Step by step process to automate follow up tasks in Goodmeetings

If you’re tired of meetings that end with a pile of “to-do’s” and a stack of sticky notes, this guide is for you. Automating follow-up tasks isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s how you make meetings actually count. This isn’t about chasing shiny objects or adding complexity. It’s about getting your time back. Here’s how to use Goodmeetings to make follow-up a non-issue, whether you run sales calls, project updates, or just want fewer things slipping through the cracks.

Why Automate Follow-Ups in Goodmeetings?

Let’s be honest: most people forget half of what was agreed on by the time the meeting ends. Even the most diligent note-taker misses things, and manual follow-up is a recipe for dropped balls. Automation isn’t magic, but it does three things well:

  • Keeps everyone on the same page
  • Cuts down on busywork
  • Makes sure stuff actually gets done

If you’re using Goodmeetings, you already have a head start. The platform’s designed to capture action items and automate reminders, but you have to set it up right. Here’s how.

Step 1: Get Your Meeting Workflow Set Up

Before you can automate anything, you need a baseline. If your meetings are chaos, automation will just make that chaos faster.

Do this first:

  • Make sure you’re scheduling your meetings through Goodmeetings, not a patchwork of calendar invites and Zoom links.
  • Use the built-in agenda feature. Even a barebones agenda (“Updates, blockers, next steps”) is better than nothing. Automation depends on structure.
  • Invite the right people. Too many cooks means too many follow-ups nobody owns.

Pro tip: If you’re new, try automating follow-ups for just one recurring meeting. Don’t overhaul everything at once.

Step 2: Turn On Action Item Tracking

Automation only works if Goodmeetings knows what to track. Action items are the backbone here.

How to enable and use action item tracking:

  1. During the meeting:
  2. Use the “Add Action Item” button or shortcut whenever a task pops up. Don’t wait until the end—capture it live.
  3. Assign an owner. If no one owns it, it’s just an idea, not a task.

  4. Set a due date. Vague deadlines kill follow-through.

  5. After the meeting:

  6. Review the action items list (usually auto-generated in your meeting summary).
  7. Edit or reassign as needed. Sometimes things change in the last five minutes—fix it before automating.

What to skip:
Don’t bother automating follow-ups for vague “discuss later” items. If it’s not specific, it’ll just clutter up your tasks and annoy people with reminders.

Step 3: Set Up Automated Reminders

This is where the real time-saving happens. Goodmeetings lets you automate reminders for action items so you’re not chasing people down.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Go to your Goodmeetings dashboard.
  2. Navigate to “Automation” or “Reminders” settings.
  3. If you don’t see these options, check your permissions; sometimes they’re only for admins or meeting hosts.
  4. Choose your reminder schedule.
  5. Typical options:
    • 24 hours after meeting
    • 1 day before due date
    • Custom intervals
  6. Select notification methods.
  7. Email is default, but you can often add Slack, Teams, or even SMS, depending on your setup.
  8. Save your automation.
  9. Test with one action item to make sure reminders actually go out.

Honest take:
Don’t go nuts and set up daily reminders for everything. People will start ignoring them, and then you’re back to square one. Use reminders for what matters and tune the frequency so they’re helpful, not spammy.

Step 4: Integrate With Your Other Tools (Optional, But Worth It)

If your team lives in tools like Asana, Trello, or Jira, you can connect Goodmeetings so action items show up where work actually happens. This is great if you’re tired of copying tasks from meeting notes into your project board.

How to set up integrations:

  1. Go to the “Integrations” section in Goodmeetings.
  2. Pick your tool (e.g., Asana, Trello, Jira, Slack).
  3. Authenticate your account.
  4. You’ll need to sign in and approve permissions. If you’re not the admin, get help from IT.
  5. Map fields.
  6. Tell Goodmeetings which meeting fields go to which fields in your project tool (e.g., action item → task, due date → deadline).
  7. Test it.
  8. Create a dummy action item and see if it pops up in your other tool.

What to watch out for:
- Integrations can break. If something seems off (missing tasks, wrong deadlines), double-check the mapping. - Don’t try to sync everything—just the important action items. Otherwise, your project board will get cluttered.

Step 5: Customize Your Follow-Up Templates

By default, Goodmeetings sends out a pretty generic follow-up email or notification. You can tweak these to make them more useful (and less likely to be ignored).

Here’s how:

  1. In your Goodmeetings settings, look for “Email Templates” or “Follow-up Templates.”
  2. Edit the content.
  3. Add context, helpful links, or next steps.
  4. Keep it short. People don’t read walls of text.
  5. Use placeholders.
  6. Goodmeetings supports variables like [Meeting Name], [Action Items], [Due Date], etc. Use these so the message is personalized but automated.
  7. Preview and test.
  8. Send a sample to yourself before you roll it out to the team.

Pro tip:
Include a clear call to action in your template: “Please confirm when completed.” It’s a small thing, but it nudges people to actually respond.

Step 6: Review, Adjust, and Don’t Overcomplicate

Automation isn’t “set it and forget it.” You need to check in once in a while to make sure it’s working.

Do this once a month:

  • Review which reminders are being ignored. If no one’s acting, your reminders might be too frequent or too vague.
  • Ask your team what’s working and what’s annoying. Tweak accordingly.
  • Clean up old or irrelevant action items. Stale tasks clog up the system.

What to ignore:
Don’t obsess over 100% completion. Some follow-ups will always fall through the cracks. The goal is to catch most of them with less work, not achieve perfection.

Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)

  • Too many reminders: People tune out. Set reminders for meaningful tasks, not every little thing.
  • No clear ownership: If action items aren’t assigned, they’re just wishful thinking.
  • Over-automation: If you spend more time tweaking automations than running meetings, you’ve gone too far.
  • Ignoring feedback: Automations should make life easier, not more complicated. Listen to your team.

Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often

Automating follow-up in Goodmeetings is about saving your team from the hassle of remembering and chasing tasks. Start simple: get your action items into the system, automate the basic reminders, and only add more bells and whistles if you actually need them. Review what’s working, cut what isn’t, and remember—sometimes less is more.

Meetings shouldn’t generate more work. With a little setup, you can finally make follow-up the easiest part of your week.