Search Results Summarizer

The Search Results Summarizer writes a plain-language summary of a whole set of search results — what the records are as a group, how they break down, what has been changing, and what stands out. Where the Record Summarizer covers one record and the Document Summarizer covers one document, this one covers everything your search returned.


It is the natural partner to AI Search: AI Search helps you find a set of records, and the Search Results Summarizer tells you what is in the set once you have it.


How to access it

Run a search on a Record Type, then choose Summarize Record Data from the AI Actions button on the search toolbar.


The option appears only on Record Type searches, not on Global Search. A Record Type is what gives the summary a known set of fields to work from — a Global Search can return anything, so there is nothing consistent to summarize. If you do not see the option, check that you have selected a Record Type and that your search returned results. If it is still missing, ask your administrator.


Summary styles

Choose one of:

  • Overview — what this set of records looks like as a whole: the headline totals and the most useful breakdowns.
  • Trends — how the records move over time, and how the groupings differ from one another.
  • Outliers — what stands out: the extremes, groups that are much larger or smaller than the rest, and fields that are mostly empty.
  • Custom — you provide your own instructions for a tailored summary, for example "which of these mention water damage".


How it runs

The summary runs in the background rather than while you wait on a locked screen. You will see a progress message as it works, and a Cancel button if you change your mind. This is different from the Record Summarizer, which returns its answer immediately — a summary of many records takes longer, so it is handled as a background job and the result comes back to you when it is ready.


The result

The summary opens in a dialog showing the style used and the number of records covered. You can Copy it, Download PDF to keep or share a copy, or Re-summarize with a different style. There is no "Save to Record" option here, because a summary spanning many records has no single record to save into.


Every summary you run is also listed in My AI Activity. Opening it there brings back the full summary — the complete narrative, not a one-line description of it — along with the same Copy and Download PDF options. Because the summary was saved when it was created, re-opening it costs nothing and uses no tokens, so it is worth going back to an earlier summary rather than running a new one when the records have not changed.


Limits on how many records can be summarized

Two limits apply, and both are handled for you:

  • If the search returns too many records, the dialog tells you how many it returned and how many are supported, and asks you to narrow the search. Nothing is charged.
  • If the search is large but still supported, the summary is built from the totals and groupings alone and the individual record values are left out. The summary says so in its warnings. You still get an accurate picture of the group; you just will not get comments about specific records.


Because the search is re-run at the moment the summary is built, the results reflect what matches right then and what you personally have rights to see. Two people summarizing the same saved search can legitimately get different answers if they have access to different records.


TIPS

  1. Narrow the search first. A summary of a focused set is far more useful than a summary of everything, and it will mention individual records rather than just group totals.
  2. Outliers is a quick data-quality check — it will surface fields that are mostly empty and values that look inconsistent with the rest of the set.
  3. Use Custom when you have a specific question about the set rather than wanting a general description.
  4. Download PDF is the easiest way to hand the summary to someone who does not have access to the search.


NOTE ON (AI): Summarizing search results sends the record data in those results to the AI and consumes tokens. This requires the Send Data to AI setting to be on, and may incur extra fees. Check with your sales rep for more information. Please verify all results, as AI can make mistakes.