Give each send an evidence-based state
Start with the latest fact you can support. A carrier status can support delivered, a reply can support received, and a saved URL or screenshot can support observed publication. None of those facts implies the next one. A delivered parcel with no visible post is still an open observation unless your review window has ended and the agreed checks have been completed.
Use one result field and one next-action field. The result describes what has happened; the next action describes what the operator will do. This avoids labels such as "failed" or "unresponsive" that turn missing evidence into a judgment about the contact.
| State | Evidence required | Next decision |
|---|---|---|
| Awaiting dispatch | Approved selection, but no dispatch record | Resolve address, stock, or approval |
| Sent or delivered | Manual dispatch or delivery evidence | Wait until the chosen review date |
| No publication observed yet | Dated search or manual channel check found nothing | Keep open or send one appropriate follow-up |
| Publication observed | URL, screenshot, clipping, or other durable proof | Create the coverage record and assess it separately |
| No publication observed after review | Review window ended and planned checks are complete | Close the observation while preserving the send |
| Unknown | Delivery, publication, or both cannot be established | Name the missing evidence instead of inferring a result |
Run the same review sequence for every open send
First, read the original agreement, message thread, or selection note. Record whether the send was unsolicited, accepted with no posting commitment, or part of a separate paid agreement. Do not reconstruct an obligation from silence. Second, verify dispatch and delivery from the records you actually have. Third, check the named channels and publication surfaces manually, noting the date and search scope.
Only then decide whether a follow-up is appropriate. Consider the contact's stated preferences, the value of the relationship, how recently the parcel arrived, and whether you already followed up. One courteous message can confirm receipt or offer missing information. Repeated pressure turns an operational gap into relationship damage.
- Read the agreed terms and contact preferences.
- Verify dispatch and delivery independently.
- Search only the relevant channels and record the review date.
- Save any observed item before changing the send result.
- Choose wait, one manual follow-up, close after review, or investigate missing delivery evidence.
Use a copyable no-publication review table
Add the following columns to a spreadsheet or review view. Keep free text for context, but use controlled values for the result and next action. A blank cell is hard to interpret later; "not checked" and "checked, not observed" are different facts.
The observation scope should be narrow enough to repeat. For example: named Instagram account and publication site, checked manually on 18 September 2026. It should not claim complete internet monitoring. cutePR does not automatically watch social platforms or the web, so these checks and evidence entries remain operator actions.
| Column | Example value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Send ID | S-009 | Keeps the product decision distinct from the contact |
| Terms note | Gift accepted, no posting commitment | Stops the report from implying a promise |
| Dispatch and delivery | Sent 03 Sep; delivery observed 05 Sep | Separates logistics from editorial outcome |
| Observation scope | Named account and outlet site | Shows what was and was not checked |
| Reviewed on | 18 Sep 2026 | Dates the finding |
| Result | No publication observed yet | Preserves uncertainty |
| Last follow-up | Manual email, 12 Sep | Prevents duplicate pressure |
| Next action | Review once more on 25 Sep | Makes the open decision explicit |
Reconcile the fictional Solstice send review
The fictional Aster & Rue Solstice ledger contains 15 product-send decisions. Five never reached dispatch: two were cancelled, one still needs an address, and two are ready. Ten were dispatched. Of those ten, three have observed publication evidence, one completed its review window with no publication observed, and six remain sent or delivered with no content observed yet.
The reconciliation is 5 before dispatch + 3 observed publications + 1 closed after review + 6 still open = 15 decisions. The dispatched subtotal is 3 + 1 + 6 = 10. Report both denominators. Saying "7 of 10 produced no post" would be false because six are unresolved and one only records the result of a bounded review, not knowledge of every possible publication.
| Review bucket | Count | Report wording |
|---|---|---|
| Not dispatched | 5 | 2 cancelled, 1 address needed, 2 ready |
| Observed with evidence | 3 | 3 manually evidenced publications |
| No publication observed after review | 1 | No publication observed within the recorded scope and window |
| Open observation | 6 | Sent or delivered; publication outcome remains unknown |
| Total | 15 | All send decisions reconciled |
Write a follow-up that asks for clarity, not a post
A practical manual email can be brief: "Hi [name], I wanted to check that the [product] reached you safely. There was no posting commitment. If product details, images, or a replacement would be helpful, I can send them. No need to reply if it is not relevant right now." Change the wording when an explicit agreement exists, and keep that agreement attached to the record.
Do not turn the message into an automated sequence. Record the sent date, the channel, any reply, and the next review decision yourself. If a publication later appears, capture its evidence and any disclosed brand relationship as observed facts. For a US-facing endorsement, the FTC's current guidance discusses disclosure when a free product leads to an endorsement; other markets and platforms can have different rules, so check the rules relevant to the specific activation.
Close the review without erasing the relationship
A report should show dispatched sends, observed publications with evidence, closed reviews with no publication observed, and open unknowns as separate lines. Add the observation date and scope beside any no-publication statement. A product send remains an activity even when no coverage is observed; it should not be counted as coverage, reach, revenue, or proof of influence.
Keep the send record because it still answers useful questions: what was offered, what was dispatched, whether delivery was observed, what the contact said, and whether follow-up is complete. The coverage report template can receive only evidenced coverage, while the send ledger carries the unresolved operational story. For the next launch, set review dates and evidence fields before dispatch so silence does not have to be reconstructed later.