Recap with actions email template
The written record of what a meeting decided.
A recap email should list decisions first, then actions with an owner and date, then open questions. Anyone who missed the meeting should be able to read it in thirty seconds and know exactly what is expected of them.
At a glance
| Use it when | Any meeting that produced decisions or actions |
|---|---|
| Length | 120 to 200 words including the table |
| Tone | Neutral, no editorialising |
| Ask for | Corrections by a stated day |
The template
Subject lines that work with it
- [Project]: decisions and actions, [date]
- Recap - [meeting name]
- [Project] notes, [date]
How to write this email well
- Separate decisions from actions. They are different things and mixing them hides both.
- Write actions as verbs with a name attached. "Pricing" is not an action, "[name] to send revised pricing" is.
- Flag open questions explicitly, with who owes the answer.
Questions
Is a recap needed for every meeting?
For any meeting with a decision or an action, yes. For a discussion with neither, the meeting was probably the problem.
How detailed should it be?
Detailed enough to settle a disagreement in three months, short enough to read now.
What if people disagree with the recap?
That is the point of sending it. Better to find out in writing within a week than at delivery.
More meetings and projects templates
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Project status update
The regular update that stops people asking for one.
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Project kickoff
Setting expectations at the start so they hold later.
Use this template in Gmail
Copy the HTML above and paste it into Mailplate, the free Gmail extension that inlines the CSS so the layout survives sending. Or edit the wording directly in the preview and insert it into your message.
See Mailplate