Three Sentences, Once a Week
A three sentence weekly update can cover what finished, what comes next, and what you need or what changed.
Use the three sentence weekly update as a low starting bar, not an absolute limit. A simple week may need only three sentences. A security problem, cost increase, scope decision, or serious delay deserves enough detail for the client to act safely.
The three sentence weekly update
Use this adaptable template:
We completed [outcome and useful evidence].
Next week, I will [next outcome or step].
I need [person] to [action] by [date], and [name any change to timing, cost, scope, or risk].
The first sentence looks backward, the second looks forward, and the third deals with the client's role or a changed condition. If you need no reply and nothing changed, say, "I do not need anything from you this week, and the planned date has not changed."
Sentence one describes a completed outcome
Write what is now different, not how you spent your time. "Worked on the booking form" is activity. "The booking form is live and passed the agreed mobile checks" is an outcome.
Evidence helps when it answers an obvious client question. Use a measured result, completed approval, or observed behaviour. Do not add numbers merely to make the sentence look serious.
When nothing finished, describe the useful state honestly. A hypothetical version is, "The booking form remains in testing because card refunds failed in the supplier sandbox, and I have opened a support case." The week still has a state, a cause, and a visible action.
Sentence two names the next step
Tell the client what you will try to complete before the next update. Use a concrete result when possible.
"I will continue development" leaves the plan hidden. "Next week, I will correct the refund case and rerun the full payment test" tells the client what success means.
Do not promise a result you cannot control. If a supplier response determines the plan, say, "Next week, I will either test the supplier's correction or confirm the revised release date if no correction arrives by Tuesday."
Sentence three handles needs and changes
Name the person, action, and date for any request. Explain the effect of no answer when it affects the plan.
A hypothetical request is, "I need Priya to approve the refund wording by noon Wednesday, or Thursday's release will move to Monday." The sentence is firm without blaming Priya for a delay that has not happened.
A change may need its own sentence. Do not cram a new price, delayed date, changed scope, and client request into one breath just to preserve the format. Three sentences are a convenience, not a small constitutional crisis.
Add detail when the stakes require it
Length should follow consequence. A routine week can stay short. Bad news needs the facts the client must use.
Add detail when you need to explain:
- A changed date, cost, or agreed scope.
- A risk that requires a client decision.
- A bug that affects users, money, security, or data.
- Several requests with different owners and dates.
- Evidence required by the agreement or a regulator.
Keep the main conclusion near the top. Supporting material can sit in a private attachment, but the client should not need to open it to discover that the launch moved.
Send it at the same time
The short format works because you can repeat it. Pick a fixed day and send the update even when progress is slow.
Predictability lets the client wait for the agreed checkpoint rather than ask throughout the week. Urgent information should still arrive sooner. A schedule for Fridays is not a reason to hold a Tuesday security finding.
If your project needs daily coordination, three sentences once a week will be too little. Agree a schedule based on the decisions and risks involved. Return to weekly when the intense period ends.
Keep the update easy to answer
Send the text in the email rather than making the client log in elsewhere to read it. Use a stable subject and a project history when decisions need to remain findable.
Ask for replies in one known place. If the answer arrives on a call or by text, repeat the decision in the next update. A record is useful only when both sides can recognise what was agreed.
A private no login link can reduce friction, but any holder can read and reply. Treat it as a bearer link and share it only with the intended people.
Start small and use judgment
The three sentence weekly update lowers the effort required to begin. It does not excuse vague wording, hidden changes, or missing context. Write completed, next, and need or change. Then add only the detail the client needs.
Friday can email that short update and keep its history, replies, and private attachments together. The format remains yours, and clients do not need an account to read or reply through the private link.