In short
- Lead with the outcome, not the agenda.
- Three parts: decided, next steps with owners, still open.
- Keep it under 150 words for most meetings.
- Send it the same day.
The template
Subject: [Meeting] · [date] · summary Decided - Next steps - [Owner] · [task] · [date] Still open - Notes and recording: [link]
A worked example
Subject: Pricing review · 11 Nov · summary Decided - Annual plan stays at the current price for pilot customers. - No discount for monthly plans. Next steps - Priya · update the pricing page copy · Thu 14 Nov - Rohan · email the 3 pilot customers · Fri 15 Nov Still open - Whether to offer seat-based pricing for teams. Revisit 25 Nov.
Rules that keep summaries short
- Outcome first. Nobody needs the order things were discussed in.
- Exact numbers. Never round in a summary.
- One owner per action. See action items.
- Link, don't paste. Put long notes or transcripts behind a link.
For the email that carries the summary, see the follow-up email.
Questions people ask
What should a meeting summary include?
What was decided, next steps with an owner and a date each, and what is still open, plus a link to full notes if needed.
How long should a meeting summary be?
Usually under 150 words. If it's longer, move detail into linked notes.
When should I send a meeting summary?
The same day, ideally within an hour, while people still remember the meeting.
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