--- title: "Meeting minutes and decisions log in Notion for architects" url: https://notionforarchitecture.com/blog/meeting-minutes-decisions-log-notion-architects updated: 2026-10-27 author: Notion for Architecture --- # Meeting minutes and decisions log in Notion for architects Keep meeting minutes and decisions as two linked Notion databases: Meetings (date, project, attendees, notes) and Decisions (what was decided, who decided, date, reason, effect on cost or programme, linked meeting). Action items go in a third view or Tasks database. This gives you a searchable record of who agreed what and when. ## Key takeaways - Decisions deserve their own database, separate from notes, so they can be searched. - Record who decided, the date and the reason, plus any fee or programme effect. - Link each decision to the meeting or email that confirms it. - Send minutes promptly and keep the version you sent. ## Why keep a decisions log separate from meeting notes? Notes are chronological and long. Decisions are what you need weeks later when a client asks why the window moved. A dedicated Decisions database lets you filter by project, topic, date or status and find the answer in seconds. It also supports change control: if a decision affects fee or programme, you can see it when invoicing. ## What fields does a decisions log need? | Field | Type | Why | | --- | --- | --- | | Decision | Title | One clear sentence | | Project | Relation | Filter per job | | Date | Date | When it was made | | Decided by | Person or text | Client name or role, not just 'client' | | Meeting | Relation | Where it was made or confirmed | | Reason | Text | Why, in a line | | Effect | Select (None, Fee, Programme, Cost, Several) | Flags changes needing action | | Status | Select (Proposed, Agreed, Superseded) | Decisions change | | Source link | URL | The email or minute that confirms it | A listing on Notion's gallery, the Client Meeting & Decision Tracker, uses a similar set of fields (status, type, impact, owner, due date, rationale, outcome) with decisions linked to meetings. - Client Meeting & Decision Tracker (notion.com): https://www.notion.com/en-gb/templates/client-meeting-decision-tracker ## What should a meeting entry contain? 1. Header: Project, date, location or call link, attendees, apologies. 2. Agenda: Prefilled from the last meeting's open items. 3. Notes: Short bullets, grouped by topic. No transcript. 4. Decisions: A linked view of the Decisions database filtered to this meeting. Add rows here. 5. Actions: Task rows with owner and due date, linked to the meeting. 6. Circulated: A checkbox and date for when minutes were sent. Use a database template so every new meeting starts with these sections. ## How do action items stay alive? Actions rot when they stay inside notes. Make them rows in a Tasks database with owner, due date, project and source meeting. Then each person has a filtered view of their open actions, and the next meeting's agenda is a linked view of open actions for that project. ## Can AI help with minutes? Notion offers AI meeting-notes features; check Notion's current documentation and plan details for what is available. Whatever you use, a person should review before circulation, because misattributed decisions create exactly the problem the log exists to prevent. Check client confidentiality and consent rules before recording any meeting, as they differ by jurisdiction. ## What makes the record useful in a dispute? A consistent habit: minutes sent within a day or two, a request to correct errors by a set date, decisions that reference the confirming source, and no overwriting (mark superseded instead). This is general good practice, not legal advice; consult your professional indemnity insurer or adviser on record-keeping requirements. ## What does a worked example look like? At a design meeting the client agrees to switch the kitchen window from sliding to fixed. In the meeting page you add a decision row: 'Kitchen window changed to fixed pane', Decided by: named client, Reason: cleaning and cost, Effect: Cost and Programme, Status: Agreed. You paste the link to the follow-up email as the source. Three weeks later the client asks why the window is fixed. You filter Decisions by project and search 'window' and find the date, reason and email in seconds. When the window supplier's lead time appears in the programme, the Effect flag reminds you to check the knock-on. At invoicing, a filtered view of decisions with Effect: Fee shows whether additional services need discussing. Compare this with the usual alternative: scrolling email threads and remembering which meeting it was. The log does not make decisions better, but it makes them recoverable. ## Where ArchitectOS fits ArchitectOS (we make it, $79) has an Approvals section for client sign-offs, and its Pin Board and home page help surface open items, but it does not include a dedicated meeting minutes database. Add the Meetings and Decisions databases above alongside it if you want that. - See what's inside ArchitectOS: https://notionforarchitecture.com/#templates - ArchitectOS pricing: https://notionforarchitecture.com/#pricing ## FAQ ### What is a decisions log? A searchable list of decisions on a project, recording what was decided, by whom, when and why, usually linked to the meeting or email that confirms it. ### How do I take meeting minutes in Notion? Use a Meetings database with a template containing attendees, agenda, notes, a linked decisions view and an actions list. Create a new entry per meeting. ### Should decisions be in the meeting page or separate? Make them database rows linked to the meeting. You can show them inside the meeting page via a linked view while still searching them across projects. ### How soon should minutes be sent? As soon as practical, ideally within a day or two. Check your appointment, as some set response periods for corrections. ### Can I use Notion's AI for meeting notes? Notion has AI features for notes; check current availability for your plan. Review all AI output before circulating it, and check consent rules for recording. ## Sources - [Notion: Client Meeting & Decision Tracker](https://www.notion.com/en-gb/templates/client-meeting-decision-tracker) - [Notion: Meeting Notes & Decision Log](https://www.notion.com/templates/meeting-notes-decision-log)