Don't let key information get lost, learn how to make relevant meeting minutes [+ template].
Meeting minutes are an essential document for ensuring traceability of the information exchanged during a meeting. They record the activities carried out and topics discussed by the team, so that they can be transformed into concrete actions .
For successful project management, meeting minutes are an essential tool for project follow-up, recording decisions taken to achieve future objectives. Like all project documentation, they must be available for consultation at any time after the meeting.
This is why it's so important to write it well and to structure it clearly, so as to provide the whole team with the same level of information. So how do you go about it, and where do you start to master the art of the minutes?
Discover all the steps involved in writing minutes, the essential information they contain, and a downloadable template that you can use as a basis for creating your own!
Meeting minutes: back to basics
What are meeting minutes, and why should you take them?
Are you organizing or attending a business meeting? 🤔 Whatever its purpose, by its very nature it's based on interaction and exchange.
So, to ensure that this meeting retains all its interest, you're going to produce a meeting report. This document allows you to:
- keep a written record of oral exchanges,
- provide a clear, faithful and exhaustive record of the information conveyed,
- avoid divergent interpretations,
- align all those involved, participants and absentees alike,
- record the assignment of tasks to those responsible,
- prepare for future meetings on the same topics, etc.
☝️ Depending on the type of meeting, some CRs or meeting minutes require a specific drafting procedure.
This is the case for public administration projects, for example. The approach to taking minutes is similar, but the formalism and presentation will be stricter.
What are the 3 types of report?
When it comes to recording the discussions, decisions and actions taken at a meeting, the choice of minutes format is essential. ☝️
Three main types of meeting minutes can be used, each adapted to a specific context.
Each of these formats meets specific needs in terms of :
- precision,
- writing time,
- level of analysis.
Adapting the type of minutes to the context of the meeting ensures effective, relevant documentation.
#1 Verbatim minutes
The verbatim report is an exhaustive, unabridged transcription of what was said at the meeting.
It faithfully presents each intervention, enabling you to capture the entire discourse.
For what occasions? Often used in legal contexts or at official meetings, these minutes are ideal when absolute precision is required.
However, they are time-consuming and complex to produce, and usually require prior recording. 😮💨
#2 The summary report
More concise than the verbatim report, the summary report concentrates on the key points discussed during the meeting. They summarize the discussions without going into the details of each intervention.
For what occasions? This format is common for company meetings, as it highlights the most relevant elements for decision-making and action follow-up. It's also appreciated for its readability and efficiency.
#3 Summary minutes
Analytical minutes are somewhere between verbatim and summary. It doesn't list every intervention, but goes beyond a simple summary.
In addition to detailing the points discussed, it provides a critical analysis of the discussions, the decisions made and the actions to be taken.
For what occasions? This type of report is useful for strategic meetings or committees where the analysis of discussions is as important as their content.
What are the different parts of a report?
The header: the minutes' identity card
This format can be found in the majority of minutes, with the addition of specific information for each meeting, for example:
- meeting number,
- meeting date and time,
- meeting location,
- names of participants,
- purpose of the meeting.
Company meetings can be internal or external. In the latter case, it is advisable to list the participants, indicating the organization to which they belong and the position they hold.
The agenda: announcing the meeting topics
By way of introduction, this first part announces the agenda. It indicates what time the meeting has started, and lists the topics to be discussed during the meeting. These may include :
- questions for discussion,
- subjects to be validated,
- interventions by participants,
- presentation of results, etc.
Development: the course of the meeting
This is where the agenda is detailed.
Facts, discussions and issues are listed in chronological order.
In a project follow-up meeting, for example, this section may :
- provide context, such as the objectives of the stage addressed in the meeting,
- recall the activities planned between the previous meeting and today's meeting,
- describe all actions actually carried out over this period,
- indicate any outstanding actions and the reasons for them (obstacles encountered),
- report on discussions concerning the next steps in the action plan.
☝️ Depending on the type of project, the minutes may include other elements such as the person responsible for the task, the timetable and the result expected at the end of the action.
The end of the meeting is usually the point at which agreements are reached. Often, the evaluation of these issues is put to the vote. In this respect, the minutes must include :
- the list of issues evaluated,
- the number of people who took part in the vote,
- actions taken based on the results of the vote.
In other words, the body of the document should summarize both the facts and the exchanges that took place during the meeting.
The conclusion: closing the meeting
This part of the meeting report sets out :
- the decisions taken or the results of votes,
- future actions and those responsible for them,
- the date of the next meeting and details (place, time, purpose, etc.).
