diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/automations/automation-run-output-snapshot.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/automations/automation-run-output-snapshot.test.ts
index cadcbfd636c..6c830f5581d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/automations/automation-run-output-snapshot.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/automations/automation-run-output-snapshot.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
-import { createAutomationRunOutputSnapshotBuffer } from './automation-run-output-snapshot'
+import {
+  createAutomationRunOutputSnapshotBuffer,
+  createAutomationRunOutputSnapshotFromText,
+  selectAutomationRunOutputSnapshot
+} from './automation-run-output-snapshot'
 
 describe('automation run output snapshot buffer', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
@@ -68,4 +72,26 @@ describe('automation run output snapshot buffer', () => {
       content: 'LoadingDone'
     })
   })
+
+  it('creates a saved snapshot from agent transcript text', () => {
+    expect(createAutomationRunOutputSnapshotFromText('\nFinal summary.\n')).toEqual({
+      format: 'plain_text',
+      content: 'Final summary.',
+      capturedAt: new Date('2026-05-16T12:00:00Z').getTime(),
+      truncated: false
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('prefers agent transcript text over raw terminal redraw output', () => {
+    const rawTerminalSnapshot = createAutomationRunOutputSnapshotFromText(
+      'q;\u2834 orca q\u2022Working q q'
+    )
+
+    expect(selectAutomationRunOutputSnapshot('Posted to #releases.', rawTerminalSnapshot)).toEqual({
+      format: 'plain_text',
+      content: 'Posted to #releases.',
+      capturedAt: new Date('2026-05-16T12:00:00Z').getTime(),
+      truncated: false
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/automations/automation-run-output-snapshot.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/automations/automation-run-output-snapshot.ts
index 41ea8bd138f..89ede7f961c 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/automations/automation-run-output-snapshot.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/automations/automation-run-output-snapshot.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,31 @@ export type AutomationRunOutputSnapshotBuffer = {
   snapshot: () => AutomationRunOutputSnapshot | null
 }
 
+export function createAutomationRunOutputSnapshotFromText(
+  content: string,
+  truncated = false
+): AutomationRunOutputSnapshot | null {
+  const trimmed = content.trim()
+  if (!trimmed) {
+    return null
+  }
+  return {
+    format: 'plain_text',
+    content: trimmed,
+    capturedAt: Date.now(),
+    truncated
+  }
+}
+
+export function selectAutomationRunOutputSnapshot(
+  assistantMessage: string | null | undefined,
+  terminalSnapshot: AutomationRunOutputSnapshot | null
+): AutomationRunOutputSnapshot | null {
+  // Why: raw hidden-PTY captures include full-screen TUI redraws; hook
+  // transcript text is the user-facing automation result when available.
+  return createAutomationRunOutputSnapshotFromText(assistantMessage ?? '') ?? terminalSnapshot
+}
+
 function stripTerminalControls(value: string): string {
   return value
     .replace(OSC_SEQUENCE_PATTERN, '')
@@ -52,15 +77,7 @@ export function createAutomationRunOutputSnapshotBuffer(): AutomationRunOutputSn
     },
     snapshot() {
       const content = stripTerminalControls(chunks.join('')).trim()
-      if (!content) {
-        return null
-      }
-      return {
-        format: 'plain_text',
-        content,
-        capturedAt: Date.now(),
-        truncated
-      }
+      return createAutomationRunOutputSnapshotFromText(content, truncated)
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useAutomationDispatchEvents.ts b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useAutomationDispatchEvents.ts
index b16a7ab3ad0..18a260cdb3b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useAutomationDispatchEvents.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useAutomationDispatchEvents.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ import { launchAgentBackgroundSession } from '@/lib/launch-agent-background-sess
 import { useAppStore } from '@/store'
 import type { AutomationDispatchResult } from '../../../shared/automations-types'
 import { parsePaneKey } from '../../../shared/stable-pane-id'
-import { createAutomationRunOutputSnapshotBuffer } from '@/components/automations/automation-run-output-snapshot'
+import {
+  createAutomationRunOutputSnapshotBuffer,
+  selectAutomationRunOutputSnapshot
+} from '@/components/automations/automation-run-output-snapshot'
 
 const AUTOMATIONS_CHANGED_EVENT = 'orca:automations-changed'
 
@@ -122,6 +125,9 @@ export function useAutomationDispatchEvents(): void {
         dispatchWorkspaceDisplayName = worktree.displayName
 
         const outputSnapshotBuffer = createAutomationRunOutputSnapshotBuffer()
+        let latestAssistantMessage: string | null = null
+        const getOutputSnapshot = () =>
+          selectAutomationRunOutputSnapshot(latestAssistantMessage, outputSnapshotBuffer.snapshot())
         let dispatchMarked = false
         let pendingExitCode: number | null = null
         let pendingDone = false
@@ -138,7 +144,7 @@ export function useAutomationDispatchEvents(): void {
             status: 'completed',
             workspaceId: worktree.id,
             workspaceDisplayName: worktree.displayName,
-            outputSnapshot: outputSnapshotBuffer.snapshot(),
+            outputSnapshot: getOutputSnapshot(),
             error: null
           })
         }
@@ -149,7 +155,7 @@ export function useAutomationDispatchEvents(): void {
             status: code === 0 ? 'completed' : 'dispatch_failed',
             workspaceId: worktree.id,
             workspaceDisplayName: worktree.displayName,
-            outputSnapshot: outputSnapshotBuffer.snapshot(),
+            outputSnapshot: getOutputSnapshot(),
             error: code === 0 ? null : `Automation process exited with code ${code}.`
           })
         }
@@ -169,6 +175,7 @@ export function useAutomationDispatchEvents(): void {
             for (const [paneKey, entry] of Object.entries(agentStatusByPaneKey)) {
               const parsed = parsePaneKey(paneKey)
               if (parsed?.tabId === tabId && entry.state === 'done') {
+                latestAssistantMessage = entry.lastAssistantMessage?.trim() || latestAssistantMessage
                 handleAgentDone()
                 return
               }
@@ -189,6 +196,7 @@ export function useAutomationDispatchEvents(): void {
             outputSnapshotBuffer.append(chunk)
           },
           onAgentStatus: (payload) => {
+            latestAssistantMessage = payload.lastAssistantMessage?.trim() || latestAssistantMessage
             if (payload.state !== 'done') {
               return
             }