Free Meeting Minutes Checklist
This is the one-page checklist I would give anyone walking into their first minute-taking meeting. What to have ready before you walk in, and what to do when the meeting moves faster than you can write.
Print it and keep it beside you during the meeting. No signup, no email required.
Everything on it is below as well, if you would rather just read it.
Before the meeting
- Get the agenda in advance, even a rough one
- Know the full names and roles of who’s attending
- Check who is chairing, and confirm you can ask them for clarification during the meeting
- Have a template ready. The meeting minutes template is the one I use
- Test your recording device if you’re using one, and always have a backup: pen and paper works
- Know where minutes get filed and who they’re circulated to afterwards
What actually needs recording
- Who was there, and who sent apologies
- Decisions made, in plain terms
- Actions agreed: what, who owns it, by when
- Anything formally proposed and voted on
- Any objection someone specifically asks to have noted
What doesn’t need recording
- Word-for-word speech, unless a formal statement is being made
- Every comment in a discussion, when only the outcome matters
- Side conversations and small talk
- Your own opinion on what was said
What to say when you miss something
Three sentences worth having ready. Using them is not an admission that you are struggling. It is how the record stays accurate.
“Sorry, could you repeat that last point before we move on?”
Use it the moment it happens. Don’t wait and hope you’ll remember.
“Just to confirm for the minutes, what was agreed there?”
Use it after a decision that felt unclear, or came out of a messy discussion.
“Can I check who’s taking that action forward?”
Use it when an action is implied but nobody has actually been named.
Your safety net: say this every time
“I’ll circulate a draft, please flag anything I’ve got wrong.”
Said at the end of every meeting, no exceptions.
A simple structure to start from
| Section | What goes here |
|---|---|
| Attendees / Apologies | Full names, roles |
| Decisions | What was agreed, one line each |
| Actions | Action, owner, deadline |
| Next meeting | Date, if set |
The meeting minutes template is exactly this, already laid out in a Word document you can duplicate for each meeting.
Good luck in there.
– Erin
More on getting the minutes right
- I’ve been asked to take minutes and I’ve never done it before. The longer version of this checklist.
- Recording meeting actions properly. What, who and when, so an action still makes sense a month later.
- Can’t hear what was said? Poor audio, unclear speakers and automated transcripts.
- Taking minutes in sensitive HR meetings. Recording difficult conversations neutrally.
More articles are on the blog. The other free downloads are on the templates and checklists page.