A project status report template gives your team one page to share progress, risks and decisions every week. The best reports rate scope, schedule and budget as red, amber or green (RAG), list the next milestones and name the decisions leaders need to make. The template below takes about 20 minutes to fill in each week.
| Report section | What it answers |
|---|---|
| Overall status | Is the project on track? |
| RAG ratings | How are scope, schedule and budget doing? |
| Progress this week | What got done? |
| Next milestones | What comes next, and when? |
| Top risks and issues | What could go wrong, or already has? |
| Decisions needed | What do leaders need to decide? |
Tired of writing status reports? A remote project coordinator from Exec Assistants writes your weekly status report, chases updates from every owner and flags risks before they hit the schedule.
What Is a Project Status Report?
A project status report is a short, regular update on a project’s health. It tells sponsors, leaders and stakeholders where the project stands, what changed since the last report and what needs their attention.
Most teams send a status report every week. Executive and board reports often run monthly.
Why Status Reports Matter in 2026
Leaders face a flood of updates. Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index found that workers are interrupted about every two minutes during core hours, or around 275 times a day, by meetings, emails and chat messages. The same report counted an average of 117 emails and 153 Teams messages a day.
A clear weekly status report cuts through that noise. Leaders read one page and know where every project stands.
What a Good Status Report Does
- Shows health at a glance: RAG colors tell readers the state in seconds.
- Flags problems early: Risks surface before they become missed deadlines.
- Drives decisions: Every report names the decisions leaders need to make.
- Creates a record: Weekly reports document what happened and when.
Free Project Status Report Template
Copy this one-page template into a document, email or project management tool.
Report Header
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Project name | |
| Report date | |
| Reporting period | |
| Project manager | |
| Prepared by | |
| Overall status | Green, amber or red |
Executive Summary
Write two or three sentences. Start with the overall status, then the single most important change this week, then the decision you need.
RAG Status Table
| Area | Status | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | ||
| Schedule | ||
| Budget | ||
| Resources | ||
| Risks |
Progress This Week
List three to five completed items. Link each to the task in your project management tool.
Next Milestones
| Milestone | Owner | Due date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Top Risks and Issues
List the top three items from your RAID log, each with an owner and a next step. Our RAID log template shows how to score and track them.
Decisions Needed
| Decision | Options | Needed by | Decision owner |
|---|---|---|---|
Project Status Report Example
Here is a filled example for a website redesign in week 6 of 12.
Header
Project: Website redesign. Report date: October 16. Project manager: Head of Marketing. Prepared by: Project coordinator. Overall status: Amber.
Executive Summary
The project is amber. Design is complete, but content from two departments is one week late. We need approval to move the launch from November 20 to November 27, or to launch with placeholder content on two pages.
RAG Status Table
| Area | Status | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Green | No changes this week |
| Schedule | Amber | Content 1 week late, launch date at risk |
| Budget | Green | 48% spent at 50% of the timeline |
| Resources | Green | Full team available |
| Risks | Amber | Two open risks, one rising |
Progress This Week
- Final page designs approved.
- Homepage and contact page built and tested.
- SEO redirect map completed.
Next Milestones
| Milestone | Owner | Due date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| All content delivered | Marketing lead | October 23 | Amber |
| Staging site complete | Developer | November 6 | Green |
| Launch | Project manager | November 20 | Amber |
Top Risks and Issues
- R-03 Content delay (score 16): Sales and HR pages late. Owner: marketing lead. Next step: daily check-in until delivered.
- R-05 Hosting load (score 8): Load test planned for week 9. Owner: IT lead.
Decisions Needed
| Decision | Options | Needed by | Decision owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch date | Move to November 27, or launch with placeholder content | October 20 | Founder |
How to Set RAG Ratings
RAG ratings work best when the whole team uses the same rules. Agree on thresholds at kickoff and print them on the report.
RAG Definitions
| Rating | Meaning | Example threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Green | On track, no help needed | Within plan or less than 5% variance |
| Amber | At risk, the team has a recovery plan | 5% to 10% variance, or a milestone at risk |
| Red | Off track, leaders need to act | More than 10% variance, or a milestone missed |
Using Earned Value for Schedule and Budget
Larger projects rate schedule and budget with earned value management (EVM). The US Department of Defense adopted EVM in the 1960s.
- Schedule performance index (SPI): Earned value divided by planned value. An SPI below 1.0 means the project runs behind.
- Cost performance index (CPI): Earned value divided by actual cost. A CPI below 1.0 means the project runs over budget.
Many teams rate green at 0.95 or higher, amber from 0.90 to 0.94 and red below 0.90.
Blue and Gray Ratings
Some organizations add blue for completed work and gray for items on hold. This BRAG variant helps on long programs with many workstreams.
How to Write a Project Status Report in 7 Steps
Step 1: Collect Updates
Ask each task owner for a one-line update by a set time, such as Thursday at noon. Pull task status straight from your project management tool. Our guide to project management tools compares the options.
Step 2: Update the RAID Log
Review open risks and issues. Update scores and close resolved items before you write the report.
Step 3: Set the RAG Ratings
Apply your agreed thresholds. Rate each area honestly, even when the news is bad.
Step 4: Write the Executive Summary Last
Write the summary after the detail, when the full picture is clear. Lead with the bottom line.
Step 5: Name the Decisions
List every decision leaders need to make, with options and a deadline.
Step 6: Review With the Project Manager
The project manager checks the ratings and the decisions before the report goes out.
Step 7: Send on the Same Day Every Week
Send the report at the same time each week, such as Friday at 3 p.m. A fixed rhythm builds trust and habit.
