Meeting minutes templates
Six formats for six different jobs. Minutes are a record of what was decided, not a transcript of what was said, and the structure is what keeps them that way. Copy or download as Markdown.
Choose the one that matches what the meeting is for.
A template tells you what to capture. It does not help you capture it while also taking part in the conversation, which is the actual problem. If you are the person both running the meeting and writing it up, the honest options are to accept worse minutes, hand the job to someone else, or record it and write the minutes afterwards from the transcript.
Questions people actually ask
What should meeting minutes include?
Date, attendees and apologies, decisions made, action items with a named owner and due date, and anything explicitly deferred. Minutes record what was decided, not everything that was said. If a line does not capture a decision, an action, or context needed to understand one, it probably does not belong.
What is the difference between minutes and notes?
Notes are for whoever wrote them. Minutes are for people who were not in the room, including your future self and anyone reviewing the decision later. That is why minutes name owners and dates and notes usually do not.
Are formal board minutes different?
Yes. They are a legal record and usually need quorum confirmation, formal motions with proposer and seconder, recorded votes, declared conflicts of interest, and approval of the previous minutes. The board template follows that structure, but check your jurisdiction and governing documents.