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How to write a follow-up email after a meeting

A meeting only counts once someone writes down what was agreed. The follow-up email is that record. Here is what goes in it, when to send it, and a template.

5 minute read · Updated October 2026

What the email is for

People leave the same meeting with different memories of it. The follow-up email replaces those memories with one written version that everyone has seen and nobody objected to. It is also what you will search for in six weeks when someone asks “didn’t we agree that?”.

So it is not a summary of the conversation. It is a short list of what is now true.

What to include

  1. A subject line that can be found later. The project or client, the word “follow-up”, and the date. “Northwind renewal: follow-up from 9 October”.
  2. One line of thanks or context. One. Then get to it.
  3. What was decided, each as a full sentence that makes sense on its own.
  4. Who is doing what, by when. One owner per action and a date. This is the part people actually read, so put it high.
  5. What is still open, and who is finding out.
  6. The next step: the next meeting, or what happens when the actions are done.
  7. A way to correct it. “If I have anything wrong, reply by tomorrow noon.”

A template

Subject: [Project]: follow-up from [date]

Hi all,

Thanks for the time today. Here is what we agreed.

Decided
• [Decision, as a full sentence]
• [Decision]

Actions
• [Name]: [what], by [date]
• [Name]: [what], by [date]

Still open
• [Question]. [Name] will confirm by [date].

Next
[Next meeting date and what it is for, or what happens next]

If I have anything wrong or missed something, reply by [time] and I will correct it.

[Your name]

When to send it

The same day, ideally within the hour. Everyone still remembers the meeting well enough to catch a mistake, and the actions start their clock while there is still momentum. A follow-up sent three days later reads as history and gets filed, not acted on.

Getting the tone right

  • Write actions as facts, not requests. “Priya: revised order form to the client by Friday” is clearer and less awkward than “Priya, could you possibly…”. It was agreed in the room; you are recording it.
  • Use names, not “we”. “We will look into pricing” means nobody will.
  • Keep the reasons short. If a decision needs its reason, one clause is enough: “because the budget is fixed until April”.
  • Do not settle arguments by email. If something was left undecided, list it as open. Do not write it up as decided in the direction you preferred.

With a client, add two things

  • Numbers exactly as stated. Prices, quantities and dates in the email should match what was said to the digit. If you are not sure, check before sending.
  • What you need from them. Separate it from what you owe them, so it does not get lost.

Where a tool like Audiken helps

The hard part is not writing the email; it is remembering accurately who agreed to what while you were also taking part. Audiken transcribes the meeting as it happens. Afterwards, one press drafts the follow-up from the transcript and your project files: decisions, actions with owners and dates, and what is still open, each with the moment it was said. It also tells you where it was unsure, such as a name it may have misheard, before you send anything. See how it works in a meeting, and for the notes themselves, how to take meeting notes people use.

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