Markdown templates you can actually use
A template should save you a decision. If you spend more time filling it out than doing the work, cut it down.
These use ordinary headings and lists. Dates are placeholders, not automatic fields. Copy a template into your editor or download the .md file.
Daily note
For the few things you need to see together today.
# Daily note — YYYY-MM-DD
## What matters today
-
## On the calendar
- Time — Event
## Things to do
-
## Notes from the day
-
## Leave this for tomorrow
- Keep “What matters today” short. Everything else can go in the other sections. If your editor supports task lists, replace a task bullet with - [ ].
Download: Daily note
Meeting note
For decisions you don’t want to reconstruct from memory.
# Meeting — Topic
Date: YYYY-MM-DD
People:
## What we need to decide
-
## Notes
-
## Decisions
- Decision — Reason
## Actions
- Action — Owner — Due date
## Still open
- A discussion isn’t a decision. Keep the two in separate sections. Before closing the note, check that every action has someone attached to it.
Download: Meeting note
Project brief
For agreeing on the work before making more of it.
# Project — Name
## What we're making
A short description.
## Who it's for
The person or group this should help.
## What it needs to do
-
## What we're leaving out
-
## How we'll know it worked
- Observable result
## Next steps
1. Action — Owner — Date
## Useful links
- [Reference](https://example.com)Make “How we’ll know it worked” specific enough that two people could agree on the answer. “Better” needs more explanation.
Download: Project brief
Reading note
For keeping what you understood, alongside what you highlighted.
# Reading note — Title
Author:
Source: [Original](https://example.com)
Finished: YYYY-MM-DD
## What it says
My short summary.
## What I want to remember
-
## A passage to keep
> Exact quotation.
Location: Page, chapter, or section
## What I think about it
My response, questions, or disagreements.
## What I'll do with this
- Keep quotations separate from your own response. Add a location while you still have the source open.
Download: Reading note
Make them yours
Delete sections you never use. Rename the ones that don’t sound like you. Add a section when you repeatedly need it, rather than because a template could contain it.
Next: Use Markdown for everyday notes.
Filled example: a daily note
This is a fictional example showing what a short completed note might look like. The blank downloads above remain ready to use.
# Daily note — 2026-10-03
## What matters today
- Finish the opening section of the guide.
## On the calendar
- 10:00 — Review with the editor
## Things to do
- Check the two examples.
- Send the revised draft.
## Notes from the day
- The second example needs a clearer heading.
## Leave this for tomorrow
- Review the captions after the graphics arrive.Filled example: a meeting note
# Meeting — Guide review
Date: 2026-10-03
People: Editor, designer, writer
## What we need to decide
- Which example should appear first?
## Decisions
- Start with the daily note — It needs less explanation.
## Actions
- Revise the order — Writer — October 5
- Check graphic labels — Designer — October 5
## Still open
- Does the table need a separate mobile layout?Filled example: a project brief
# Project — New customer guide
## What we're making
A short guide that helps a new customer complete their first task.
## Who it's for
Someone opening the product for the first time.
## What it needs to do
- Show one complete example.
- Explain where to find help.
## What we're leaving out
- Advanced settings.
## How we'll know it worked
- In a first-use test, the reader completes the example without help.
## Next steps
1. Choose the example — Writer — October 5
2. Test the instructions — Editor — October 7Filled example: a reading note
# Reading note — Guide to plain-text files
Author: Example author
Source: [Original](https://example.com/plain-text-guide)
Finished: 2026-10-03
## What it says
A plain-text file is easy to inspect, but attachments need their own plan.
## What I want to remember
- Check the linked files before moving the folder.
## What I think about it
I should test one exported note before moving the whole collection.
## What I'll do with this
- Make a sample note with an image and a local link.These examples describe fictional work and an illustrative source. Replace the facts and links with your own. The filenames and dates don’t update automatically.