The Weekly Client Update Prompt: A Template You Can Reuse Every Week
9 min read · Updated 2026-10-21
A good weekly client update prompt gives the AI only this week’s facts — what was done, what is in progress, what is blocked and what you need from the client — plus a fixed format, a word limit and the instruction to write "nothing this week" rather than invent filler. Save it as a reusable task with those four fields, fill them in each week, and the update takes two minutes instead of twenty.
Why client updates are worth templating
A weekly update is the most repeated piece of writing in client work, and the one most likely to slip on a busy Friday. It is also a near-perfect job for AI: the facts come from you, the structure never changes, and the hard part is turning scattered notes into something a client can read in thirty seconds.
The risk is just as predictable. Ask an assistant to "write a client update" and it will happily fill gaps with plausible progress, soften blockers until they disappear, or carry over last week’s wins if they are still in the conversation. The template below is built to prevent those three failures.
What to collect before you write
- Done this week — finished items, with any numbers or links.
- In progress — what is moving, and the expected date if you have one.
- Blocked — what is stuck and exactly what you need, from whom, by when.
- Next week — the two or three things you plan to do.
- Tone — how this client likes to be written to (formal, warm, very brief).
- Anything you must not mention yet — pricing changes, staffing, unconfirmed dates.
The template
Copy this into any assistant, or save it in PromptVibe’s Workspace, where each [FIELD] becomes a box to fill in and the [TONE|…] field becomes a dropdown.
Write this week’s update for [CLIENT] about [PROJECT]. Use only these facts — nothing from earlier weeks or earlier in this conversation: Done: [DONE] In progress: [IN PROGRESS] Blocked, and what I need from the client: [BLOCKED] Next week: [NEXT WEEK] Format: a two-sentence headline status, then three short sections — Done, Next, Needs from you. If a section has nothing, write "Nothing this week" instead of filling it. Tone: [TONE|clear and professional,warm and conversational,very brief]. Length: under 200 words. Do not mention: [DO NOT MENTION:nothing]. After the update, list any statement you were unsure about so I can check it.
Why each line is there
- "Use only these facts — nothing from earlier weeks" stops old progress reappearing when you reuse a chat or a saved prompt.
- "Needs from you" puts the client’s action in its own section, where it cannot be skimmed past. Blockers are the reason updates matter.
- "Nothing this week" gives the model a permitted way to leave a section empty, which removes the pressure to invent something.
- A word limit keeps it readable on a phone. Two hundred words is plenty for most weekly updates.
- "Do not mention" is a safety valve for things you know but cannot share yet.
- The closing check makes the model surface its own guesses instead of hiding them in confident prose.
A worked example: two weeks with the same client
This is a fictional client, and the output is illustrative — written to show the shape a good answer takes, not a recorded model run.
Week 1 inputs for "Northstar Dental, website redesign": Done — homepage design approved; booking form connected to the calendar. In progress — service pages, due Thursday. Blocked — need final photos of the clinic by Tuesday or we use stock images. Next week — service pages live; start on the blog template.
A good week 1 update reads: "The redesign is on track: the homepage is approved and online booking now writes straight to your calendar. One decision is needed from you this week. Done: homepage design approved; booking form connected to the calendar. Next: service pages go live Thursday, then we start the blog template. Needs from you: final clinic photos by Tuesday — otherwise we will use stock images and swap them later."
Week 2 inputs: Done — service pages live. In progress — blog template. Blocked — nothing. Next week — first two blog posts drafted for your review.
The check that matters in week 2: the update must not mention the homepage approval or the photos again, and "Needs from you" should say "Nothing this week". If last week’s items appear, the model is reading old context — start a fresh chat, or run the saved task, which sends only the fields you filled in.
Make it a two-minute weekly habit
The template only saves time if you actually reuse it. In PromptVibe’s Workspace, save it once as a task: the fields become labelled boxes, required fields can be marked so you cannot send an update with "Blocked" left empty by accident, and a client profile can hold the client’s name, tone and standing facts so you do not retype them.
Then set a weekly reminder on the task — for example every Friday. PromptVibe emails you that morning with a link that opens the task, ready for this week’s facts. Free accounts can set one reminder; Pro covers every task you repeat, which matters once you have more than one client.
Variations
- Internal status for your manager: swap "Needs from you" for "Risks" and "Asks", and lead with whatever your manager cares about most — dates, money or risk.
- Monthly summary: paste your four weekly updates and ask for recurring wins, recurring blockers and what changes next month, quoting the updates as evidence.
- Agency with several clients: one task per client, each with its own profile, so client A’s facts can never end up in client B’s update.
Privacy and limits
Anything you paste goes to the AI provider you use. Leave out details your client agreement does not allow you to share with third-party tools, and use the "Do not mention" field for anything sensitive. The model also cannot verify your progress — it only rewords what you give it, so review every update before it goes out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a weekly client update include?
A one- or two-sentence status headline, what was done, what comes next, and what you need from the client, with dates where you have them. Keep it under about 200 words so it can be read on a phone.
How do I stop AI from inventing progress in a client update?
Give it only this week’s facts, tell it explicitly to use nothing else, allow it to write "Nothing this week" for empty sections, and ask it to list anything it was unsure about. Then review before sending.
Why does the AI repeat last week’s update?
Because last week’s facts are still in the conversation it can see. Start a fresh chat each week, or use a saved template that sends only the fields you fill in.
Can PromptVibe remind me to send it every week?
Yes. Save the template as a Workspace task and choose a weekday under "Weekly reminder". You get an email that day with a link straight to the task. Free accounts get one reminder; Pro covers up to 25 tasks.
Put this into practice
Generate a structured prompt or turn your workflow into a reusable Agent Skill — both free.