A placemat, also known as a table mat, is a small covering or pad that designates an individual place setting on a table, unlike a larger tablecloth that covers the entire surface. Placemats are made from various materials, such as cloth, paper, wood, plastic, lace, or silk, depending on their purpose. Their primary function is to protect the dinner table from water marks, food stains, or heat damage. They also serve as decoration, especially placemats made from lace or silk. In restaurants, they can be used to advertise menu items, specials, local businesses, or games for children. If the mat is cotton, it can absorb water and other liquids, such as spilt drinks.

In addition to their traditional use, the term "placemat" has also been used in a different context at Microsoft. In this context, a placemat is a document that lays out various important criteria or issues in a visually-pleasing manner. It gets its name from the placemat template that goes at the dining table with outlines for where the dinner plate goes, where the water glass goes, where the different forks go, and so on. A strategic placemat might look like a table with boxes for different initiatives, metrics for success, and other important criteria. Another kind of placemat is a lower-level feature placemat, with a box for each feature under development. The placemat serves as an agenda for the placemat review meeting, where representatives from teams that have boxes on the placemat report on the status of their work. These placemat reviews tend to be convened by senior executives.