Getting Started
Getting started with Friday takes three main actions. Create a project, post an update, and send its private client link. Your client can read every update on one page without creating an account. They can also reply below an update, so the reply stays with the item it concerns.
Before you start
You need your own name, your email address, a password, a project name, and one client email address. Use an email address that the intended client can access. Each project has one client email address, and the current interface does not let you change the project name or client email after creation.
Choose a password with 12 to 128 characters. If you already have an account, select Log in instead of Sign up. If you forget the password later, use Forgot your password? on the login page. See password reset help for the complete recovery process.
Getting started with Friday step by step
- Open Sign up.
- Enter Your name. The limit is 80 characters.
- Enter your own Email address.
- Enter a Password with 12 to 128 characters.
- Select Create account. Creating an account does not charge you.
- On the Projects page, select New project or Create your first project.
- Enter a Project name with no more than 160 characters.
- Enter the one Client email address that should receive update notices.
- Select Create project.
The project page opens as soon as the project is saved. It shows the project name, client email, private client link, update form, and any updates already posted. For field choices and limits, read Creating a Project.
Creating an account signs you in straight away. A queued email titled Welcome to Friday repeats the first steps and gives you a login link for later visits. It is not an email verification step, and you do not need to wait for it before starting. On a later visit, select Log in and use the email and password you chose.
The Projects page shows a getting-started checklist until your first project has an update. The checklist points to creating a project, posting an update, and copying its client link. Copy progress belongs to that browser. The project history remains the place to check what you have actually posted.
Post your first update
Write the update in the New update box. The text must contain at least one nonspace character and can contain no more than 20,000 characters. Write plain text. Friday preserves line breaks and safely escapes typed characters, but it does not format Markdown. Asterisks, hash marks, and Markdown links will appear as typed rather than becoming formatting.
State what was completed, what comes next, and what you need from the client. Keep each point in a separate short paragraph. The placeholder asks, "What got done this week, and what is next?" Use that prompt as a minimum, then add a clear client action when one is needed.
Hypothetical example: The following update is invented.
The revised home page is ready for review.
Next, I will apply the approved layout to the services pages.
Please send your home page comments by Thursday. Feedback after Thursday will move the services page review date.
You may select Attach a file and add one PNG, JPEG, PDF, or UTF-8 plain text file. The file must not be empty and must be no larger than 5 MiB. Its extension must match its actual content. Select Post update when the text and optional file are ready. For more detail, see Writing an Update and attachment rules.
Share the client page
The Client link area has three controls. Copy copies the private link. View as client opens the same page your client will see. New link replaces the current private link.
Select View as client before sharing the link. Check the project title, update text, line breaks, and attachment name. Return to the project page, select Copy, and paste the link into your normal message to the client. Do not post the link in a public place because anyone with it can view the project page and its files.
Posting an update queues an email to the project's client email address. A queued email is not guaranteed to arrive immediately. Delivery depends on the configured mail service and the recipient's mail provider. The project page can show whether a message was sent, queued, recorded locally, or failed and is retrying. Read email delivery if a client cannot find a notice.
What does the client need to do?
The client only needs the private link and a web browser. They do not need an account or a password. The page lists posted updates with the newest first. A client can download an update attachment and submit a reply under a specific update.
To reply, the client enters Your name and Reply to this update, optionally selects Attach files, and then chooses Send reply. Replies support up to three PNG, JPEG, or PDF files, with a limit of 5 MiB for each file. The owner receives an email notice through the same queued delivery process. Learn more in Client Replies and Comments.
Can I change a project after creating it?
The current project interface does not include controls to edit or delete a project. It also does not include an account email change control. Check the project name and client email before selecting Create project. If either value is wrong, do not assume you can correct it from the project page. Consult managing projects or support for the available options.
You can replace the private link with New link. Replacing it immediately invalidates every old client page link and every old file link for that project. It does not send the new link to the client automatically. Copy the new link and send it yourself after confirming that the old link should stop working.
What should I check before sharing?
Confirm that the project name and client email are correct. Use View as client to proofread the page, open the attachment, and confirm that the update appears under the right project. Make sure the text contains no private notes meant only for your team. Finally, copy the link from the project page rather than from an old email or message.
Getting started with Friday is complete when the first project exists, the first update is posted, and the current client link has been sent to the intended person. Continue with the full guide for help planning a useful weekly update.