Meeting Minutes Template and Example (Copy and Paste, 2026)

A good set of meeting minutes records six things: the date, time and place; who attended; what was decided on each agenda item; the action items with an owner and a due date; and when the next meeting is. Below are three templates you can copy straight into Word, Google Docs or an email, a filled example, and a quick way to fill them from a recording instead of typing them live.

Template 1: Basic meeting minutes

Use this for most team meetings, client calls and one-to-ones.

MEETING MINUTES

Meeting: [Name of meeting]
Date and time: [Date], [Start] to [End]
Location: [Room or video link]
Minutes taken by: [Name]

ATTENDEES
Present: [Names]
Absent: [Names]

SUMMARY
[Two or three sentences: why the meeting was held and the main outcome.]

DECISIONS
1. [Decision]
2. [Decision]

ACTION ITEMS
- [Task] | Owner: [Name] | Due: [Date]
- [Task] | Owner: [Name] | Due: [Date]

OPEN QUESTIONS
- [Question and who will find the answer]

NEXT MEETING
[Date, time and place]

Copy template 1

Template 2: Minutes with an agenda and action table

Use this when the meeting follows an agenda and you want every item closed with an outcome.

MEETING MINUTES: [Project or team name]
Date: [Date]   Time: [Start] to [End]   Location: [Place or link]
Chair: [Name]   Minutes: [Name]
Present: [Names]   Apologies: [Names]

1. [Agenda item]
   Discussion: [One or two sentences.]
   Decision: [What was agreed, or "none".]
   Action: [Task], [Owner], [Due date]

2. [Agenda item]
   Discussion: [One or two sentences.]
   Decision: [What was agreed, or "none".]
   Action: [Task], [Owner], [Due date]

3. Any other business
   [Item and outcome]

SUMMARY OF ACTIONS
Task | Owner | Due | Status
[Task] | [Name] | [Date] | Open
[Task] | [Name] | [Date] | Open

Next meeting: [Date, time, place]
Meeting closed at [Time].

Copy template 2

Template 3: Formal minutes for a board or committee

Formal minutes record motions and votes. Your bylaws or your organisation's rules decide what must be included, so treat this as a starting point and not as legal advice.

MINUTES OF THE [BOARD / COMMITTEE] MEETING OF [ORGANISATION]
Held on [Date] at [Time], [Location or video link]

PRESENT: [Names and roles]
IN ATTENDANCE: [Names]
APOLOGIES: [Names]
Chair: [Name]   Secretary: [Name]

1. CALL TO ORDER
The chair called the meeting to order at [Time]. A quorum was [present / not present].

2. APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MINUTES
The minutes of [Date] were [approved / approved as amended]. Moved: [Name]. Seconded: [Name]. Carried.

3. [REPORT OR ITEM]
[Short factual summary of what was presented.]

4. MOTIONS
Motion: [Wording].
Moved: [Name]. Seconded: [Name].
Vote: For [number], Against [number], Abstained [number]. [Carried / Defeated].

5. ACTION ITEMS
[Task] | [Owner] | [Due date]

6. NEXT MEETING
[Date, time, place]

7. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at [Time].

Minutes submitted by: [Name], [Role]
Approved on: [Date]

Copy template 3

Example: filled-in minutes (a fictional project kickoff)

This example is invented to show the level of detail. It is not a real meeting.

How to write meeting minutes in five steps

1. Prepare before the meeting. Copy a template, fill in the date, location and the agenda items, and list the expected attendees.
2. Record who is there. Note attendees and absences as people arrive.
3. Write decisions and actions, not conversation. For each agenda item, capture the outcome. For each task, capture an owner and a date.
4. Read the actions back before closing. Saying "decision: ..." and "action for Sam: ..." out loud keeps everyone aligned and makes the minutes easy to write.
5. Send them within a day. Minutes are most useful while the meeting is fresh. Ask people to correct mistakes quickly.

Fill the template from a recording instead of typing live

Typing minutes while you also take part in the meeting is hard. Another way is to record the meeting on your iPhone and write the minutes afterwards from the result.

1. Put the iPhone in the middle of the table and start a recording in Audio Notes AI. It keeps recording with the screen locked, up to 90 minutes.
2. When you stop, you get a transcript, a summary and the action items, usually in about 30 seconds.
3. Paste the summary into the template, then use the chat to ask for what is missing, for example "What deadline did we agree for the launch?"
4. Add the names of attendees and owners yourself. Audio Notes AI returns one block of text without speaker labels, so it will not tell you who said what.

Transcription runs on a server, so you need internet. Always say at the start that you are recording. For more setup tips, see how to record a meeting on iPhone. If the meeting is already recorded, share the file to the app from Voice Memos, Files or WhatsApp.

Try Audio Notes AI free on the App Store — your first 3 notes or 60 minutes of transcription are included, no card required.

Common mistakes

• Writing a transcript. Minutes are a record of outcomes. If it reads like a play script, cut it down.
• Actions without an owner or a date. "Look into pricing" will not happen. "Priya, pricing options, 12 October" will.
• Waiting a week. The longer you wait, the more people dispute what was said.
• Mixing opinions in. Keep the tone neutral and factual.

FAQ

What should meeting minutes include?

The date, time and place; who attended and who was absent; each agenda item with the decision made; action items with an owner and a due date; and the next meeting. Minutes record what was decided, not everything that was said.

What is the difference between meeting minutes and meeting notes?

Notes are your own record and can be rough. Minutes are the official, shareable record of attendance, decisions and actions, usually written in the past tense and kept on file.

How long should meeting minutes be?

One page is enough for most team meetings: a sentence or two per agenda item, every decision, and the action items in a list that people can scan quickly.

Can AI write meeting minutes?

AI can transcribe a recording and draft a summary and action items, which you then paste into a template and check. Audio Notes AI does this on iPhone, but it does not label speakers, so you add the owners' names yourself.

Do I need permission to record a meeting?

Rules differ by country and state, and many companies have their own policy. Tell everyone at the start that you are recording, and ask if that is fine.

More: AI note takers for iPhone, Otter.ai alternatives for iPhone, best free transcription apps, how to transcribe interviews.

Download Audio Notes AI free on the App Store — your first 3 notes or 60 minutes of transcription are included, no card required.