The useful version has a stable private link and no client account. You can turn on a Friday-generated 4-digit project PIN when you want another access check.
How one page per project works
A stable URL lets the client bookmark one location. Each new update appears on the same page, so you do not create a fresh document or portal address every week.
The page should show the current update first and older updates in chronological order. Dates make the sequence clear. A reader can check today's status and then look back for when a deadline or decision changed.
Do not rewrite old entries to match the current plan. Project history is useful because it records what was reported at the time. Add a correction or later update when facts change.
Send the update as well
A page does not help if the client has to remember to visit it. Send each update to the client by email and include the stable link.
The email gives the client the current information where they already work. The page gives them the ordered history when they need context. The two formats solve different parts of the problem.
Keep the email readable without opening the page. A link that says "update posted" moves the work back to the client. Send the actual summary, then offer the history.
Remove the account requirement carefully
A client page without an account lowers friction. You can leave the project PIN off, or turn it on when the project needs it.
Each project has its own random private link. If you turn on the PIN, the client needs both the link and the Friday-generated 4-digit PIN.
The page is private, but a recipient can still forward the link or email. A project PIN protects the page rather than the update text already included in an email.
Treat the link as sensitive
Send the private link to the intended readers. Keep credentials and restricted records in a channel intended for them.
You can replace a link or generate a new PIN when access should end. Use a system with named accounts and suitable controls when the work requires identity checks or detailed permissions.
Convenience and security are not absolute choices. Match the access method to the sensitivity of the update. A normal project summary and a medical record should not use the same standard.
Separate clients and projects
Friday has one page per project. A client with two active projects has separate histories and links, even when both projects use the same client email.
In Friday, each project has one client email. One account can own several projects, so you can keep different work streams separate under the same account. Each project has its own private link and optional Friday-generated 4-digit PIN.
The reply option gives the client a direct way to respond without joining your internal project system. You should still confirm important approvals by naming the decision and person in your next update.
Write for a continuing record
Each entry should make sense later. Replace vague phrases such as "the usual changes" or "what we discussed" with the actual item and decision.
Name dates in full when confusion is possible. State whether a number is an approved cost, an estimate, or an example. Link to source files when the update depends on details stored elsewhere.
Keep each entry concise. A long page is manageable when each dated update has consistent headings and fewer than 200 words. A short entry also makes old decisions easier to scan.
Give access to the right people
Decide who should receive the email and who may use the link. A single client email keeps delivery simple, but the client can forward an update to colleagues when needed.
Forwarding can be useful because a sponsor or manager gets the same wording and context. It also means the link may reach more people. Put only suitable information on the page and use a more controlled channel for restricted material.
When a contact leaves the client company, update the delivery address and consider replacing the private link. Access reviews are less glamorous than a new client dashboard, but they prevent avoidable surprises.
Use the page as a summary, not storage for everything
The page should hold client updates, not every draft, task, and internal comment. Link to approved documents when needed and keep working material in the tools that suit your team.
The clear boundary helps both readers. Your team can discuss unfinished options freely, while the client gets a considered account of results, next steps, requests, and changes.
The weekly client update guide explains how to write each entry. One page per project then turns those entries into a useful history without asking the client to maintain another account.
Friday provides that stable private page, email delivery to one client address per project, and support for several projects under one account.
Read about the email thread problem to see why history needs its own place. Review the advice on access without client accounts before sharing the page.