How to create a project status report template.

Are you struggling to keep your team and stakeholders informed on project progress? A well-structured project status report is key. This article provides a step-by-step guide to creating a project status report template that will save you time, improve communication, and ensure everyone is on the same page.

What you’ll learn:

• What is a project status report?
• What to include in a project status report template
• 4 project status report template examples
• How to make a project status report template with Adobe Acrobat
• FAQs
• Additional resources
• Related Acrobat content

It’s not always easy to keep track of who’s doing what and whether all your various projects are on track. A project status report is a document that tracks the progress of individual projects against the planned goals.

Since the status of projects are reviewed regularly, creating a project status report template is a great way to maximise the efficiency of weekly project check-ins. When each status report has a template that follows the same format and can be completed quickly, everyone can track and understand updates immediately. Learn how to write a project status report template so everyone on your team can track the relevant data.

What is a project status report?

A project status report is a regular, written update on the progress of a project, keeping stakeholders informed. It's a concise document, typically covering key milestones achieved, any roadblocks encountered, and detailing next steps.

Think of it as a quick health check for your project. It highlights what's going well, what needs attention, and whether the project is on track to be delivered on time and within budget.

A status report is crucial for maintaining transparency and ensuring everyone's on the same page, and sharing high-level information clearly and concisely.

What to include in a project status report template.

A good project status report template should include plenty of essential top-level details to keep you up to date on the latest project happenings, but remain concise, so it doesn’t become cumbersome to read.

To keep your template short and sweet — without leaving out any essential information — here are some suggestions about what to include in your project status report template:

• Project start date and date of report
• Summary of all actions taken since last status report
• Overall project timeline from now to completion
• Upcoming milestones and tasks
• Action item(s)
• Budget status
• Risks, issues, and mitigation plans

If you use the same project status report template for each check-in, everyone will know exactly where to look for specific information, making your job that much easier each time a new project starts.

4 project status report template examples.

There are various types and styles of project status reports, and some projects may require more than one. The template or templates you choose will depend mainly on how frequently you need a status update to be shared.

Daily status report.

For projects that require real-time updates and must be closely monitored, a daily status report is essential. This type of project status report provides and outline of exactly what each member of the team is doing, including the current tasks they are working on, and information about any challenges they may be facing. It typically involves a summary of what was achieved the previous day, and what people are aiming to achieve today.

Weekly status report.

Weekly project status reports as part of a broader project plan can help keep track of short-term milestones. These provide a summary of the work to be completed each week, including mitigation plans for challenges and risks as well as a general action plan, and sometimes also summarise what was achieved the previous week.

Monthly status report.

For a broader view, and for long-term projects that don’t require constant oversight, a monthly status report could be enough to keep things on track. These types of status report provide leaders with a recap of what has been achieved and overcome each month, and what is planned for the following month. This helps when gauging progress and making decisions about future activities and budgets.

Quarterly status report.

A quarterly status report provides a high-level overview of a longer-term project. While it contains much of the same information as other types of status report, it may also benefit from visuals such as graphs and charts to help with clear understanding. Long-term project milestones are aligned with the overall project plan.

How to make a project status report template with Adobe Acrobat.

To make a project status report with Adobe Acrobat, the easiest place to start is with a work management platform such as Adobe Workfront. This gives you a built-in reporting dashboard, where stakeholders and workers can view project health in real time. Built-in reports make it simple for teams to access insights without the need for data crunching. However, some projects will require customised reporting to ensure the specific metrics and goals of that project are addressed.

If you want to make your weekly status report template from scratch, the easiest way to start is with a spreadsheet. On a basic level, all you need to do is fill in the rows in the left column with the information you want. The project manager can then fill out the column to the right as the project progresses.

Once you have your rows labelled, the best thing to do is save your template as a PDF. This is because PDF documents maintain their formatting, which helps when you don’t know what kind of devices your team members will use to view the template.

You can easily convert Excel to PDF through your web browser. In the event you need to edit your template, you can simply convert the PDF back to Excel.

Project status reports are all about collaboration. If you want to collaborate with team members while building your weekly project status report template, you can edit the PDF online to add comments and sticky notes, plus make any necessary minor changes.

Frequently asked questions.

What is the main purpose of a project status report?

The main purpose of a project status report is to provide a concise overview of a project's progress. It highlights key achievements, tracks milestones, identifies potential issues, and keeps stakeholders informed, ensuring the project stays on track and within budget.

What are the three main elements of a status report?

A status report typically includes three main elements:

• Progress Summary. What's already been achieved.
• Upcoming Activities. What's planned next.
• Issues/Risks. Potential problems and how they're being addressed.

How often should you check in on projects?

There’s no set rule for how often you should get a new project status report, but most businesses review reports weekly. That’s typically enough time for projects to advance but not so long that stakeholders fall behind on the details.

Additional resources.

• Ready to share your template with project managers? Learn how to create and share a link to your PDF for real-time collaboration.
• Want to compile all your weekly project status reports into one document? Merge PDFs online to make your weekly reports more manageable.
• Some project status reports contain sensitive business information. Learn how to password protect your PDF to secure your data.

Related Acrobat content.

• What is Project Management? Tools, Tips and Templates to Help You Manage a Project
• Project Management: Benefits, Methods and More
• Adobe Workfront: Plan, Assign and Execute Work From One Place