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FREE PROJECT STATUS REPORT TEMPLATE Your week’s work.
Clearly explained.

A practical project status update template with room for progress, risks and the decision you need next.

Download Word (.docx)Preview the templateMarkdown (.md)

Word, Google Docs and PDF. No email required.

Last updated

STATUS UPDATETemplate preview · Example
01

This week

The homepage layout is ready for review. Desktop and mobile checks are complete.

02

Needs attention

Final product photography is still outstanding. Placeholder images remain in the draft.

03

Next steps

Once the layout is approved, the team can apply the direction to the remaining pages.

04

Decision needed

Please review the homepage and send consolidated feedback by the agreed review date.

What a project status report should include

A project status report tells the client what changed, what needs attention and what you need from them. It’s not a task list: a useful report helps the reader understand progress without reconstructing it from your project tool.

SectionWhat to write
SummaryTwo or three sentences: what changed, where things stand and any decision needed.
Completed this periodOutcomes and deliverables, each with a link to the work.
In progressWork under way, its owner and the target date or dependency.
Risks and blockersWhat’s blocked, the impact, the owner and the next action.
Next stepsActions, owners and agreed dates.
Client input or decision neededThe specific request, who it’s from, when it’s needed and why.

How to write a status update clients read

  1. Lead with what changed. The first lines should make sense on their own. Many clients won’t read further.
  2. Link to the work. Support each material statement with a link the client can open.
  3. Separate facts from targets. Don’t present a target date as a commitment while a dependency is unresolved.
  4. Name the blocker’s owner. “Photography is outstanding: the client lead will confirm a date” is actionable. “Waiting on assets” isn’t.
  5. End with one clear request. Name the decision or input, the person and the date. If they don’t reply, the follow-up email templates help you chase politely.
  6. Review before sending. Check facts against the source work and keep internal notes out of the client’s copy.

How often to send a client status report

Agree a cadence with the client at kickoff, based on the pace of the work. Weekly suits most active projects; fortnightly or monthly suits retainers and slower engagements. A time-sensitive blocker shouldn’t wait for the next scheduled report: raise it separately.

Angelwood drafts client updates from your project tools with links back to the source work. Your team reviews and edits each update before it’s published to the client’s portal, where clients can respond to the decision you need.

Use it in Word, Google Docs or PDF

Microsoft Word

  1. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
  2. Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
  3. Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.

Google Docs

  1. Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
  2. Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
  3. Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.

PDF

Fill it in Word or Google Docs, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs.

MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU

Useful structure.
Your way of working.

01

Lead with what changed.

Tell the client what is different since the previous update. Keep the summary short and support material statements with links to the relevant work. A useful update helps a reader understand progress without reconstructing it from a list of tasks.

02

Make risk and uncertainty visible.

State what is blocked, what the impact could be and who owns the next action. Distinguish a confirmed problem from an assumption you are checking. Avoid presenting a target date as a commitment when a dependency is still unresolved.

03

Finish with a clear request.

Name the decision or input you need, its owner and the agreed response date. The download includes both an empty structure and a worked example. Review each update before sending it and keep the client's response connected to the same project.

GOOD QUESTIONS

Before you download.

Talk to us
Is this a marketing performance dashboard?

No. This is a narrative project status report. It covers delivery progress, risks and next steps; it does not calculate campaign metrics or pull advertising data.

Can I edit the template?

Yes. The Markdown download includes placeholders and a worked example. Adapt the sections to your engagement and your client's preferred level of detail.

How often should I send an update?

Agree a cadence with your client based on the pace of the work. Weekly is a useful starting point for active projects, but a time-sensitive blocker may need a separate message sooner.

Can I edit this template in Word or Google Docs?

Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it in Microsoft Word, or upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Docs. There’s also a Markdown version for any text editor. No account or email address is needed.

How do I save it as a PDF?

Fill it in, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs. On this page you can also print just the template or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.

KEEP THE WORK MOVING

The next useful step.

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