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RAG status report guide & generator

What Red/Amber/Green status actually means, the most common way it goes wrong, and a small generator that turns your inputs into a clean, consistent status summary. Runs entirely in your browser.

What RAG status means

Green— on track. No decision or help needed from the reader right now. Amber— there’s a risk or minor slippage worth flagging; it may resolve on its own, but it’s being watched. Red— a real problem. Something needs a decision, resource or escalation from outside the project team to get back on track.

These definitions vary by organisation — some teams use tighter numeric thresholds (e.g. Red if more than 10% over budget), others rely on judgement. Whatever you use, write it down and apply it consistently, or the colours stop meaning anything.

The most common failure mode is watermelon reporting: green on the outside, red on the inside. It happens when Green is reported to avoid a hard conversation, or when the bar for Green is vague enough that almost anything clears it. Specific written criteria per colour, and a habit of reporting the real status even when it’s uncomfortable, are the actual fix — no tool can report honestly for you.

Overall status
The one number a reader skims for first.
Overall RAG status
Per-area status
Optional — break the overall status down by area.
RAG areas
Preview & export

Markdown

## Status: 🟢 Green

- **Scope:** 🟢 Green
- **Schedule:** 🟢 Green
- **Budget:** 🟢 Green
- **Risks:** 🟢 Green

Plain text

Status: GREEN

Scope: GREEN
Schedule: GREEN
Budget: GREEN
Risks: GREEN
Caveats worth knowing
  • This generator formats what you type — it has no opinion on whether your status is actually accurate. Honest reporting is a habit, not something a tool can enforce.
  • RAG criteria vary by organisation. Agree on what each colour means with your stakeholders before relying on it for decisions.
  • Nothing you type is saved between visits — copy the output before you close the tab.

Questions

What does RAG status mean?
RAG stands for Red, Amber, Green — a traffic-light shorthand for project health. Green usually means on track, Amber means there's a risk worth watching or minor slippage, and Red means a real problem that needs attention or a decision from someone above the project. Exact thresholds vary by organisation, so agree on what each colour means before you rely on it.
What is "watermelon" status reporting?
A report that's green on the outside and red on the inside — every line item reads Green on the dashboard while the project is actually in trouble underneath. It happens when status is reported optimistically to avoid a hard conversation, or when the criteria for Green are vague enough that almost anything qualifies. The fix is specific, written criteria for each colour and a habit of reporting the real status even when it's uncomfortable.
Should schedule, budget and scope each get their own RAG status?
It's common and often clearer than one blended number, since a project can be perfectly on budget while badly behind schedule. Whether to break it down depends on your audience — a quick internal check-in might only need the overall status, while a steering committee report usually benefits from the breakdown.
Does the generator save or send my status report anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere — copy the Markdown or plain text output and paste it wherever you actually report status.

Further reading

Reporting status to someone without Jira access? How to share Jira project status with a client who doesn’t have a license.

A free tool by Guenov Labs.