Tell the person through the relevant channel that the request is resolved or no longer needed. Thank them and acknowledge any work already started. Close obsolete reminders or task records, and clarify whether any prepared material still needs a useful handover.
You ask a colleague for a file and later find it yourself. They may still spend time searching unless you tell them the request is closed.
Send a short update through the same channel. Say that you have what you need and thank them for considering the request. If they have already begun work, acknowledge that and check whether anything useful should still be handed over.
Close changed arrangements too
When a plan is cancelled or a task changes, tell people whose contribution is no longer required. Remove obsolete reminders where they might lead someone to continue unnecessary work. Protect any private material they sent according to the relevant requirements.
Keep the update proportionate to the request. A minor question may need only one sentence; a changed project may need a clear decision note. Closing the loop gives the other person usable information about their time and attention. It also leaves a cleaner record when someone later checks which requests are still waiting for an answer.
Closing a file request after finding the document
An illustrative exampleSuppose you ask a colleague to locate an old document and find it yourself later that day. You reply in the original thread: "I have found the document, so you can stop looking. Thank you for considering the request." They mention that they located a related file. You check whether it is useful for the current task and arrange a handover only if needed. You remove your pending-request reminder and update the task note to show that the original dependency is resolved. If the colleague had already spent substantial effort, you would acknowledge it explicitly. The closing message lets them use their remaining time elsewhere without needing to infer the request's status from your silence.
Close the loop cleanly
Tick the steps as you work through them.
0 of 5 steps checked
When a changed project makes several requests obsolete
Identify who is still working from the old plan and tell each affected person what has changed. A general document update may not reach someone preparing a specific contribution. Keep useful work in the appropriate location and explain whether it is retained, postponed or no longer required. Protect any private material according to the relevant requirements. A small request may close with one sentence, while a larger change may need an updated decision record. Make the status clear enough that nobody continues solely because the earlier request remains unanswered.
A request-closing message
Your notes stay in this page. Copy them before leaving; they are not saved or sent to us.