A space is provided at the end of the section for signatures. It is usually the person who drafted the minutes (e.g. the secretary) and the person who convened the meeting (e.g. the project manager, the chairperson, etc.) who affix their signatures.
☝️ In the case of a contract, the minutes must be signed by representatives of each of the parties involved. To do this, the document must be sent for signature and approval at the end of the meeting.
Appendices: supporting meeting content
Appendices are not compulsory, and not all meetings require them.
Depending on the topics discussed, a number of documents may have been used to supplement or illustrate the content of the meeting, such as :
- reports
- budgets
- statistical analyses,
- graphics,
- photographs,
- technical specifications of machines or equipment to be purchased, etc.
Attaching these appendices to the minutes makes them available for consultation and provides written support for what was said during the meeting.
Sample meeting minutes (Excel)
Here's an example of the basic elements listed above. Use it as a basis for preparing the document in advance of your meeting. ☝️
To save you time and make your work easier, Appvizer provides you with a free, ready-to-use document.
This meeting minutes template can be downloaded in Excel format and customized to suit the needs of your project or meeting. All you have to do is fill in the sections!
How to write good meeting minutes? 6 key steps
Step 1: Preparation
To make sure you're efficient during the meeting, prepare the document you're going to use to capture all the information from the meeting.
The template, as shown above, will help you to be more efficient.
Step 2: note-taking
To write the most accurate minutes possible, it goes without saying that note-taking must take place during the meeting.
To make sure you capture all the important information in your document, it's a good idea to get a device (smartphone app or dictaphone) with which you can record the meeting for perfect transcription later.
⚒️ No time (or inclination 😮💨) to transcribe everything manually? We understand, and so does RingCentral. That's why they not only allow you to conduct videoconference meetings, but also to record your meetings and transcribe their content automatically! Practical, isn't it?
💡 This has become even more true in recent years with hybrid or fully remote meetings!
Step 3: essential information
Here's the key information to include in your CR:
- the title of the document,
- company identity,
- the name and/or number of the meeting,
- the date of the meeting, and possibly the time of the session,
- the date on which the minutes were produced,
- the purpose of the meeting (including the name of the project, if applicable),
- the agenda,
- the names and functions of participants,
- the body of the document, i.e. the proceedings of the meeting, broken down into parts and sub-parts,
- the conclusion, containing the next steps to be taken,
- the name of the person who drafted the report,
- the date of the next meeting, if applicable.
For all other development information, take care to make a faithful transcription of the meeting, with no additions or omissions on important subjects.
You don't need to recount the dialogues exactly, but in substance the key ideas exchanged and decisions reached together.
💫 Discover other methods and tips for successfully managing your projects :
Step 4: Formatting
Ideally, you should draft and finalize your minutes immediately after the meeting, so that you still have a "fresh" memory of the exchanges and the course of the meeting. Make sure that the content is :
- informative
- factual,
- explanatory.
💡 For this, you can favor the passive voice. It should also be free of bias and commentary. Aim for objectivity!
The formatting of the minutes must also be structured, according to the parts indicated above:
- agenda/introduction,
- development,
- conclusion.
💡 To ensure that your effective minutes are quick to read and practical, keep sentences short and use bulleted lists and paragraphs as much as necessary.
Step 5: proofreading
Take the time to reread the final report, to make sure that all the elements are present and coherent, that everything is written in impeccable French and that technical terms are used appropriately.
💡 You may wish to ask other participants to proofread your document to clear up any ambiguities or correct any final typos.
Step 6: Validation and distribution
Your minutes are not official until they have been approved by all the parties responsible for validating them.
Once validated, try to send them to all those concerned (participants and absentees alike) as quickly as possible, on the same day if possible, or up to 2-3 days after the meeting.
Also remember to make the document accessible and consultable at any time by everyone in the company, so that everyone can easily refer to the information they want.
💡 To ensure that your meeting minutes are properly distributed to the teams concerned, it's best to save them in your project management software or collaborative platform.
⚒️ Take the example of the monday.com work collaboration platform, ideal for managers. It organizes activities and projects in the form of intuitive tables. With just a few clicks, you can attach the document of your choice to these tables in the "File" column. Thanks to the file gallery, you can easily find all your documents stored in a single element. Finally, the tool lets you restrict access to your meeting minutes, or authorize annotations.
Reporting a meeting with AI
How does it work?
Imagine a tool that listens to you during the meeting, takes notes for you, then sends you a clear report before you even leave the room or the video. Welcome to the age of meeting minutes automated by artificial intelligence!
The principle is simple: an AI application (often connected to Zoom, Google Meet or Teams) invites itself as a silent participant to the meeting. It records exchanges, takes note of key points, detects decisions taken and actions to come.
