Writing an Update
Writing a client update in Friday means preparing clear plain text, optionally adding one file, and selecting Post update. The posted item appears on the private client page, and an email notice is queued for the client address saved with the project.
What should I include in a client update?
A useful update tells the client what changed, what will happen next, and what you need from them. Add a change to timing, cost, scope, or an earlier decision when it affects the work. You do not need to list every task you performed.
Use concrete results. "The revised home page is ready for review" tells the client what they can do now. "Worked on home page" only reports activity. Give dates for requests or planned deliveries when the date affects the client's decision.
Hypothetical example: The following text is invented.
The revised floor plan is ready, including the storage changes from Tuesday's review.
Next, I will prepare the lighting plan for Friday.
Please approve the floor plan by noon Thursday. A later approval will move the lighting plan to next week.
The delivery date and agreed fee have not changed.
For more help with structure and wording, read the weekly client update guide.
Writing a client update in the editor
- Log in and open Projects.
- Select the project that should receive the update.
- Find the New update section.
- Write the update in the box marked New update. Its placeholder asks, "What got done this week, and what is next?"
- Read the text once for facts, names, dates, and client actions.
- Add one file with Attach a file if the client needs supporting material.
- Select Post update once.
The update body must contain at least one nonspace character and no more than 20,000 characters. Spaces at the beginning and end are removed when the update is saved. If the text is empty or too long, the page shows "Write an update, up to 20,000 characters."
After a successful post, the button shows ✓ Posted, and the update appears under Posted updates. Updates are listed with the newest first. Check the update immediately from View as client, especially when it includes dates, requests, or an attachment.
Does the update support Markdown formatting?
The editor accepts plain text, not Markdown. Friday safely escapes typed text and preserves line breaks. It does not turn hash marks into headings, asterisks into emphasis, or bracketed text into links.
Use short paragraphs and simple labels written as ordinary lines. For example, you can type "Completed" on one line and describe the result on the next line. The label will remain plain text. Do not paste HTML because it will be shown as text rather than rendered as page content.
Line breaks help a client scan an update on a phone. Put completed work, next work, requests, and changes in separate paragraphs. Avoid large blocks of text when each idea can have its own paragraph.
What files can I attach to an update?
An owner update accepts one optional file. The supported formats are PNG, JPEG with a .jpg or .jpeg extension, PDF, and UTF-8 plain text with a .txt extension. The file must be nonempty and no larger than 5 MiB.
The service checks both the extension and the file content. Renaming an unsupported file to an allowed extension will not make it valid. A text file must contain valid UTF-8 text and cannot contain a null character. If validation fails, correct the file and select it again because the page cannot retain a failed file selection.
Choose an attachment name that tells the client what the file contains. The saved name can be cleaned to remove unsafe characters, and very long names are shortened. Open attachment rules for more detail.
How can I tell whether the email was delivered?
Posting stores the update before email delivery finishes. The page may show one of several states beneath the update:
- Sent to means the delivery record includes a sent time.
- Queued for means SMTP delivery is configured and the message is waiting or has not yet recorded success.
- Delivery failed, retrying means an attempt failed and another attempt is expected.
- Recorded locally for means the installation is using local mail recording rather than SMTP delivery.
The success message can say that the client has been emailed, but delivery is queued and is not guaranteed to be immediate. A recipient's provider can also delay or filter a message after it leaves the service. Check the shown status and follow email delivery troubleshooting instead of posting the same update again.
The email contains the update text and a link to the project page. The project's saved client email is the recipient, and the owner's email is used as the reply address. The client can reply on the page to keep the response with the update, or use their email application. Only replies submitted on the page appear under the posted update.
Check the published update
Select View as client in the Client link area. Confirm that the line breaks are readable and the attachment link has the expected name. Also check that the update contains no internal note, password, or information intended for another client.
The current interface does not offer an update edit or delete control. Proofread before posting, and use support if published content creates a serious privacy concern. Do not replace the project link merely to correct wording because New link changes access but does not edit the stored update.
Writing a client update is complete after the update is accurate, within the text and file limits, visible in View as client, and paired with a delivery status you understand. Use a steady schedule, and consider weekly nudges if you need a reminder.