Templates
Decision log template
Keep the decision, reasoning, source, and unresolved questions in one portable Markdown note.
By Eavesy · 3 min read · Updated
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Build your decision log
Record one choice and the evidence for it. A proposal can stay a proposal.
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Markdown preview
# Decision log
## Decision
[Not provided]
## Status
[Not provided]
## Date and scope
[Not provided]
## Reasoning
[Not provided]
## Source and supporting excerpt
[Not provided]
## Ownership and follow-up
[Not provided]
## Open questions and later decisions
[Not provided]
A decision log preserves what was agreed and why, so a later reader can distinguish the choice from the conversation around it. Use one entry per decision. The template is plain Markdown and works independently of Eavesy.
Distinguish proposals from agreements
Set the status explicitly. A speaker saying “we could ship Friday” has proposed a date; “we agreed to ship Friday” establishes a different kind of claim. If the discussion never resolved the choice, use needs confirmation rather than writing a final decision.
Keep a source pointer
Add the recording title, a timestamp when available, and a short supporting excerpt. A summary is convenient for navigation, but the underlying transcript and audio help you check nuance. Retain enough surrounding context to understand whether a later sentence reversed the decision.
Leave missing fields empty
Do not assign the speaker as owner merely because they described the decision. If no due date was stated, write “not assigned” rather than generating one. Separate a requested next action from something the participants actually committed to doing.
Worked example
Decision: launch on Friday. Status: agreed. Supporting excerpt: “We agreed to launch on Friday.” Owner: not established. This is a deliberately small illustrative source, also used in the cited answer example. It does not establish a specific calendar date or time zone.
Use it with Eavesy
Find the relevant recording, check the passage, and copy the decision and source into this note. Save it beside the recording or in your notes vault. If a later meeting changes the plan, add a new entry and mark the old one superseded instead of silently replacing the historical record.
Use the editor or keep your own file
The editable form on this page produces a Markdown draft from your fields. Load fictional example shows a teaching scenario; replace its facts before using the output. Copy your draft includes your edits, while the blank download above remains available if you prefer your own editor. Reloading the page clears the in-page draft, so copy or download it before leaving.
Review before you share
Read the preview as if you were the recipient. Can you open each cited source? Are expectations separate from observations? Does every assignment or deadline come from evidence? Leave missing information explicit. A well-formatted note still needs source review before it becomes an issue, commitment, or instruction to act.
Copyable template
# Decision log
## Decision
[One sentence stating the agreed choice.]
## Status
[Proposed / agreed / superseded / needs confirmation]
## Date and scope
- Decision date:
- Project or topic:
## Reasoning
[Why was this choice made? Use only established reasons.]
## Source
- Recording or document:
- Timestamp or section:
- Supporting excerpt:
## Ownership and follow-up
- Owner, if assigned:
- Next step:
- Due date, if agreed:
## Open questions
[What remains unestablished?]
## Superseded by
[Link to a later decision when applicable.]