Then, in a matter of seconds (not even coffee time ☕), it generates a structured document :
- with the reconstituted agenda,
- topics discussed,
- the main discussions,
- decisions taken,
- next steps.
Some tools even offer intelligent summaries, customizable summaries according to the type of minutes, and concrete action suggestions for the project team.
AI doesn't just save time. It makes note-taking more reliable, reduces omissions, and improves the drafting of meeting minutes. There's no need to chase down information - it just arrives in your inbox.
5 tools to help you keep your meeting minutes
1 of 4
 Fireflies.ai |  Otter.ai |  Sonix |  Trint |
|---|---|---|---|
| For all companies | For all companies | For all companies | For all companies |
| See software | See software | See software | See software |
| Learn more about Fireflies.ai | Learn more about Otter.ai | Learn more about Sonix | Learn more about Trint |
Fireflies.ai: automatic transcription and intelligent meeting summaries
Fireflies.ai invites itself into your meetings to do the note-taking for you. Thanks to its automatic transcription system, the tool captures every word exchanged during the meeting.
Once the exchange is over, you'll receive a clear report with :
- key points,
- decisions taken,
- next actions,
- and even key quotes.
💡 Bonus: you can search by keyword or filter exchanges by participant.
The real plus? Fireflies integrates with your favorite tools: Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, but also Slack, Trello or even your CRM. So you can save precious time writing up your meeting minutes.
Fireflies.ai
Otter.ai: real-time note-taking with built-in AI assistant
Otter.ai is the champion of live note-taking. During your meeting, it transcribes every exchange in real time and generates a structured report on the fly. No need to wait until the end of the meeting report to find out who said what.
Its AI assistant points out key points, decisions to remember and even the next actions to take. It can also automatically assign interventions to participants, to keep a clear record of everyone's contributions.
Otter integrates seamlessly with Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and can even synchronize with your calendar to launch transcription at the right time. It's the ally of project pros who want to stay focused without sacrificing account writing.
Otter.ai
Fellow: structured meeting management and collaborative follow-up
Fellow doesn't just take minutes: it structures your entire meeting from A to Z. From agenda setting to collaborative note-taking and action tracking, it transforms every exchange into a productive moment.
💥 Its main asset? A shared space where each participant can :
- add points to discuss,
- track project progress,
- co-construct the meeting document.
No more forgetting or "who was supposed to do what?" at the end of the week.
Fellow also offers account templates that can be customized according to the type of meeting: 1:1, team meeting, strategic committee... And it integrates with Slack, Google Calendar, Asana or Zoom for a follow-up that's just right.
Ideal for teams who like informationto flow smoothly, and every action to have a person in charge. In short, a true conductor of collaborative work.
Sonix: fast transcription of audio and video files
Sonix is for those who record their meetings for later review. You upload your audio or video file, and the tool generates a transcript in record time. Fast & Furious note-taking.
The text is then synchronized with the audio, making it easy to navigate through the content. You can :
- highlight important points,
- comment on passages,
- collaborate on the same document.
Sonix supports over 40 languages and offers advanced editing functions, perfect for fine-tuning your meeting report or publishing minutes ready to share. It's not there to attend the meeting, but to relive it word for word, when you need it.
🎯 A good choice if you work remotely, often need to replay sensitive topics or deal with complex projects. All without losing a single piece of information.
Sonix
Trint: collaborative transcript editing for media teams
Trint, transforms your audio or video recordings into clear transcriptions, ready to be edited, commented on and shared with your team.
Its strength? An interface designed for collaboration:
- everyone can highlight key points,
- add comments,
- assign actions,
- create video extracts from the meeting.
🎯 Ideal for jobs in content, journalism or marketing, where every word counts.
Trint also offers:
- personalized account templates,
- automatic translation tools,
- intelligent search in all your documents.
If you're juggling projects, stakeholders and tight deadlines, Trint helps you keep your head above water, while keeping a precise record of every discussion.
Trint
Final tips for greater clarity and efficiency
- Frame your writing efforts: set yourself a maximum of one hour, for example. This will encourage you to synthesize and save you precious time that could be used to achieve your objectives.
- Use a standard format: this both standardizes the project's written materials and makes it easier to find specific information, as it follows a logical order in the sections.
- Allow for additional sections: since not all meetings deal with the same topics, allow for flexibility, with blank spaces that you can fill in as necessary.
- Follow your obligations: if your project is part of a quality process, you will undoubtedly have to comply with certain standards and obligations. Don't overlook them, and make sure they're aligned with your integrated management system.
Now you're ready to write reports like a pro! 👇