A meeting notes template is a fixed page you fill in for every meeting so decisions and owners don't get lost. As of Nov 2026, Atlassian's version covers date and time, attendees, agenda items, discussion summaries, decisions, and action items with owners and deadlines. Copy the layout below into any document.
Everything you need is on this page: the sections, a block you can paste straight into a document, and the way to fill it in without spending the whole meeting typing. It works in Word, Google Docs, Notion or a plain email.
The point isn't paperwork. Atlassian's warning is that without notes, details get lost or misremembered and teams end up having the same conversations again and again. If you've ever sat in a meeting where someone asks what was agreed last time and nobody's sure, you already know the cost.
What belongs on the page
Atlassian lists six parts for its template. ProjectManager's version ends with a seventh that I think is worth keeping: the details of the next meeting.
| Section | What to write | Why it's there |
|---|---|---|
| Date and time | When the meeting happened, and how long it ran if that's useful | Atlassian says this anchors the notes, so you can find them and read them in context later |
| Attendees | Everyone present, plus anyone who was invited and missed it | It shows who contributed to a decision and who needs bringing up to speed |
| Agenda items | One line per topic, with the person who owns that topic | It gives the notes a structure, so you're not sorting them out afterwards |
| Discussion summary | Two or three lines under each topic, not a script | It keeps the context without recording every word |
| Decisions made | What was decided and why | Atlassian's point is that the reason removes ambiguity down the line |
| Action items | The task, one named person and a due date | Without clear owners and dates, Atlassian says tasks tend to stall |
| Next meeting | Date, place and purpose | ProjectManager puts this last so people can add it to their calendars straight away |
A layout you can paste today
Paste this into a new document and save it as your master copy. Fill in the top half before the meeting starts, then you're only typing the parts that change.
Copy this meeting notes layout
MEETING NOTES
Meeting name:
Date, start time and end time:
Led by:
Notes taken by:
Attendees:
Invited but absent:
AGENDA
Topic one, owned by:
Topic two, owned by:
Topic three, owned by:
DISCUSSION SUMMARY
Topic one, in two or three lines:
Topic two, in two or three lines:
Topic three, in two or three lines:
DECISIONS MADE
What we decided, and why:
ACTION ITEMS
Task, owner, due date:
Task, owner, due date:
NEXT MEETING
Date, place and purpose:
A good action line is short and leaves nothing to guess. Here's an invented example of the difference. Weak: "Look into the brief." Better: "Send the revised brief to the designer. Owner: Sam. Due: Friday." The second one can be chased. The first one can't.
How to take the notes, start to finish
ProjectManager describes a five-step process: planning, recordkeeping, transcribing, distribution and filing. Here's that process in the order you'd run it, with a couple of extras from Atlassian.
- Plan before the meeting. ProjectManager says the note taker should work with whoever's leading the meeting to agree the participants and the agenda. That fills in the top of your template before anyone sits down, and if you need a starting point, this agenda layout pairs well with it.
- Choose the note taker in advance. ProjectManager is firm on this, and Atlassian says the same: if you won't be taking notes yourself, give the job to someone else. Picking a person once the meeting has started is how nobody ends up doing it.
- Record during the meeting. Capture the highlights under each agenda item, not a running script. Atlassian also suggests the organiser time-boxes each topic and parks anything off-topic for next time.
- Close with a recap. Atlassian's advice is to review the key takeaways, decide the next steps and set deadlines before everyone leaves. I'd read the action items out loud, because that's the moment someone says "that's not mine".
- Tidy up if you need to. If you wrote by hand, type it into the template so it can be shared. If you typed in the meeting, you can drop this step, as ProjectManager notes.
- Send it out. ProjectManager points out that minutes aren't only for the people who attended, so decide who else needs them.
- File it. ProjectManager says finished minutes should be filed to create a paper trail and a reference for similar work later. Atlassian's version of this is a shared, central location, not someone's inbox.
The test most notes fail
Most people treat notes as a record of what was said. Read Atlassian and ProjectManager side by side and they're both after something else: what was decided, and who's doing what next. ProjectManager says it plainly, that minutes aren't a recording of every word spoken but a way of boiling the meeting down to its essentials.
So here's the test I'd use. Hand the notes to someone who missed the meeting. Do they know what changed and what they need to do? If they do, the notes worked, even if they're ten lines long. If they've got two pages of who said what and still need to ask a colleague, the notes failed, however neat they look.
There's a practical upside to this too. Atlassian says that the more consistently you document meetings, the less time you spend chasing information afterwards.
One owner, one version
This small detail is the one I'd borrow first. ProjectManager says the minutes should be owned by the note taker, and that only one person should be responsible for updating the template. The reason is simple: it stops incorrect or out-of-date versions floating around.
Other people can suggest changes. They just don't edit their own copy and forward it on. If two people are keeping parallel notes, you don't have a record, you've got an argument waiting to happen.
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Notes or minutes: does the word matter?
Not much. Atlassian's page uses meeting minutes and calls them a documented summary of what happened during a meeting, and it says they aren't only for formal board meetings. Weekly syncs, project kickoffs and client calls all count.
My view is that minutes is the word to use when a formal body needs an official record, and notes is the word for everything else. If your organisation has rules about formal minutes, follow those, because a blog template won't cover them. For a small business, the layout above does the job.
Where a template lets you down
The downside is real: a template can turn into box-ticking. People fill in every heading because it's there, and the page gets longer while the decisions get harder to find. It also won't rescue a meeting that had no clear goal, and Atlassian names that as one reason a meeting can fall flat in the first place.
The pro is just as real. ProjectManager says a template saves time and creates consistency, and that the note taker isn't stuck on formatting, so they can take part in the meeting. And anyone picking up a project knows where to look.
Atlassian adds a sensible caveat: the best template is the one your team will use. Some teams follow the meeting in time order and others group notes by project, and either's fine as long as you stay consistent. If you'd rather not type at all, it's worth reading about how an AI assistant can handle the note taking, though someone still needs to check the decisions and owners are right.
What I'd do
I'd keep it to one page, put decisions and action items where nobody can miss them, and skip the word-for-word summary. I'd use the same layout for every meeting, name one owner and send it the same day. For a quick check-in, I'd drop everything except the action items.
Frequently asked questions
What should meeting notes include?
Atlassian lists date and time, attendees, agenda items, discussion summaries, decisions made, and action items with owners and deadlines. ProjectManager's template adds next meeting details, which I'd keep.
What's the difference between meeting notes and meeting minutes?
In everyday use, very little, and Atlassian's page treats them as one thing. My view is that minutes suits a formal record, and notes suits everything else.
Who should take the notes?
Someone chosen before the meeting starts. ProjectManager says that person should own the document, so there's one version and one person updating it.
How long should meeting notes be?
Long enough for someone who missed the meeting to know what changed and what they need to do. ProjectManager says they're not a record of every word, and for most meetings I'd aim for one page.
Do I need meeting notes for a short check-in?
A few lines is enough. Atlassian says even quick check-ins can benefit, especially when other team members need to see the updates. I'd write down any decisions and action items, and leave it there.
