Abstract. This article refers to the management of adults with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) of all ages in the community or in hospital. Details of general investigations for patients managed in the community and for patients admitted to hospital, treatment in community, hospitals and in intensive care unit, follow up planning, empirical antibiotic choice, duration of antibiotic administration, failure to improve, the level of evidence of recommendations are given in the text and are summarized in figures and tables. Severity assessment is recommended as the key to planning appropriate management both in the community and in hospital. Certain adverse prognostic features have been associated with an increased risk of death and should be assessed in all patients. Patients who have two or more “core” adverse prognostic features are at high risk of death and should be managed as having severe pneumonia. Patients who display no adverse prognostic features can be managed as having non-severe pneumonia and may be suitable for outpatient treatment or early hospital discharge.