Free corrective and preventive action (capa)
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Free CAPA template (PDF-ready). Log the problem, root cause, corrective and preventive action, verification and effectiveness in one form.
Commercial Director
Updated 5 July 2026
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What is a corrective and preventive action (capa)?
A corrective and preventive action (CAPA) template is a structured form for taking a problem all the way from what went wrong to proof that it will not happen again. It captures the problem or nonconformity, the immediate containment or correction, the root cause found through analysis, the corrective action that removes that cause, any preventive action that stops the same cause appearing elsewhere, the verification that the actions were done, and the effectiveness check that confirms the problem has actually stopped. Each action carries an owner and a due date, so a CAPA is a tracked commitment rather than a note in a meeting.
A quick note on the label: "CAPA" (Corrective and Preventive Action) is common industry and US FDA terminology (21 CFR 820 and ISO 13485 for medical devices). ISO 9001:2015 does not use the term "CAPA", and it does not require a "CAPA procedure". Under ISO 9001:2015 corrective action sits in clause 10.2 (Nonconformity and corrective action); there is no separate preventive-action clause, because the explicit preventive-action clause from the 2008 edition (old clause 8.5.3) was removed and prevention is now handled through risk-based thinking, principally clause 6.1 (Actions to address risks and opportunities). This template uses the familiar CAPA label but maps to clause 10.2, and lets you capture risk-based preventive actions alongside the corrective ones. Done well, it stops the same defect, breakdown, complaint or audit finding recurring, because it forces the team past a quick fix to the underlying cause. Done poorly, it becomes a log of corrections that never touch why the problem keeps coming back, which is why the root-cause and effectiveness steps are the parts that matter most.
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Benefits of using this corrective and preventive action (capa)
- Root-cause discipline: a dedicated analysis step forces the team past the symptom to the cause, so the fix actually holds.
- Correction versus prevention: separating immediate containment from preventive action stops teams closing out at the quick fix.
- Clear ownership: every corrective and preventive action carries a named owner and due date rather than a vague group commitment.
- Effectiveness proof: a mandatory effectiveness check confirms the problem has stopped, not just that the action was completed.
- Recurrence control: applying preventive action across similar processes stops the same cause reappearing in another area or line.
- Audit evidence: a completed CAPA is direct evidence of the nonconformity and improvement handling ISO 9001 Clause 10.2 expects.
- Trend insight: a set of CAPAs over time reveals which processes and causes generate the most problems and deserve deeper work.
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What to include in a corrective and preventive action (capa)
This corrective and preventive action (capa) covers 10 key areas:
- CAPA reference number, date raised, and who raised it
- Source of the issue: audit finding, customer complaint, nonconforming product, incident, or internal review
- Problem statement: a clear, specific description of what went wrong and where
- Immediate containment or correction taken to limit the impact now
- Root cause analysis: 5 Whys, fishbone or other method tracing the problem to its source
- Corrective action: what will be done to remove the root cause, with owner and due date
- Preventive action: what will be done to stop the cause recurring elsewhere, with owner and due date
- Verification: confirmation each action was implemented as planned
- Effectiveness review: evidence the problem has not recurred, with a review date
- Approval and close-out: sign-off by the responsible manager and date closed
How to use this corrective and preventive action (capa)
- Define the problem and contain it: Write a specific problem statement describing what went wrong, where and when, backed by data where you have it. Take any immediate containment needed to limit the impact now, such as quarantining stock or stopping a process, and record it, but be clear that containment is not the corrective action.
- Find the root cause: Use a structured method such as 5 Whys or a fishbone diagram to trace the problem to its underlying cause rather than stopping at the first plausible explanation. A weak root cause produces a weak fix, so keep asking why until you reach a cause you can act on and that explains the evidence.
- Decide corrective and preventive actions: Set a corrective action that removes the root cause of this specific problem, and a preventive action that stops the same cause appearing in similar processes, products or sites. Give each action a named owner and a realistic due date, because actions without an owner and a date are the ones that quietly never happen.
- Verify the actions were done: Once the due dates pass, confirm that each corrective and preventive action was actually implemented as planned, and record the evidence. Verification checks that the work was done. It is a separate step from the effectiveness review, which comes later and checks whether the work solved the problem.
- Review effectiveness and close out: After enough time has passed, review whether the problem has actually stopped recurring, using data or observation rather than assumption. If it has, have the responsible manager approve and close the CAPA. If it has not, reopen the root-cause analysis, because a problem that recurs means the real cause was never found.
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Raise a CAPA whenever a nonconformity, complaint, incident or audit finding is significant enough that a simple correction will not stop it happening again. Not every minor slip needs a CAPA, but anything with a real cost, safety or customer impact, or that has recurred, should get one.
Track open CAPAs at a regular management or quality meeting to chase overdue actions and confirm effectiveness reviews are being done. Review the full set of closed CAPAs periodically, at least at the management review, to spot patterns in causes and sources. A rising CAPA count is not necessarily bad, because it can mean problems are being surfaced rather than hidden, but a pile of overdue or ineffective CAPAs is a clear warning sign.
Frequently asked questions
Applicable regulatory standards
This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:
- ISO 9001:2015 Quality management systems - Requirements, clause 10.2 (Nonconformity and corrective action)
- ISO 9001:2015 clause 6.1 (Actions to address risks and opportunities) - where preventive/risk-based thinking now sits; note ISO 9001 has no standalone preventive-action clause and does not use the term CAPA
- ISO 45001:2018 clause 10.2 (Incident, nonconformity and corrective action)
- Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA / Deming cycle) - a continual-improvement method, not a standard; the CAPA flow follows it
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<div style="max-width:480px;font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,'Segoe UI',Roboto,sans-serif;border:1px solid #E5E7EB;border-radius:12px;padding:20px;background:#ffffff;">
<p style="font-size:12px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.05em;text-transform:uppercase;color:#0E7490;margin:0;">Free template</p>
<p style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;color:#071D49;margin:6px 0 0;">Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA)</p>
<ul style="margin:12px 0 0;padding-left:18px;color:#374151;font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;">
<li style="margin:4px 0;">CAPA reference number, date raised, and who raised it</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Source of the issue: audit finding, customer complaint, nonconforming product, incident, or internal review</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Problem statement: a clear, specific description of what went wrong and where</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Immediate containment or correction taken to limit the impact now</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Root cause analysis: 5 Whys, fishbone or other method tracing the problem to its source</li>
<li style="margin:4px 0;">Corrective action: what will be done to remove the root cause, with owner and due date</li>
</ul>
<p style="font-size:13px;color:#6B7280;margin:14px 0 0;padding-top:12px;border-top:1px solid #E5E7EB;">Free <a href="https://www.maptrack.com/templates/capa-template" style="color:#071D49;font-weight:600;text-decoration:none;">Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA)</a> by MapTrack</p>
</div>Please keep the “by MapTrack” attribution link in the snippet.
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