A project status meeting checks where the project stands against its milestones and gets the decisions the project needs. This template keeps it short: milestone changes first, then risks and issues, then the decisions you need, then owners and dates.
Best forProject teams and stakeholders, weekly or every two weeks
Meeting length30 to 60 minutes
SectionsMilestones, risks and issues, decisions needed, action items
ProjectDateAttendeesPre-readMilestone list and risk log
Item
Owner
Time
What we need to leave with
Overall status and open action items
Project manager
5 min
Agreed status color
Milestone changes
Project manager
10 min
New dates and why
Risks and issues
Owners
10 min
Owner and next step for each
Decisions needed
Decision makers
10 min
A decision, or who decides by when
Action items read-back
Notes taker
5 min
Every item has one owner and a date
Word MarkdownPastes into Google Docs, Word or Notion with headings and tables intact. Copied. Paste it into your document.
Fernhill Studio: Harbor & Pine website redesign, status meeting, week 7
Filled-in example
Fernhill Studio: Harbor & Pine website redesign, status meeting, week 7
DateThursday, October 22, 2026, 40 minAttendeesPriya Nair (PM), Maya Okafor (design lead), Sam Whitlock (designer)AbsentLeo Brandt (developer), on leave until Oct 26Overall statusAmber. Design sign-off slipped one week; launch date still holds.
Milestones
Milestone
Original date
Current date
Note
Homepage design sign-off
Oct 16
Oct 23
Client asked for a third round (v3)
Inner pages design
Oct 30
Oct 30
On track, but needs the final photos (see risks and issues)
Development complete
Nov 6
Nov 6
Leo back from leave Oct 26
Launch
Nov 17
Nov 17
Holds if v3 is approved by Oct 23
Risks and issues
Risk or issue
Impact
Owner
Next step
Issue: final photos not received
Blocks inner page design
Priya
Call Alicia Moreno (client marketing lead) on Fri Oct 23 if they still haven't arrived
Risk: Dr. Hollis may request changes after v3
Launch slips a week
Maya
Ask for his sign-off in the same review, not after
Decisions needed
Do we start inner page development before v3 is signed off? Start now and risk rework, or wait and lose up to three days. Maya decides by Oct 23.
Decisions made
A fourth design round would be billed as a change request. Priya tells the client before the v3 review.
Action items
ID
Item
Owner
Due
Done looks like
P1
Send Homepage v3 with review questions
Sam
Oct 22
Email sent with the three questions we need answered
P2
Tell client about change request terms
Priya
Oct 22
Mentioned in the v3 email, client acknowledged
P3
Prepare inner page build plan
Leo
Oct 27
Plan in the project folder
Fernhill Studio, Harbor & Pine and everyone named here are a fictional sample.
Best forProject teams and stakeholders, weekly or every two weeks
Meeting length30 to 60 minutes
SectionsMilestones, risks and issues, decisions needed, action items
FormatsGoogle Docs, Word, Notion, Markdown
When to use this template
Stakeholders want to know if the project is on track without reading every task.
Risks get mentioned in the meeting and then nobody owns them.
You need a decision from someone who only joins this meeting.
Questions people ask
How is a project status meeting different from a team meeting?
A team meeting covers everyone's work. A status meeting covers one project against its plan, and usually includes people outside the team who need to make decisions.
Who should attend a project status meeting?
The project manager, the lead for each part of the work, and whoever has to make the decisions on this week's list. If a decision maker can't attend, send them the question and options in writing with a deadline instead of discussing it without them. Team members who only need the status can read the notes.
Should I send a status report instead of holding the meeting?
If nothing needs deciding, yes. Send the milestone and risk tables as a written update and cancel the meeting. Hold it when there is a decision, a red status or a risk nobody owns.