A professional email is a message to someone you work with, or want to work with, that says in its first two lines what it is about and what you need. The good ones share a shape: a subject line that names the topic, the point or the ask in the first sentence, only as much context as the reader needs to answer, and one clear next step with a date. Most fit on a phone screen without scrolling.
Below are 19 original examples for the five messages that are easiest to put off: following up, introducing, asking, apologizing and saying no. Each has a subject line and a short note on why it works. Every person and company is invented. Keep the structure, swap in your own facts, and cut whatever doesn't apply.
The parts of a professional email
Most emails that get a fast, useful reply have the same six parts, in the same order.
| Part | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| PartSubject line | What it doesNames the topic, and the action if there is one | ExampleApproval needed: conference budget by April 1 |
| PartGreeting | What it doesMatches the relationship | ExampleHi Dana, or Dear Dr. Okafor, |
| PartFirst sentence | What it doesStates the point or the ask | ExampleCan you approve $1,450 for the summit? |
| PartContext | What it doesGives only what the reader needs to answer | ExampleTwo or three sentences, or a short list |
| PartNext step | What it doesOne action, one owner, one date | ExampleA yes or no by Friday is all I need. |
| PartSign-off and signature | What it doesCloses and says how to reach you | ExampleThanks, then name, title and phone |
The order matters more than the wording. News writers put the most important fact first, the inverted pyramid, and the US military calls the same habit BLUF: bottom line up front. Your reader decides from the subject line and the first sentence whether to answer now, later or never, and the inbox preview shows little more than that. A quick test: if the email were cut off after its first sentence, would the reader still know what you need?
The ending has its own guide. See how to end an email for closing lines that get a reply, and the list of email sign-offs for the word above your name.
Choosing a greeting
| Greeting | When to use it |
|---|---|
| GreetingHi Dana, | When to use itMost work email in the US, with colleagues and with clients you have met |
| GreetingHello Dana, | When to use itA first message that should sound a little more formal |
| GreetingDear Dr. Okafor, | When to use itFirst contact with someone senior, a professor, a hiring manager, or anyone in a formal field such as law |
| GreetingDear Hiring Team, | When to use itWhen you can't find a name; better than “To whom it may concern” |
| GreetingHi everyone, | When to use itA group, instead of a string of names |
Follow-up email examples
A follow-up has one job: make it easy to reply. Restate the ask so nobody has to scroll back, answer in the original thread so the history travels with it, and bring a new reason or a date instead of an apology for writing again.
Subject: Recap and next steps: spring catalog kickoff
Hi all,
Thanks for this morning. Here's what we decided and who owns what.
Decisions
- The catalog goes to the printer on March 13.
- The outdoor section drops from 12 pages to 8.
Next steps
- Priya: final product list to Tom by February 20
- Tom: page layouts for review by February 27
- Me: confirm the print quote by Friday
If I've missed anything or got a date wrong, reply by end of day tomorrow and I'll correct the list.
Best,
Maya
For a long meeting, keep the full notes in a document and put only the decisions and owners in the email. The meeting notes template has a layout for the rest.
Subject: Re: Draft contract for the Lisbon offsite
Hi Carla,
Following up on the contract I sent last Tuesday. The hotel is holding our dates until March 6, so I need your sign-off by March 5 to confirm in time.
If it helps, I can walk you through the three changes in a 10-minute call. The main one is the cancellation window, which moved from 30 days to 60.
Thanks,
Daniel
Subject: Re: Guest post for the Fieldnotes blog
Hi Marcus,
I haven't heard back about the guest post, so I'll assume the timing isn't right and take it off my list. If you want to pick it up later, the draft is still yours. Just reply here.
All the best,
Lena
Subject: Thank you: content strategist interview
Dear Ms. Alvarez,
Thank you for talking with me yesterday about the content strategist role. Hearing how your team rebuilt the help center around search data made me more certain this is the work I want to do.
You asked how I'd handle a backlog of outdated articles, and I left something out. At my last job I ran a quarterly content audit that retired about a third of our help pages in its first year. I'd be glad to share the checklist I used.
I look forward to hearing about next steps.
Sincerely,
Jordan Reyes
How long to wait before following up
| Situation | Wait | Then |
|---|---|---|
| SituationA colleague, routine question | Wait2 business days | ThenA one-line nudge in the same thread |
| SituationA client or partner reviewing something | Wait3–5 business days, or until their date | ThenA new reason to answer now |
| SituationAfter a job interview | WaitUntil the date they gave, plus 2 business days | ThenOne short check-in |
| SituationA cold email to a stranger | WaitAbout a week | ThenOne follow-up, then a closing note |
Introduction email examples
An introduction fails when the reader has to work out why they should care. Say who you are in one line, why you are writing to this person in particular, and what you would like to happen next. When you introduce two other people, ask each of them first.
Subject: Hello from the new payments analyst
Hi Sam,
I joined Brightwater last week as the data analyst for the payments team. Priya mentioned that you built the refund dashboard, which I'm taking over in March.
Could we find 30 minutes next week for you to walk me through how it's put together? Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon both work, and I'm happy to come to you.
