Free tool
Status update request email generator
Ask about a task the way that gets an answer you can use: the planned dates, one clear question and a reply-by day. Pick email, reminder or chat, and a tone.
Fill in what you know. Blanks stay as [placeholders].
Two working days out is plenty.
Your email
Subject: Quick status check: [Task name]
Hi [First name], Checking in on [Project]. [Task name] is planned to finish [finish date]. Is it on track? - On track: will finish by [finish date] - Not on track: what's the new finish date? - Hard to say: what does it depend on? A one-line reply is plenty. Please answer by [day]. Thanks, [Your name]
Everything stays in your browser. Nothing you type is sent or saved.
Why this wording works
- It shows the planned dates. The owner answers against your plan, not their memory of it, so “on track” means the same thing to both of you.
- It asks one question with three answers. On track, not on track with a new date, or hard to say. Each one tells you what to do next; “any updates?” doesn't.
- “Hard to say” is allowed. People who can't commit to a date often stay quiet instead. Giving them that answer, and asking what it depends on, surfaces risk early.
- It has a reply-by day. A deadline a couple of working days out gets answers before your status meeting, not during it.
The full reasoning, plus what to do with each answer, is in how to ask your team for a status update.
Sending it to a whole team
One message per person works better than a group email: each owner sees only their tasks, and nobody waits for someone else to answer first. If your plan is in Microsoft Project, the Microsoft Project owner list gives you each owner's email and open tasks in one step. When a date comes back late, the schedule slip calculator turns it into days of slip for your report.
Questions
How do you politely ask for a status update by email?
Name the task, show the dates you planned, and ask one question with three answers: on track, not on track (with the new date), or hard to say. Give a reply-by day and say a one-line answer is enough. Precise questions read as respectful, because they take seconds to answer.
What should the subject line be?
Say what it is and what it's about, for example “Quick status check: Test fixture”. People triage by subject line, and a specific one gets opened and answered sooner than “Update?”.
How long should I wait before sending a reminder?
Until the reply-by day you gave. Send one short reminder that repeats the planned date, and if that doesn't get an answer, call or stop by instead of sending a third email.
Is anything I type saved?
No. The text is put together in your browser and nothing is sent to PingCadence or anyone else.
Or let the asking happen on its own
PingCadence sends this kind of check-in to every task owner on your plan, from your own Outlook or Gmail, on the cadence you set, after you approve the batch. Owners answer on one page in about 30 seconds, and late tasks come back with a new date. See how it works.