Resource · Template

SWOT analysis template

A usable SWOT template is more than four empty boxes. Use the structure below to scope the analysis, prompt each quadrant, and leave with owners—not a slide nobody opens again. Prefer worked samples? See SWOT examples. Prefer the method deep-dive? Read how to do a SWOT analysis.

Blank SWOT structure

Copy this outline into a workshop doc, or open a live board in Smart SWOT and fill the same four quadrants with your team.

Unit of analysis (fill first)
What	________________________________ (company / product / decision)
For whom	________________________________ (team that will act)
Time horizon	________________________________ (e.g. next 12 months)
Date / owner	________________________________

Strengths (internal · helpful)

Assets, capabilities, advantages you control. Aim for 5–8 high-signal items after cleanup.

1. _______________
2. _______________
3. _______________

Weaknesses (internal · harmful)

Gaps, constraints, and exposures inside the organization. Be specific and falsifiable.

1. _______________
2. _______________
3. _______________

Opportunities (external · helpful)

Market, customer, tech, or policy shifts you could exploit. Not initiatives you already decided.

1. _______________
2. _______________
3. _______________

Threats (external · harmful)

External forces that could damage outcomes if ignored. Name the mechanism and signal.

1. _______________
2. _______________
3. _______________

Prompt card for each quadrant

Strengths: What do customers praise? Where do we win repeatedly? What would be expensive for rivals to copy?
Weaknesses: Where do deals stall? What do we apologize for? Which capability depends on one person?
Opportunities: Which jobs are underserved? What adjacent segment fits our strengths? What external change lowers the cost of trying?
Threats: What competitor move would force a 90-day response? Which regulation or platform shift raises cost or cuts demand?

Quality rule. Rewrite vague lines (“great team,” “competition”) into evidenced statements. The full rewrite patterns live in the SWOT guide quality section.

After the template is filled

Cluster duplicates into themes; keep roughly 5–8 items per quadrant.
Prioritize with votes or impact × confidence—not everything “high.”
Assign owners and a revisit date on the items you will act on.
Decide the handoff: near-term actions on the SWOT board, or a TOWS matrix for linked strategies.

Paper and slides go stale. An online template that stays on a shared board keeps status, notes, and owners next to the factors.

SWOT & TOWS resources

Skip the blank spreadsheet—open a free SWOT board and fill the template with your team in one place.

Open the free tool See examples