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How to write meeting minutes, with a template

Updated 31 October 2026 · 7 min read
Short answerGood minutes record decisions and actions, not a transcript. Include the meeting name, date, who attended, the decisions made, and each action item with an owner and a due date. Leave out who said what in passing, side discussions and opinions that didn't lead anywhere. Send them within a day while people still remember the meeting.

Minutes are the official memory of a meeting. Done well, they settle "what did we agree?" in ten seconds. Done badly, they're a wall of text nobody reads. The difference is mostly about what you leave out.

What minutes are for

Minutes exist so that people who were there agree on what happened, and people who weren't can catch up in a minute. That means they record outcomes: decisions, actions and owners. They are not a transcript. If someone needs the exact words, that's what a recording is for.

What to include

What to leave out

Template

Copy this into your notes app or document and fill it in.

[Meeting name] Date: [day, date] · Time: [start–end] · Place: [room or link] Chair: [name] · Notes: [name] Present: [names] Apologies: [names] 1. [Agenda item] Discussion: [one to three lines] Decision: [what was agreed] 2. [Agenda item] Discussion: [one to three lines] Decision: [what was agreed] Action items - [Action] — Owner: [name] — Due: [date] - [Action] — Owner: [name] — Due: [date] Next meeting: [date, time]

Example

Q4 launch plan Wednesday 28 October · 9:30–10:00 · Room 4 Chair: Anna · Notes: Daniel Present: Anna, Priya, Daniel 1. Beta results Discussion: 42 testers; support tickets down by a third since the last build. Decision: Beta is complete. 2. Launch date Discussion: Design sign-off is the only open dependency. Decision: Launch moves up to 18 November, if store screenshots are signed off by Friday. Action items - Confirm the launch budget with finance — Owner: Anna — Due: today, 4 pm - Sign off on the store screenshots — Owner: Priya — Due: Friday - Send the press note draft to the team — Owner: Daniel — Due: Wednesday Next meeting: Wednesday 4 November, 9:30

Tips that make minutes useful

  1. Write decisions as sentences. "Launch on 18 November" beats "launch date discussed".
  2. One owner per action. "Marketing" or "the team" means nobody.
  3. Send within a day, and ask for corrections by a set time.
  4. Keep a recording if your organization allows it. When someone disputes the minutes, you can check what was actually said.

Getting minutes written for you

If you take minutes often, an AI note taker can draft them from a recording. VoiceVault records the meeting on your Android phone and, when you stop, writes a short summary of the decisions and a to-do list with an owner on each item, all on the phone, with nothing uploaded. You then check names and dates and share it. For how to record well, see how to transcribe an in-person meeting on Android.

Every meeting, written up. Right on your phone.

VoiceVault for Android: transcripts, summaries and to-dos with no account, no servers and no subscription. 30 days free, then pay once.

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Questions

What should meeting minutes include?

The meeting name, date and time, attendees and apologies, the agenda items, the decisions made, and action items with an owner and a due date. Formal minutes also note who chaired and when the next meeting is.

How long should meeting minutes be?

As short as possible while still clear to someone who wasn't there. For a one-hour team meeting, half a page to a page is usually enough.

Should minutes say who said what?

Usually not. Record decisions and the reasons for them. Formal bodies such as boards may need to record motions, who moved and seconded them, and how people voted.

Can AI write meeting minutes?

AI note takers can draft them from a recording: a summary of decisions and a list of to-dos. Always read the draft before sending, because names, numbers and owners occasionally come out wrong.

How soon should minutes be sent?

Within 24 hours. The longer you wait, the more people's memories drift from what's written.

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