Client delivery · Kit & File Field Notes
How to Send a Weekly Client Status Update (With Template)
Done, next, on track, need from you: four headings, same day every week. A weekly client status update template that stops the chasing emails for good.
Getting "just checking in" emails from clients? That's not them being difficult. It's them not knowing when news is coming. Fix the schedule and most of those emails stop being necessary.
What the update is for
A weekly update answers the question before the client has to ask it. I'd argue it works because it's predictable: a brief note that always arrives beats an impressive report that turns up whenever there's time.
Agree the day at kickoff, as part of onboarding. Then it's a commitment both sides expect.
An update doesn't fix a late project. It makes lateness visible early, while there's still time to decide what to do.
Use the same four headings every week
Answer the same four questions every week. Use them as fixed headings so the client always knows where to look.
Done
What got finished this week, tied to the client's goals. "Homepage draft complete" beats "worked on copy."
Next
What you'll do before the next update.
On track?
Yes or no, in one line. If no, say why and what changes.
Need from you
Each ask with a date: "Feedback on the homepage draft by Wednesday so we stay on schedule." This is the line that keeps client-side delays from going unnoticed.
If a request outside the agreed scope came in, add a line under Need from you or Next: "Received: [request]. Quoted separately, waiting on your decision." The out-of-scope guide covers the reply.
Pick a day and keep a running note
Choose one day and send every week on that day. Friday works for a lot of owners because it closes the week, but any fixed day works. Block it in your own weekly plan so it doesn't get squeezed out.
The trick to keeping it up is a running note through the week, so the update is assembly, not authorship. Add a line whenever something finishes, slips, or needs the client. On send day, sort the lines under the four headings.
Bad news and quiet weeks
Delays and problems
Put them at the top, in plain words:
- Say what happened.
- Give the effect on the date.
- State your plan.
- Ask for any decision you need, with a date.
Bad news lands better early and specific than late and vague.
Quiet weeks
Send the update anyway. "A quieter week: X moved, Y is next, and we're waiting on Z from you" keeps the rhythm and stops the guessing.
Keep it short: the template
It should take under a minute to read. Put detail in linked documents, not in the email. The clear next action guide covers the message craft.
Subject: [Project] update, week of [date]
Done
- [Item, tied to the goal]
Next
- [Item] by [day]
On track? Yes. / No: [reason and plan].
Need from you
- [Ask] by [date]
Illustrative example (fictional)
Week three of a website rewrite. Done: about and services pages drafted. Next: contact page and a final review of the homepage. On track: yes, if feedback lands by Wednesday. Need from you: comments on the two drafts by Wednesday, and the team photos by Friday.
When the last update goes out, the project moves to closeout. For writing updates and asks like these, the Better Messages Kit includes a message-writing guide and reusable prompts. If you run a fixed-scope service, the four headings stay the same on every job.
Same day. Same four headings. Fewer chasers.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What should a weekly client update include?
What got done, what's next, whether the project is on track, and anything you need from the client, with a date. Use the same headings every week.
How often should I update clients?
Weekly works for most active projects. Send it on the same day in the same format. Consistency matters more than length.
How do I stop clients from chasing me for updates?
Send a predictable update before they ask, on a fixed day agreed at kickoff, so they know when news is coming.
How do I tell a client about a delay?
Put it at the top of the update: what happened, the effect on the date, your plan, and any decision you need from them.
Should I send an update when nothing happened?
Yes. A short note on what moved, what's next, and what you're waiting on keeps the rhythm and stops the guessing.
How long should a client status update be?
Short enough to read in under a minute: a few bullets under each heading, with the detail in linked documents.
Put the guide to work
Better Messages Kit
The Better Messages Kit helps you write short, clear updates and requests, with a message-writing guide, workbook, reusable prompts, and a quick-reference sheet.
See what is included →