Skip to main content
Blocks are the building units of your digests. Each block pulls content from specific sources and generates AI summaries based on your custom instructions.
Example of blocks in the digest builder

Blocks are organized sequentially in your digest builder

​
What are Blocks?

Think of blocks as content sections within your digest. Each digest is composed of multiple blocks, and each block can pull from different sources. This modular approach lets you mix newsletters, YouTube videos, and RSS feeds in a single digest while customizing how each section is summarized.
You can create multiple blocks of the same type within a digest. This is useful for grouping different sources or applying different custom instructions to each group.

​
Block Types

Summate offers three types of blocks to organize different content sources:
Add Block modal showing YouTube, RSS, and Email options

Choose which type of block to add to your digest

​
Email Block

Pull content from newsletters received in your Summate Inbox.
Email block configuration showing sender selection

Select which newsletter senders to include in this block

1

Set Up Your Inbox

Set up your Summate Inbox and forward newsletters to it
2

Create Email Block

Add an Email block to your digest
3

Select Senders

Choose which email senders to include
Source Selection The block displays all Active email senders that have been received in your Inbox. Blocked senders are not shown.
Use the “Include All” option if you’re just starting out. This automatically includes all newsletters received in your Inbox, making it easy to get started without manual selection.
Content Processing
  • Only new emails since your last digest are included
  • Inactive sources (no new content) won’t appear in the digest
  • Each email is summarized with a TLDR and key takeaways (learn about AI summarization)

​
YouTube Block

Summarize videos from YouTube channels you follow.
YouTube block configuration showing channel selection and filters

Add YouTube channels by importing subscriptions or pasting URLs

Adding Channels

One-Click Import

Connect your YouTube account to import all your subscriptions at once

Manual Entry

Paste channel URLs directly to add specific channels
Filters
  • Filter Shorts - Exclude YouTube Shorts from your digest
  • Videos are automatically filtered if transcripts can’t be retrieved (blocked videos)
Content Processing
  • Only new videos since your last digest are included
  • Inactive channels (no new videos) won’t appear in the digest
  • Each video is summarized with key takeaways linked to relevant timestamps (learn about AI summarization)
Click on any key takeaway to jump directly to the relevant timestamp in the video. Perfect for skipping to the parts that matter most to you.

​
RSS Block

Aggregate content from blogs, news sites, and any website with an RSS feed.
RSS block configuration showing feed sources

Enter website or RSS feed URLs to add blog sources

Adding Sources Enter a website URL and Summate will try to automatically find the RSS feed.
If automatic detection doesn’t work, find the RSS feed URL yourself (usually something like website.com/feed or website.com/rss) and paste it directly.
Content Filtering By default, we filter out very short content (less than 10 words) to ensure you only get substantial articles and posts. Content Processing
  • Only new content since your last digest is included
  • Inactive sources (no new posts) won’t appear in the digest
  • Each article is summarized with a TLDR and key takeaways (learn about AI summarization)
Click on any key takeaway to jump to the exact paragraph in the original article where that information appears.

​
Customizing Blocks

​
Block Settings

Block Name

Give your block a descriptive name to stay organized (e.g., “AI Newsletters”, “Tech YouTube”)

Custom Instructions

Add block-level custom instructions to personalize how AI summarizes this specific block’s content

​
Summarization Mode

Currently, all blocks use Detailed Summaries, which provide:
  • TLDR - A brief overview of the content
  • Key Takeaways - Specific points relevant to your custom instructions
We plan to add topic-based grouping to organize your summaries by themes and subjects automatically.
Learn more about customizing AI summaries in our AI Personalization guide.

​
Organizing Blocks

​
Block Order

Use the up/down arrows to reorder blocks within your digest. Blocks appear in your digest in the order you arrange them.
Priority Order
  • Most important sources first
  • Time-sensitive content at the top
Source Type Grouping
  • All newsletters together
  • Then YouTube videos
  • Then RSS feeds
Topic-Based Organization
  • Group related content together
  • Separate work vs. personal interests
Reading Time
  • Quick reads first
  • Longer content at the end

​
Block Limits

There’s no hard limit on the number of blocks per digest. However, keep in mind your monthly credit allocation (2000 credits) when planning your digests. Each newsletter/article costs 1 credit, and videos cost 1-3 credits depending on length.

​
Best Practices

Start Small

Begin with 2-3 blocks and expand as you understand what works for you

Name Descriptively

Use clear block names like “AI Research” or “Morning Tech News” for easy identification

Use Custom Instructions

Apply block-level instructions to personalize summaries for different content types

Review Regularly

Check your digests weekly to add new sources and remove inactive ones

​
Next Steps

Learn About Digests

Understand how digests work

Set Up Your Inbox

Configure email forwarding for newsletters

AI Customization

Personalize your summaries