How to Write a Meeting Recap

A meeting recap refers to a summarized message that’s distributed to a company or organization’s employees or clients after a meeting. Typically sent via email, meeting recaps provide employees with a brief overview of important details discussed in the meeting such as project deadlines, upcoming events, or tasks they need to complete. Employees use meeting recaps as a reference to help guide their work duties. Employees who were unable to attend a meeting can also use a meeting recap to stay up-to-date on important details they may have missed.

Now that you know what a meeting recap is, start writing one of your own. Use these steps to send an effective meeting summary email to your company’s employees or clients:

1. Take notes during the meeting

As the meeting progresses, make note of important details or dates such as project deadlines, company announcements, or the names of employees who were assigned to certain projects. Make sure to take note of any changes happening within a department, too.

2. Write an email opening

After the meeting, start typing up the notes you took during the meeting. While it’s not always necessary, you can include a bullet-point list of all attendees before you get to the body of your email. Then, thank everyone in attendance for coming to the meeting, as well as anyone who gave a presentation. Thanking everyone shows your appreciation and helps start your email with a positive tone.

4. Summarize the meeting

After the opening of your meeting summary email, provide a brief review of any important details from the meeting. For example, this can include what the meeting accomplished or discussions that were held regarding the company’s future. Depending on the type of meeting, your recap may a summary as a list of agenda items in bullet points.

5. List the next steps

Once you’ve provided everyone with a brief summary of the meeting, highlight action items such as new project deadlines or tasks that were assigned to specific employees. You can list these steps using bullet points. Make sure to emphasize due dates and the names of people assigned to certain tasks.

6. Attach any files

If necessary, include any additional documents from meeting attendees or your supervisor. In some cases, a supervisor may ask you to include instructions for a specific project that was discussed during the meeting.

7. Remind everyone of the next meeting

If the next meeting date was set, remind everyone near the end of your email. This allows them to add it to their calendar. If no meeting date was established, confer with your supervisor.

8. Proofread the email

After you’ve finished typing up the email, edit it for grammar, spelling, and readability. Make sure to keep your email concise and only include relevant and necessary details.

9. Determine the email recipients

Consider who you want to send the email to. While you should send it to all meeting attendees, make sure to include any employees or clients who were unable to attend. If you don’t have an attendance sheet as a reference, contact the meeting host or your supervisor to obtain the contact information for everyone who was invited to the meeting.

10. Send the email

Once you’ve finalized the email, send it to your supervisor or the meeting’s facilitator. If they approve of the email, send it to your list of recipients.

While many meeting recaps appear to be similar, they follow a slightly different tone and structure depending on the type of meeting that was held. Here are some templates you can use based on different types of meetings:

Informal meeting email template

Email subject: Meeting Recap [Date sent]

[Email greeting]

[Thank everyone for attending the meeting or participating.]

[Use this space to briefly summarize what was discussed during the meeting. Emphasize anything that was accomplished or any important announcements. You can also list these as agenda items in bullet points like below.]:

• [Item No. 1 with key points and decisions]
• [Item No. 2 with key points and decisions]
• [Item No. 3 with key points and decisions]

[Discuss any action items that need to be completed and any newly established plans or strategies. Be sure to include information on responsible parties and deadlines. List these action items using bullet points as shown below.]:

• [Action item No. 1 with the responsible person and due date]
• [Action item No. 2 with the responsible person and due date]
• [Action item No. 3 with the responsible person and due date]

[Include information about the next meeting date]

[Email sign off],

[Your name]

Formal board meeting template

Email subject: Meeting Recap [Date sent]

[Email greeting]

[Thank everyone for attending the meeting or participating. Provide an introduction for the meeting agenda.]

Date: [Meeting date]

Time: [Time]

Present:

[List of meeting attendees]

Absent:

[List of individuals who weren’t present]

Approval of the agenda

Approval of the minutes

Business from the previous meeting

[Include any topics that were discussed in the last meeting and whether the action steps from that meeting were accomplished.]

New business

[Detail any topics that are new for this meeting. Summarize what happened at the meeting and whether motions were approved or rejected.]

Additional agenda items

[Use this space to discuss any additions to the agenda.]

Adjournment

[Include the time when the meeting was adjourned and who adjourned it. If you know the next meeting date, include it here.]

Minutes submitted by: [name]

Minutes approved by: [name]

[Email sign off],

[Your name]