# Meeting Recap Template: Follow-Up Email and Action Items

> A free meeting recap template to copy, saved as a Gmail or Outlook template, plus a Google Sheets action items tracker that flags overdue tasks.

_Source: https://professionalstoolkit.com/articles/meeting-recap-email — The Professional's Toolkit · updated November 2026_

---

A meeting recap template is a reusable follow-up email that turns a meeting into a short written record: what was decided, who owns each next step, and when it is due. You write it once, save it in Gmail or Outlook, and fill in the blanks after every meeting. The method fits in one line. Send the recap the same day, list every action item as owner plus task plus date, and copy those action items into a shared Google Sheets tracker so they stay visible after the email is read.


**3 fields** — Every action item needs an owner, a task and a due date



- **5 parts** — Subject, decisions, action items, open questions, next meeting
- **Computer only** — Where Gmail templates can be turned on and used
- **Microsoft 365** — Outlook Mail Templates and My Templates need a qualifying plan


## What a good meeting recap template includes

A recap is not a transcript and not formal minutes. It is the shortest message that lets someone who missed the meeting act on it. Five parts do that job, in this order. Readers skim the top, so the decisions and the owners belong above the fold, and the polite thanks belongs in one line at most. Everything else is optional.

| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Meeting name, date, the word recap | Recap: Q1 launch sync, March 4 |
| Decisions | One sentence each, past tense | We moved the launch to April 15 |
| Action items | Owner, task, due date | Dana: send revised budget, Friday |
| Open questions | What is still unresolved, and who will answer | Pricing page copy, Sam to confirm |
| Next meeting | Date, or no follow-up needed | Thursday 10:00, same link |

The action items are the heart of it. **An action item without a named owner and a date is a wish.** Write one person, never a team, next to each task. If the group agreed on something but nobody took it, list it under open questions instead, so the gap is visible. For a deeper look at writing and tracking them, see our guide to [meeting action items](/articles/meeting-action-items).

## The follow up email after meeting template to copy

Copy the text below into a new email. The square brackets are blanks you fill in every time. Keep the headings even when a section is short; people learn where to look.

**Subject:** Recap: [meeting name], [date]

Hi [team or name],

Thanks for today. Here is what we agreed, so we all work from the same list.

**Decisions**
- [Decision, in one sentence]
- [Decision, in one sentence]

**Action items**
- [Owner]: [task], by [date]
- [Owner]: [task], by [date]

**Open questions**
- [Question], [who will answer], by [date]

**Next meeting:** [date and time, or none planned]

If I missed or misstated anything, reply by [day] and I will correct the list. The action items are also in our tracker: [link to sheet].

[Your name]

### A filled-in example

Here is the same template after a client call, as an illustration with invented details. Subject: Recap: website kickoff, May 6. Decisions: we will launch with five pages, and the blog waits for phase two. Action items: Priya sends the brand files by Wednesday; Leo shares the sitemap draft by Friday. Open question: who approves final copy, Priya to confirm by Thursday. Next meeting: May 13 at 2:00 PM. Short, scannable, and nobody has to guess.

For an outside client, drop the internal tracker link and any line about budget debates. **Send the client version from the same template**, just trimmed. A recap that reads like an internal note can embarrass you.


> 💡 **Put the owner's name first:** Start each action item with the person's name, then the task and the date. People scan for their own name, so they find their tasks in seconds.


## Save it as a Gmail meeting recap template

Gmail templates are switched off by default, and you can only turn them on and use them from Gmail on a computer [1]. The setup takes two minutes:

1. Open Gmail on your computer. At the top right, click Settings, then See all settings.
2. At the top, click Advanced.
3. Next to Templates, click Enable, then click Save Changes at the bottom.
4. Click Compose and paste the recap text into the compose window.
5. At the bottom of the compose window, click More options, then Templates, then Save draft as template, then Save as new template. Name it Recap.
6. To use it, click Compose, then More options, then Templates, and pick it under Insert template.

To update the template later, write the new version, then choose Save draft as template and pick the old one under Overwrite Template. A deleted template cannot be recovered. Gmail can also send a template automatically through a filter, but a recap needs your edits, so skip that.

## Save it in Outlook with Mail Templates or My Templates

Outlook offers two ways in new Outlook for Windows, classic Outlook and Outlook on the web [2]. Mail Templates saves the full email, including recipients, subject, body, formatting and attachments. The My Templates add-in saves a title and a message. Microsoft says both need a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription.

### Mail Templates (new Outlook and the web)

1. From the Home ribbon, select New, then Mail, and paste the recap text with its subject line.
2. From the Message ribbon, select Mail template, then Save email as template.
3. Type a name and select Save. Saved templates sit under Settings, Mail, Templates.

### My Templates add-in

1. Select New, then Mail. On the Message tab, select My Templates to open the task pane.
2. Select +Template, enter a title, then paste the recap text in the next field.
3. Select Save. The template now appears in the task pane.

My Templates entries are saved to your primary mailbox, so they follow you to Outlook on the web and on Mac. If My Templates is missing, your organization may have turned add-ins off; ask your administrator. In classic Outlook you can also choose File, then Save As, and pick Outlook Template as the file type.


> ⚠ **Templates are not on every account:** Microsoft says Outlook Mail Templates and the My Templates add-in need a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription, and Gmail templates work only on a computer, not in the phone app.


## Build an action items template in Google Sheets

The email gets read once. A tracker gets read every week. Put every action item from every recap into one shared sheet with six columns: Meeting date, Action item, Owner, Due date, Status and Done. One row per task.

