Jordan asked about prizes and Sam confirmed the winner gets Nitro. A few people shared early screenshots and agreed to meet in voice on Friday to test the server.
Troubleshooting#
"No recent messages to summarize."#
There are no text messages in the range. Try a larger amount, or check Buddy can Read Message History in the channel.
"Unable to generate summary."#
The AI couldn't be reached or refused the request. Wait a moment and try again, perhaps with a smaller amount.
"AI commands are cooling down. Try again in 42s."#
You used an AI command less than a minute ago, or your server has used its AI budget for this minute. Wait the time shown.
"OpenAI API key not configured."#
The AI isn't available on Buddy right now. Try again later.