AltF Minutes

How to write meeting minutes

Good minutes record decisions and actions, not conversation. Prepare the header and agenda before the meeting, capture each decision and action (with an owner and due date) as it happens, then tidy and send the minutes within a day. The template below does the formatting for you.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Nothing uploaded
  • No AI rewriting
  • Works on mobile

Before the meeting

  • Get the agenda and the list of invitees.
  • Fill in the minutes header: name, date, time, place, chair, note-taker.
  • Copy the agenda items in as headings so you only add notes under each.
  • Agree with the chair how decisions will be confirmed out loud.

During the meeting

  • Mark attendance and apologies.
  • Under each agenda item, write one or two sentences on the outcome, not the debate.
  • Write each decision in the exact words agreed. Ask the chair to restate it if unclear.
  • Write each action as one owner, a verb and a due date: "Lena - send the test plan to legal - Thursday".
  • Park off-topic questions in an Open questions list.

After the meeting

  • Tidy the notes the same day, while you remember.
  • Check every action has one owner and one date.
  • Send the minutes to attendees and absentees, and file them where the team can find them.
  • Track the actions until they are closed, and review them at the next meeting.

What to leave out

  • Word-for-word chatter and side conversations
  • Personal opinions, jokes or emotional remarks
  • Who said what in a heated debate, unless the record requires it
  • Confidential or legal advice that belongs in a separate privileged record
  • Guesses about owners or deadlines nobody actually stated

How to write meeting minutes: questions and answers

Who should take meeting minutes?

Someone who is not chairing, so they can listen and write. Many teams rotate the role. Boards usually have a secretary.

How long should meeting minutes be?

As short as possible while still recording every decision and action. For a one-hour team meeting, one page is usually enough.

Should minutes be verbatim?

No. Minutes summarise outcomes. If you need every word, keep the transcript separately and paste it into the extractor to pull out the decisions.

Templates and guides

All of AltF MinutesTranscript extractor, templates, agenda timer, tracker and cost calculator.Meeting minutes templateFree meeting minutes template you fill in online: team, board, standup, 1:1, kickoff, retro and client formats. Export to Docs, Word, PDF or Markdown.Transcript to minutesPaste a Zoom, Teams or Google Meet transcript and get minutes: decisions, action items with owners and due dates, questions and risks. Nothing is uploaded.MOM formatMOM full form, the standard minutes of meeting format, a sample MOM in business English and a free template to fill in and email in minutes.Board meeting minutesFree board meeting minutes template with call to order, quorum, approval of prior minutes, motions, votes and adjournment. Fill in online and export.Nonprofit, HOA and club minutesSimple meeting minutes template for nonprofits, HOAs, PTAs, clubs and churches: attendance, quorum, reports, motions, votes and actions. Free, no sign-up.Action items templateWrite action items that get done: one owner, a verb and a due date. Free action items template and tracker with owner filters and CSV export.Meeting agenda templateFree meeting agenda template with time allocation: start and end times for each item, an overrun warning and a live meeting timer. Turns into minutes in one click.Meeting cost calculatorCalculate what a meeting costs: attendees x hourly rate x length, with overhead, prep time and recurring yearly cost. Live cost meter. Free, private.Meeting minutes examplesMeeting minutes examples you can copy: team meeting, board meeting, client call, standup and project kickoff, with decisions and action items done right.Standup meeting notesFree daily standup notes template: yesterday, today and blockers for each person, a 15-minute agenda timer and blocker actions you can track.One-on-one meeting notesFree one-on-one meeting notes template and 1:1 agenda: wellbeing, priorities, feedback both ways and growth, with agreed actions you can track.Project kickoff meetingFree project kickoff meeting template: goals, scope, roles, timeline, risks and communication plan, with a timed agenda and minutes you can export.Retrospective notesFree sprint retrospective template: what went well, what did not, ideas to try and agreed actions with owners. Includes a 45-minute retro agenda timer.Client meeting notesFree client meeting notes template: client needs, proposal, concerns, decisions and next steps, ready to paste into a follow-up email.

More free meeting tools

Plan the meeting

Before anyone joins.

During and after

Capture, summarise and follow up.

Time and cost

Keep meetings short and worth it.

AltF Minutes runs in your browser. Transcripts are never uploaded; only your minutes draft and action list are kept, in this browser's local storage.