---
title: "Generating with AI"
description: "Let AI draft the postmortem from the incident record, then refine it section by section."
canonical: https://firefight.app/docs/postmortems/generating-with-ai/
---

# Generating with AI

Firefight can write the first draft of a postmortem for you. The AI reads the incident record and produces a structured document in the [eight standard sections](https://firefight.app/docs/postmortems/overview.md), written in a blameless tone that focuses on systems and processes rather than individuals.

## Generate from Slack

In a closed incident channel, run:

```
/ff postmortem
```

Firefight confirms that generation has started. It usually takes under a minute. The command only works in the channel of a closed incident, and only if no postmortem exists for it yet.

## Generate from the dashboard

On the incident page in the web dashboard, the postmortem card appears once the incident is closed. Click **Generate draft**. You land on the postmortem page, which shows a placeholder while the draft is written and switches to the editor as soon as it is ready.

## What the draft is built from

The AI works only from what Firefight recorded about the incident. That includes:

| Input | Examples |
| --- | --- |
| Incident details | Name, severity, status, who declared it, who led it, key timestamps, duration |
| Custom fields | Any values your team filled in on the incident forms |
| Timeline | The recorded events from declaration through close |
| Channel discussion | A narrative summary of the conversation in the incident channel |
| Actions and follow-ups | What was tried during response and what remains open |
| Shoutouts | Recognition given during the incident |

This is why disciplined use of `/ff update`, actions, and the incident channel pays off. The richer the record, the better the draft.

## Start blank instead

If you prefer to write from scratch, click **Start blank** on the incident page card. You get an empty document in Draft status with the incident's identifier and name as the title. Starting blank does not use AI.

## Rewrite a section with AI

Inside the editor you can point AI at any passage. Select some text and click the sparkles button in the floating toolbar. A **Rewrite with AI** dialog opens where you describe what you want, for example "make this more concise" or "expand on the root cause". The AI has access to the incident context, including the timeline, summary, and actions, so it can add real detail rather than padding. The rewritten text replaces your selection, and you can undo it like any other edit.

## The AI drafts, humans own accuracy

Treat the generated document as a strong first draft, not a finished artifact. The AI only knows what made it into the incident record. It cannot know about the hallway conversation, the dashboard someone eyeballed, or the context behind a decision. Before you mark a postmortem completed, have someone who was on the incident verify the facts, sharpen the contributing factors, and make sure every action item has an owner.

:::tip
Review the Summary and Key contributing factors sections most carefully. They are the parts future readers rely on, and the parts where missing context does the most damage.
:::