Meeting Minutes Template: Copy It and Use It
A free template, a filled sample, and how to write minutes.
A meeting minutes template is a ready-made outline for the record of a meeting: who attended, what was decided and who does what by when. Copy the template below into Word, Google Docs or Notion, and fill in the brackets. A filled sample follows it.
Updated November 2026.
Meeting minutes template
Replace each part in brackets. Delete the parts your meeting does not need.
# [Meeting Title] - Minutes Date: [Full date] Time: [Start] - [End] Location: [Room or video link] Chair: [Name] Minute taker: [Name] ## Attendees Present: [Names] Absent: [Names] Guests: [Names] ## Approval of Previous Minutes [Approved / Approved with changes] ## Agenda Items ### 1. [Topic] Summary: [What was discussed, in 1-2 sentences] Decision: [What was decided] ### 2. [Topic] Summary: [What was discussed, in 1-2 sentences] Decision: [What was decided] ## Action Items | Task | Owner | Due date | |------|-------|----------| | [Task] | [Name] | [Date] | ## Next Meeting Date: [Date] Topics: [Topics] Minutes approved by: [Name], [Date]
Minutes of meeting sample
This is a sample. The names, dates and decisions are made up.
# Website Project - Minutes Date: 5 November 2026 Time: 10:00 - 10:30 Location: Video call Chair: Ana Costa Minute taker: Ben Hill ## Attendees Present: Ana Costa, Ben Hill, Chloe Martin Absent: David Ross ## Agenda Items ### 1. Launch date Summary: The new pages need one more week of review. Decision: Move the launch to 1 December. ### 2. Customer email Summary: Customers need to hear about the new date. Decision: Send the email on 10 November. ## Action Items | Task | Owner | Due date | |------|-------|----------| | Update the launch plan | Ben Hill | 7 November | | Write and send the customer email | Chloe Martin | 10 November | ## Next Meeting Date: 12 November 2026 Topics: Review results
How to write meeting minutes
- Copy the template before the meeting, and fill in the agenda items
- Write down who attended and who did not
- For each item, note the decision, not the whole conversation
- Give each action item one owner and a due date
- Send the minutes the same day or the next, and ask for corrections
What do you write in meeting minutes?
The date, time and place, who attended and who did not, each agenda item, each decision, and each action item with an owner and a deadline.
How do I use this template in Word or Google Docs?
Copy the text from the box and paste it into a new document. Turn the lines that start with # into headings, then save it as your own template.
What is the difference between meeting minutes and meeting notes?
Minutes are the formal record that a group keeps and may approve. Notes are less formal and are mainly for the people who took part.
Can ChatGPT make meeting minutes?
Yes, if you give it a transcript or your rough notes. Paste them in with this template and ask it to fill in the parts. Check names, numbers and deadlines before you share them.
Who should take the minutes?
Someone who is not leading the meeting, because it is hard to do both. Many teams take turns. An AI note taker can write the transcript, but a person should still check the decisions.