Writing Principles Behind a Strong Status Report
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
The US military uses BLUF, or bottom line up front, in its writing standards. The first sentence states the conclusion. Busy leaders often stop reading after the first paragraph, so the key message must sit there.
The Pyramid Principle
Barbara Minto developed the Pyramid Principle at McKinsey and published it as a book in 1987. Start with the main point, then group supporting facts beneath it. A status report follows the same shape: overall status, then RAG ratings, then detail.
The Watermelon Effect
The watermelon effect describes a project that reports green while the real work runs red. It happens when teams fear bad news or count tasks done while outcomes slip. Fixed thresholds and honest amber ratings prevent it.
Goodhart’s Law
Economist Charles Goodhart observed in 1975 that when a measure becomes a target, it stops being a good measure, an idea now known as Goodhart’s law. If teams get punished for red ratings, they stop reporting red. Leaders should reward early warnings.
Weekly Status Report Email Template
Many teams send the report as an email with the full template attached or linked. Use this format.
Subject: [Project name] status, week of [date]: [Green/Amber/Red]
Hi team,
Overall status: Amber. [One sentence on the main change this week.]
Decision needed by [date]: [Decision and options.]
This week: [Two or three completed items.]
Next week: [Two or three upcoming milestones.]
Top risk: [Risk, owner and next step.]
Full report and project board: [link]
Thanks,
[Name]
Put the RAG color in the subject line. Leaders see the status in their inbox before they open the email.
How to Report Bad News in a Status Report
Every project hits trouble. The way you report it shapes how fast leaders help.
Report Early
Flag a risk as amber the week it appears. A late red rating gives leaders fewer options and less time.
Bring Options
Pair every problem with two or three options and a recommendation. Leaders decide faster when the choices sit in front of them.
Stick to Facts
State what happened, the impact on the date or budget, and the next step. Skip blame. Clear facts keep the conversation on recovery.
Follow Up in Person
For a red rating, book a short call with the sponsor on the day you send the report. Written bad news lands better with a live conversation behind it.
Status Report Frequency by Project Type
| Project type | Team report | Leadership report |
|---|---|---|
| Short project (under 8 weeks) | Weekly | Weekly summary |
| Standard project (2 to 6 months) | Weekly | Every two weeks |
| Long program (6+ months) | Weekly | Monthly |
| Client project | Weekly to the client | Monthly to your leadership |
Types of Project Status Reports
Weekly Team Status Report
A one-page report for the project team and sponsor. Covers progress, RAG ratings, next milestones and risks.
Executive Status Report
A half-page summary for senior leaders. Covers overall status, top risks and decisions needed. Many executives prefer a short email with a link to the full report.
Portfolio Status Report
A one-line-per-project dashboard for a project management office (PMO) or leadership team. Shows each project’s RAG rating and next milestone.
Client Status Report
A report for an external client. Covers progress, deliverables and items waiting on the client. Agencies send this weekly. See how this works for agency owners.
Different Views on Status Reporting
The Formal Report View
Large programs and regulated industries use formal reports with set templates, sign-offs and archives. This view protects the organization and supports audits.
The Live Dashboard View
Some teams replace written reports with live dashboards in Jira, Asana or Power BI. Supporters say dashboards stay current and save writing time. Critics say dashboards show data without the story behind it.
The Practical Middle View
Most small and mid-size teams send a short written report each week with a link to the live board. The report tells the story. The board holds the detail. Most Exec Assistants clients follow this approach.
Common Status Report Mistakes
- Too long: Leaders skip reports longer than one page.
- Activity lists: “Held three meetings” tells leaders little. Report outcomes such as milestones hit.
- Always green: A project that never shows amber hides its risks.
- No decisions named: Name each decision, so leaders act on the report.
- Late or irregular: A report that arrives on a different day each week loses trust.
Status Report Checklist Before You Hit Send
- Overall status: The first line states green, amber or red.
- Ratings match the rules: Each RAG rating follows the agreed thresholds.
- Decisions named: Each decision has options, a deadline and an owner.
- Risks current: The top three risks match the latest RAID log.
- Dates checked: Every milestone date matches the project board.
- One page: Detail lives behind a link to the board.
Who Writes the Status Report?
The project manager owns the status report and signs off on the ratings. The project coordinator usually collects updates, drafts the report and sends it on schedule. Our guide on project coordinator vs project manager explains this split.
The coordinator also keeps the report linked to the RACI matrix, so updates come from the right owners and reach the right people. Our guide to meeting preparation shows how to use the report in the weekly status meeting.
Hand off the weekly report. Exec Assistants recruits vetted, full-time remote project coordinators from the Philippines and South Africa. Salaries start from $1,000 a month, plus a one-time $1,997 recruitment fee. See our remote project coordinator salary guide, see pricing or hire a project coordinator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a project status report include?
Include the overall status, RAG ratings for scope, schedule and budget, progress since the last report, next milestones, top risks and issues, and decisions needed.
How often should you send a project status report?
Most teams send a status report weekly. Executive and board reports often go monthly.
What does RAG mean in a status report?
RAG stands for red, amber and green. Green means on track, amber means at risk with a recovery plan, and red means leaders need to act.
How long should a project status report be?
Keep it to one page. Put the overall status and decisions in the first paragraph, and link to your project board for detail.
Who should write the project status report?
The project coordinator usually drafts the report. The project manager reviews the ratings and sends it or approves it.
Should the RAG color go in the email subject line?
Yes. Put the overall RAG color in the subject line, so leaders see the project’s health before they open the email.
Get a Project Coordinator in 7 to 10 Days
Tell us about your projects, tools and reporting rhythm. We send a shortlist of vetted coordinators from the Philippines and South Africa who can write your weekly status report, run your RAID log and keep every owner on track. Check what to look for in our project coordinator job description.