Decision Log Writer

Turn notes on a decision into a clear record: the context, options considered, why you chose, assumptions, owner and what would make you revisit it.

Works in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini12 of 20 in Productivity promptsUpdated 18 Oct 2026
  • productivity
  • planning
  • analysis
  • intermediate

The prompt

Prompt · 4 blanksBlanks in capitals
Turn my notes into a decision record that someone joining later can read in two minutes and understand what was decided and why.

Use this:
- The decision in one line: DECISION
- Notes, messages or minutes about it: DECISION NOTES
- Who decided, and who owns the follow-up: DECIDED BY
- Date decided: DATE

Write the record under these headings:
1. Decision: one sentence, with the date and who decided.
2. Context: the problem and the constraints, in 3-5 sentences.
3. Options considered: each with one line on why it was or wasn't chosen.
4. Rationale: the 2-4 reasons that tipped it.
5. Assumptions: what has to stay true for this to remain the right call.
6. Consequences: what changes now, what we gave up and who is affected.
7. Revisit if: 2-3 specific triggers, such as a cost, a date or a number crossing a line.
8. Open actions: each with an owner and a due date.

Rules:
- Record what the notes say. Don't add reasons or options nobody discussed; mark missing parts "not recorded".
- Stay neutral: no blame, and record disagreement as fact ("Finance preferred option B because...").
- Keep the whole record under 400 words.
Insert with the extension

Fill in the blanks

Type your details to see them in the prompt above, then copy it. What you type stays in this tab: it isn't saved or sent anywhere.

Example

DECISION
Move customer support from a shared inbox to a helpdesk tool
DECISION NOTES
Meeting notes and chat thread from 9 October: compared Deskly, Ticketwell and staying on email; Ticketwell chosen for price and chat integration; Operations wanted Deskly for its reporting
DECIDED BY
Ruth Adeyemi, Head of Support; follow-up owned by Tom Hale
DATE
9 October 2026

How to use it

  1. Fill in the blanks above, or paste the prompt into your AI chat and replace the words in capitals there. How blanks work
  2. Save it to your library to use it again. Your copy keeps the blanks, so next time you only fill them in.
  3. Use it where you chat. With the Save My Prompts extension, pick the prompt inside ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and fill the blanks there.
  • Daily Brief from Notes

    Turn your notes or inbox into a daily brief with your top priorities, deadlines, what you're waiting on from others and decisions to make.

  • Meeting Notes to Action Items

    Paste meeting notes and get the decisions, actions with owners and deadlines (only where they were stated) and the open questions listed apart.

  • Standard Operating Procedure Builder

    Turn rough process notes into a standard operating procedure (SOP) with purpose, scope, prerequisites, numbered steps, exceptions and owners.

  • Decision Matrix Facilitator

    Score any set of options, such as vendors, tools or plans, against weighted criteria, and see whether the winner holds when weights or scores change.

  • Time Audit Analyzer

    Sort a log of how you spent your time against your priorities and get suggested changes, without assuming every minute must be optimised.

  • Study Guide and Quiz

    Turn your study material into a structured study guide with practice questions, model answers and the topics you should go back over.