For consultants reporting to a client every week
Project Status Report Generator for Clients
A one-page project status report from your week's notes, emails and tracker: red, amber or green backed by evidence, top risks and the decisions you need.
Free to start. No card needed.
How to write a project status report by hand
A project status report tells the client, on one page, whether the project is on track, what changed this week and what you need from them. Build it from the tracker, your call notes and the client's emails, not from memory or the mood of the last meeting. UK government guidance on project reporting1 says a report should "make clear what is fact, what is opinion, what is uncertain." So mark estimates as estimates, and note where each date and figure came from.
Agree with the client at kickoff what each RAG color (red, amber or green) means. For example, green means you can show the work is on track, with a milestone met or a sign-off. Amber means a date or the scope is at risk, and red means a milestone will be missed unless someone acts. Never round amber up to green. In one study reported in MIT Sloan Management Review, 56 experienced software project managers wrote biased reports 60% of the time2, mostly making things look better.
Don't hide a red: the UK government's 2025-26 major projects report3 says a red rating "does not mean failure." Give every amber or red a fix, an owner and a date, and call the sponsor before a red goes out. List the decisions you need, each answerable with a yes, a no or a choice, plus its deadline and what slips if it comes late. Show the top five risks, each with an owner and a next step, and keep the rest in your RAID log.
How it works
How River writes your project status report
Paste the week's notes and client emails, or drop up to 10 files, such as your tracker, last week's report and the week's meeting minutes. River reads everything before it writes, noting each milestone, date, risk and open decision with the file, row or email it came from. Then it writes a one-page report into your workspace: an overall status, a workstream table, work done and planned, top risks and the decisions needed. An email version for your client sponsor comes last.
River sets every color by the same fixed rules each week, using only your material. Green needs proof, and a workstream with no news this week gets no color at all until you confirm one. When the evidence is mixed, River picks the worse color and says what would change it. The UK government's ratings for its major projects4 draw a similar line between green, where delivery "appears highly likely," and amber, where "significant issues already exist."
River never invents progress, owners or dates: anything your material leaves open is marked for you to confirm before sending. The Done this week section lists only work finished inside the reporting week, leaving out older items even when the tracker marks them done. When the report is ready, River can turn it into a steering committee pre-read or build a RAID log from the same material. For a fixed layout to fill in yourself, use the weekly status report template.
How it works
From your week to a client update
Paste the week
Paste your notes and client emails, or drop up to 10 files: tracker, minutes, last week's report.
River checks the evidence
It reads everything first, noting each milestone, date and risk with its source before choosing a color.
Get your report
A one-page report opens in your River workspace, with color reasons, risks, decisions and an email.
Review and send
Clear the To confirm list, change any color you disagree with, then send the email to your client.
| Workstream | Status | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | Amber | Go-live on 30 June holds only if test data arrives by 12 June |
| Finance processes | Green | Process maps signed off by the client on 2 June |
| Data migration | Amber | Test data a week late; the 19 June rehearsal is at risk |
| Training | Red | Sessions on 16 June will be missed: no trainer booked |
Decision needed from the client: approve the smaller pilot scope by Thursday 11 June.
What you'll get
A one-page client update with RAG status, risks and decisions needed
- Red, amber or green overall and per workstream, each with its reason
- Done, next, and top risks with an owner and a next step
- Decisions needed from the client by a date, plus an email version
Before and after
Your week in. A status report you can send.
A week on a finance systems project: Tuesday's call notes, six client emails, the tracker exported from Excel, and a message saying the test data will be late again.
Overall: Amber. Go-live on 30 June holds only if test data arrives by 12 June (email from Sam, 3 June). Done this week: finance process maps signed off by the client (call notes, 2 June). Top risk: test data late from client IT. Owner: Sam (client). Next step: agree a delivery date at Thursday's call. Decisions needed from the client 1. Approve the smaller pilot scope by 11 June, so training can be rebooked. Email version Subject: Week ending 5 June: Amber, one decision needed by 11 June…
Every color comes with its reason and its source, so green always means green.
What lands in your doc
What's in your status report
- An overall red, amber or green with its reason, then a status, reason and next milestone per workstream
- Done this week and planned next week, each tied to the note, email or tracker row behind it
- Up to five top risks and issues in a table, each with its impact, owner and next step
- Decisions needed from the client, each with a by-when date and what slips if it comes late
- A To confirm list of missing owners or dates and of sources that disagree, to clear before sending
- A short email for your client sponsor, under 150 words, with the status and decisions first
Questions consultants ask
Common questions
What is a project status report, and what should it include?
A project status report is a regular update that shows the client how the project is doing against its plan and what you need from them. Include an overall status with its reason, a status for each workstream, work done and planned, the top risks with owners, and the decisions needed with dates. Put the status and decisions first, and fit it on one page.
How often should you send a project status report?
Weekly suits most client projects, sent on the same day each week so a missing report gets noticed. Then adjust for pace and risk: UK government guidance1 says "the faster moving or riskier the work, the higher the frequency of reporting." A steady project might report every two weeks, while a troubled go-live may need a short daily note.
How do I write a project status report with River?
Put the week's material in the box at the top of this page: notes and client emails, or up to 10 Word, PDF, text, CSV, Excel or PowerPoint files. Choose Write my status report. River writes the report and its email version into your free River workspace, where you can settle anything marked to confirm and edit it before you send.
How does River decide red, amber or green?
By fixed rules, applied to the evidence. Nothing is green without proof, such as a sign-off. Amber marks a date or the scope at risk, and red a milestone that will be missed unless someone acts. If your tracker says green but a date has slipped, River follows the evidence and flags the difference. You can change any color before sending.
What if my notes leave something out?
The report says so instead of guessing. A workstream with no news reads "No update this week," with its status left for you to confirm. A missing owner or date becomes a placeholder like [date to confirm], and when two sources disagree, the report shows both and where each came from. All of it goes on a To confirm list to settle before you send.
Is my client's project information private?
Your notes, emails and trackers are saved in your own River workspace, private to you unless you share them. To write the report, River sends the content to the AI services that do the work. River's privacy policy says neither River nor those services train models on it. If your client contract limits where project information can go, check it first.
Is the status report generator free?
Yes, it is free to start, with no card needed. Your status report opens in a River workspace, where you can edit it, share it or ask River to change it. Paid plans add more AI use and access to the most advanced models.
Your next step