Glossary
What is RAG status?
RAG status: RAG status is a traffic-light rating that reports a project, task or metric as red, amber or green: green means on track, amber means at risk and needs attention, and red means off track and needs a decision or help.
RAG status is a traffic-light rating for the state of a project, task or metric: red, amber or green. Green means on track, amber means at risk and needs attention, and red means off track and needs a decision or help. It compresses a long status report into one signal per item, which is why it appears in project updates, steering committee packs, board reports and quarterly business reviews.
Example
In the table below, three of five initiatives are green, one is amber and one is red. Each status has a word next to its color, and the amber and red items state the reason.
What each color means
| Status | Meaning | Typical rule | What the reader does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green | On track | On plan for time, cost and scope | Notes it, nothing more |
| Amber | At risk | A deviation the owner can still fix within tolerance | Watches it and asks for the recovery plan |
| Red | Off track | A deviation outside tolerance, or a decision is needed | Decides or helps |
The rules differ by organization. What matters is that they are written down and the same in every report.
How to use it well
- Define the thresholds before the first report. Put them in a footer or the appendix, for example amber when a milestone is at risk, and red when it will be missed without a decision.
- Add the reason and the next step to every amber and red. “Red” alone starts a discussion about the color. “3 months late, revised go-live Q2 2027” starts a discussion about the decision.
- Pair every color with a word. Red and green look alike to many people with color vision deficiency, and a grayscale printout loses the color.
- Show the change since the last report. A stable amber differs from an amber that was green last month.
- Sort by urgency. Put red first, then amber, then green, so the problems come before the good news.
- Keep the definitions identical across projects. Amber must mean the same in every report, or nobody can compare them.
Typical mistakes
- Watermelon reporting. Green outside, red inside: owners avoid amber until a problem is too big to hide. Report amber early and treat it as a normal signal, not a failure.
- No definition. Every owner uses a private scale, and the colors cannot be compared.
- Amber as a parking spot. It becomes the safe middle for items nobody wants to call red. Tie amber to an action.
- Color alone. A dot without a word is unreadable for some and lost in print.
- Rating effort, not outcome. A busy team on a late project is still red.
- One overall color for a mixed picture. An overall green with a red workstream hides the problem. Show the workstreams or the worst status.
Related terms
Harvey balls show how far something is done, while RAG status shows whether it is on course. Status slides belong in the project status report and the steering committee templates, and a RAG rating often hangs on a KPI with a target. On a Gantt chart, it shows whether each bar is on course.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What does RAG stand for?
Red, amber, green. The colors copy a traffic light: green for on track, amber for at risk, red for off track. BRAG adds blue for work that is complete.
What is the difference between amber and red?
Amber means a deviation the owner can still correct within tolerance, with a recovery plan. Red means the deviation is outside tolerance and needs a decision or help from above. Each organization sets its own thresholds, so write them on the slide.
What is watermelon reporting?
A status that shows green on the outside while the real situation is red on the inside. It happens when owners avoid reporting amber or red. Define thresholds in advance and ask for a reason with every status.
How do I make a RAG status readable for people with color vision deficiency?
Add a word to every color, such as On track, At risk and Off track, and sort the most urgent items to the top. Color must never be the only signal.
Keep reading
Management reporting
- TemplateQuarterly business review
Plan a customer QBR on 6 slides: results, adoption, commitments, the plan for next quarter and the decisions you need from the customer. With an example deck.
- GuidePresenting to executives
How to present to executives and senior management: lead with the recommendation, plan for a shortened slot, keep detail in the appendix and send a pre-read.
- GlossaryPre-read
A pre-read is a document sent before a meeting so attendees arrive informed and the meeting goes to questions and decisions. See the format and an example.
- ConvertReport to presentation
Attach the PDF or Word report, lead with the summary, write action titles and approve a plan first. Turn a long report into a short deck with AI.
- TemplateBoard presentation
A board presentation template with the 8 slides a quarterly board meeting needs: summary, KPIs, revenue, EBITDA bridge, initiatives, risks and decisions.
- GuideExecutive summary examples
Six fictional executive summaries, annotated: business plan, project report, proposal, annual report, consulting study and investor update, plus a checklist.
Where to go next
- ConvertExcel to PowerPoint
Attach a workbook and get a deck with editable tables and charts drawn by the AI.
- ProductAI report generator
Tell the AI what the report must say, approve a page plan and get an A4 report or proposal.
Less theory, more finished slides
Describe the deck you need. The AI plans, writes and designs it, and hands you an editable PowerPoint.
Build your first deck freeFree plan, no card needed