1. Open a new spreadsheet in Google Sheets and type the six headers in row 1.
2. Select the Done cells, for example F2 to F200. Click Insert, then Checkbox [3].
3. Select the Status cells and click Insert, then Dropdown. In the rules panel, enter Not started, In progress and Blocked, using Add another item for each, then click Done.
4. Select the Due date cells, D2 to D200. Click Format, then Conditional formatting.
5. Under Format cells if, choose Custom formula is, and enter =AND(D2<>"", D2<TODAY(), F2=FALSE). Pick a red fill and click Done [4].
6. In a spare cell, count what is still open with =COUNTIFS(B2:B200,"<>",F2:F200,FALSE).

Now the due date of every overdue, unchecked task turns red on its own. Paste the sheet link into the last line of your recap template so each email points to the live list.


> 💡 **Open meetings with the tracker:** Spend the first two minutes of each recurring meeting on the red rows in the sheet. Overdue tasks get discussed before new ones pile on.


## When the free meeting summary template stops working

The free setup holds up well for one person running a few meetings a week. It breaks in predictable places.

**Somebody has to write it.** The person taking notes is often the one running the meeting. Take a manager with 15 recurring meetings a week who spends 10 minutes writing each recap; that is 150 minutes, or two and a half hours, every week. That is an illustration with round numbers, but the shape is real. Recaps start to slip by Wednesday.

**Memory is the only source.** Without a recording or transcript, the recap holds what the writer noticed. A decision made in the last five minutes gets lost. Nobody can check who promised what.

**The tracker only works if people open it.** A sheet does not chase owners. Copying tasks from email to sheet by hand is a second job, and it is the first one dropped in a busy week.

Past that point, AI meeting notes tools write the summary and the action items from the call itself. Otter.ai can [send action items to assignees in Slack](/articles/otter-ai-integrations), and Krisp keeps [action items with owners and due dates](/articles/krisp-ai-note-taker) in one list across meetings.


### Otter.ai — solves this

Otter.ai writes action items automatically for each meeting, collects them across meetings in My Action Items with a weekly digest email, and emails the summary to calendar guests when auto-share is on. Slack messages reach each assignee on every plan.

- Where it stops: The summary email goes out only when auto-share is on; drafted follow-up emails (Work Mode) are paid only.
- Plan: Follow-up email drafts on paid plans (Pro, Business, Enterprise)
- How Otter.ai does it: [Otter.ai Slack, CRM and Zapier setup](https://professionalstoolkit.com/articles/otter-ai-integrations)
- More: [Otter.ai](https://professionalstoolkit.com/tools/otter-ai)



### Fireflies.ai — solves this

Fireflies.ai puts action items in its default meeting summary and emails the recap to everyone on the invite by default. From Pro, its Email Assistant drafts follow-ups in Gmail or Outlook without sending on its own, and AI Skills push outputs to Slack, email and CRMs.

- Where it stops: Free has limited AI summaries, no integrations and no Email Assistant or Tasks.
- Plan: Email Assistant, Tasks and AI Skills on Pro and higher
- How Fireflies.ai does it: [Fireflies.ai integrations by plan](https://professionalstoolkit.com/articles/fireflies-ai-api-integrations)
- More: [Fireflies.ai](https://professionalstoolkit.com/tools/fireflies-ai)



### Krisp — solves this

Krisp generates action items after each call and keeps them in Centralized Action Items, with Assigned to Me and All views, assignees, priority and due dates. With a connected calendar, Auto-Share can send recaps to invitees, and a Zapier trigger fires when action items are generated.

- Where it stops: No free plan; a 7-day trial, after which access ends unless you subscribe.
- Plan: Core
- How Krisp does it: [Set up Krisp's AI note taker](https://professionalstoolkit.com/articles/krisp-ai-note-taker)
- More: [Krisp](https://professionalstoolkit.com/tools/krisp)


To compare every option side by side, read our guide to the [AI meeting summary](/articles/ai-meeting-summary) and how the tools split the work.


## FAQ

**How soon should you send a follow up email after a meeting?**

Send it the same day, while everyone still remembers the details. A recap that lands two days later gets read as a formality, and people have already started on their own version of the plan.

**What is the difference between a meeting summary template and meeting minutes?**

Minutes are a formal record of who attended, what was discussed and what was voted, often kept for a board or committee. A meeting summary template is shorter and practical: decisions, owners and dates, written so people can act.

**Do I need a meeting minutes template with action items, or is a recap email enough?**

For most team and client meetings, the recap email plus a shared tracker is enough. Use formal minutes when an organization's rules require a record that is approved at the next meeting.

**Should I send the recap to people who missed the meeting?**

Yes, and to anyone who owns an action item even if they were not invited. A recap is often most useful to the person who was not in the room.


## The bottom line

A meeting recap template works because it forces three things after every meeting: decisions in writing, one owner per task, and a date. Save the text as a Gmail template or an Outlook Mail Template so sending it takes a minute. Then log each action item in a Google Sheets tracker where overdue tasks turn red. When the writing itself becomes the bottleneck, let a tool draft the recap from the call and keep your template as the checklist you review it against.



## Sources

[1] Gmail Help — https://support.google.com/mail/answer/14864208?hl=en (Nov 2026)
[2] Microsoft Support — https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-an-email-message-template-43ec7142-4dd0-4351-8727-bd0977b6b2d1 (Nov 2026)
[3] Google Docs Editors Help — https://support.google.com/docs/answer/7684717?hl=en (Nov 2026)
[4] Google Docs Editors Help — https://support.google.com/docs/answer/78413?hl=en (Nov 2026)