Preventing duplicate summaries

This guide helps you separate normal summary revision from true duplicate output. Use it when similar points appear multiple times and it becomes unclear which version should be used.

Quick path:

1. Decide whether the text is revision or duplicate.
2. Check whether a reconnect or phone replacement happened recently.
3. Keep the latest validated wording and mark duplicates as outdated.
4. Reconfirm decisions verbally before moving on.

Revision or duplicate?

Revision means an existing point gets improved with new context. Duplicate means the same point appears separately without adding meaning. You can usually tell by checking whether wording precision changed or only repetition increased.

If unsure, compare with transcript segments from the same time window. For sequence uncertainty, use [Why transcript ordering matters](/guides/advanced/why-transcript-ordering-matters).

Common duplicate triggers

Most duplicates come from three conditions:

• fast reconnects during active discussion
• phone swaps without clear handoff
• repeated reformulation of the same decision before final confirmation

That is why this guide pairs closely with [Device reconnection behavior](/guides/advanced/device-reconnection-behavior) and [Microphone replacement without data loss](/guides/advanced/microphone-replacement-without-data-loss).

Prevent duplicates during the session

Prevention is easier than cleanup:

1. Lock decisions as "one sentence, one owner, one timeframe."
2. Avoid dual active devices for the same table.
3. After reconnection, ask for one clean restatement of the latest decision.

This routine reduces duplicates and ownership confusion at the same time.

What to do when duplicates already exist

If duplicates are already present:

• keep the version that matches the table's latest confirmation
• mark older duplicate lines as superseded
• ensure reporting uses the validated version

If summaries still feel unstable, run [What to do when summaries feel wrong](/guides/analysis/what-to-do-when-summaries-feel-wrong) before sharing.

Related guides

• [Device reconnection behavior](/guides/advanced/device-reconnection-behavior)
• [Microphone replacement without data loss](/guides/advanced/microphone-replacement-without-data-loss)
• [How revision-aware summaries work](/guides/advanced/how-revision-aware-summaries-work)
• [What to do when summaries feel wrong](/guides/analysis/what-to-do-when-summaries-feel-wrong)
• [Turning summaries into reports](/guides/workflows/turning-summaries-into-reports)