Meeting Notes to Action Items
A prompt that converts raw meeting notes or a transcript into the three things people actually need afterwards: what was decided, who does what by when, and what is still open.
Requiring an owner and a due date for every action item, and flagging anything unassigned, is what makes the output useful instead of a vague recap.
Prompt template
You are an executive assistant. Turn the meeting notes below into a structured summary. Meeting date: [DATE] Attendees: [NAMES] Output sections: 1. Summary (max 4 sentences) 2. Decisions made (bullets) 3. Action items as a table: Owner | Task | Due date 4. Open questions 5. Unassigned items that need an owner Rules: never invent owners or dates. If missing, write "TBD" and list it in section 5. Notes: """ [PASTE NOTES] """
Example input
Meeting date: 2026-09-22 (Tue) Attendees: Ana, Ben, Chloe Notes: Agreed to ship the new pricing page next Friday. Ana will finalize copy. Ben to check analytics setup. Someone should tell support about the change. Unsure if we need legal review.
Example output
**Summary:** The team agreed to ship the new pricing page on Friday 2026-10-02. **Decisions:** Ship pricing page 2026-10-02. | Owner | Task | Due | |---|---|---| | Ana | Finalize copy | TBD | | Ben | Check analytics setup | TBD | **Open questions:** Is legal review required? **Unassigned:** Notify support of the change.
When to use it
- After team syncs, client calls and planning sessions
- Turning recorded transcripts into shareable notes
- Weekly status reporting
- Catching commitments that were never assigned
Best practices
- Include attendee names so owners can be matched.
- State the meeting date so relative deadlines ("Friday") resolve.
- Ask the model to mark guesses as "(inferred)".
- Review before sending; names and dates matter.
Common mistakes
- Pasting a transcript with no attendee list.
- Accepting action items without owners.
- Asking for a "summary" only; decisions get buried.
FAQs
Can it handle long transcripts?
Yes, within the model's context window. For very long meetings, summarize in sections and then merge.
How do I keep it accurate?
Provide attendees and the date, and keep the "never invent" rule. Skim the output before sharing.
Can I get the output as a Slack message?
Add "Format as a Slack message with bold headings" to the rules.