# Ask questions across all your recordings

> The global Ask chat answers from everything you've recorded and cites source cards that jump to the exact moment in each recording.

Updated: 2026-08-16 · Canonical: https://usecanto.com/help/ai/ask-across-recordings/

**Ask** is Canto's global chat: one question, answered from everything you've recorded, with sources. Instead of opening the right recording first, you describe what you want to know and Canto finds the relevant conversations itself.

## How do I use Ask?

Open the **Ask** tab (the home screen on the web greets you with **Ask anything**). Type into the composer — **Ask across all your recordings…** — or start from a suggestion:

- **What action items do I have?**
- **Summarize this week's conversations**
- **What needs my attention?**
- **What did I talk about most recently?**

You can also dictate a question instead of typing — see [Dictate instead of typing](https://usecanto.com/help/recording/dictation/).

## Where do answers come from?

As the interface puts it: "Answers come from everything you've recorded, with sources." Behind each question, Canto retrieves the most relevant passages across your whole library — your own recordings and ones shared with you — and answers only from those. It's the same meaning-based retrieval that powers search; see [How does search work in Canto?](https://usecanto.com/help/ai/search/)

## What are source cards?

Each answer lists the recordings it drew from as source cards. Tap a card and Canto opens that recording at the moment the cited passage was spoken, so you can hear the original context instead of trusting the paraphrase. When an answer draws on many passages, extra ones collapse behind a "more sources" count.

Source cards are the fastest way to verify an answer — an AI summary of ten meetings is only as useful as your ability to check it.

## Does Ask keep history?

Yes. **New chat** starts a fresh thread and **History** lists earlier ones, synced across your devices. Long-running threads keep their context, so you can follow up on yesterday's question today.

## How is Ask different from other chats?

- **Chat with a recording** is scoped to one transcript — best for "what did she say about the budget in this call". See [Chat with a recording](https://usecanto.com/help/ai/chat-with-a-recording/).
- **Folder chat** is scoped to one Space — best for a project or client. See [Chat with everything in a Space](https://usecanto.com/help/ai/folder-chat/).
- **Ask** has no scope: it searches everything and tells you where the answer came from.

## What does Ask cost?

Every message uses your AI chat allowance — 500 / mo on the free plan, shared with recording and folder chat. Pro is unlimited; see [What do Free, Pro, and Team include?](https://usecanto.com/help/billing/plans/)

## Troubleshooting

### Ask can't find something I know was said

Retrieval works on transcripts. If the recording is still transcribing, was never uploaded, or the words were mistranscribed, the passage can't be retrieved. Check the recording's transcript directly, and see [Why is my recording stuck transcribing?](https://usecanto.com/help/troubleshooting/transcription-stuck/) if it never became ready.

Related articles:

- [Chat with a recording](https://usecanto.com/help/ai/chat-with-a-recording/)
- [Chat with everything in a Space](https://usecanto.com/help/ai/folder-chat/)
- [How does search work in Canto?](https://usecanto.com/help/ai/search/)
- [Track action items across meetings](https://usecanto.com/help/ai/action-items/)