Thanks,
Ana Ruiz
Subject: Your new account manager at Merrow Design
Dear Mr. Hughes,
I'm Rosa Lind, and from February 1 I'll be your account manager at Merrow Design. Ben Carter, who has looked after your account for three years, is moving to our London studio. He'll stay copied on our emails until the end of February.
Nothing changes in your current work: the spring packaging is still on schedule for April 3. I'd like to hear from you what's going well and what isn't. Would a 20-minute call on Thursday at 10:00 or 2:00 suit you?
Best regards,
Rosa Lind
Account Manager, Merrow Design
Subject: Intro to a first-time novelist?
Hi Grace,
My former colleague Tom Okafor is self-publishing his first mystery novel this fall and is looking for a cover designer. You came to mind because of your covers for the Harbor Lights series.
He has a set budget and a firm date: final files by August 15. Would you like an introduction? No problem at all if you're booked.
Best,
Ellen
Subject: Intro: Grace Liu (cover design) and Tom Okafor (debut mystery)
Hi Grace and Tom,
As promised, introducing you two.
Grace designs book covers and has done more than a dozen for mystery and thriller writers, including the Harbor Lights series. Tom is self-publishing his first novel, The Salt Ledger, and needs a cover by August 15.
Tom, I'll leave the next step to you.
Best,
Ellen
When you are the one being introduced, reply within a day, thank the introducer and move them to BCC (“Thanks, Ellen, moving you to BCC”). They see that the handoff happened and are spared the scheduling that follows.
Request email examples
Put the request in the first or second sentence, say how big it is (how long, how much, how many) and give a date. A request with a visible size and an end is easier to say yes to than an open one. If the answer could be one word, write the email so that it can be.
Subject: Need by Thursday noon: Q3 support numbers for the board deck
Hi Leo,
Could you send me three Q3 support numbers by Thursday at noon? They go into the board deck that goes out Friday morning.
- Total tickets
- Median first-response time
- Share of tickets solved in one reply
A screenshot of the dashboard is fine.
Thanks,
Maya
Subject: Approval request: Northfield Content Summit, $1,450
Hi Dana,
I'd like to attend the Northfield Content Summit in Chicago on May 12 and 13. The total is $1,450: $695 for registration, $520 for two hotel nights and about $235 for travel.
Two sessions cover work we've planned for next quarter: rebuilding a help center around search data, and measuring whether documentation reduces tickets. I'll write up what I learn for the team the following week. Priya has agreed to cover the newsletter while I'm away.
Early registration closes April 1. Could you let me know by then?
Thanks,
Ana
Subject: 20 minutes to choose the print vendor?
Hi Jamal,
Could we meet for 20 minutes this week to choose between the two print vendors? The comparison is attached. In short, one is $2,300 cheaper and the other is two weeks faster.
I'm free Wednesday at 2:00 or 3:30 and Thursday at 10:00, all Eastern. If none of those work, send me a time and I'll move things around.
Thanks,
Maya
Subject: Annual report draft: can it move to next Friday?
Hi Marcus,
Could I deliver the annual report draft next Friday instead of Monday? The finance figures arrived four days late, and the revenue section can't be written without them. Everything else is drafted.
I'd rather send you a complete draft on Friday than one with gaps on Monday. If Friday is too late for the design team, I can send the finished sections Monday and the revenue pages by Thursday.
Thanks,
Priya
Subject: Would you be a reference for me?
Dear Professor Grant,
I'm applying for an editorial assistant position at a university press, and I'd be grateful if you would be one of my references. You supervised my senior thesis on serialized Victorian fiction and know my research and editing work better than anyone.
The press will contact references by email within the next three weeks. I've attached the job description and my resume, and I can send a one-page summary of the thesis if that would help.
If now isn't a good time, I completely understand.
Thank you,
Hannah Cho
If the reference also has to write a letter, send a short list of the projects you'd like mentioned. The recommendation letter template shows what a good one covers, which helps you know what to offer.
Apology email examples
A work apology has three parts: what went wrong, in one plain sentence; what you have done about it; and what changes so it doesn't happen again. Keep the explanation short. The reader wants to know whether they need to do anything, and that answer belongs near the top. Let the tone match the size of the mistake: a wrong meeting time does not need three paragraphs of regret.
Subject: Corrected invoice for March
Dear Ms. Patel,
The March invoice we sent on Tuesday listed your website hosting twice, adding $240 you don't owe. That was our mistake, and I'm sorry.
A corrected invoice for $1,180 is attached. If you've already paid the original, we'll refund the $240 to your card within five business days. You don't need to do anything.
We've added a second check to our invoicing so a duplicate line can't go out again.
Best regards,
Tom Becker
Billing, Pinecrest Web Studio
Subject: Onboarding guide: late, new date Thursday
Hi Dana,
I missed yesterday's deadline for the onboarding guide, and I should have told you before it passed rather than after. I'm sorry.
The draft is mostly done. The security section was waiting on answers from IT, which came in this morning. You'll have the full draft by Thursday at noon, and if you'd like what's finished now, I can send it within the hour.
Ana
Subject: Correction: all-hands is at 3:00, not 2:00
Hi everyone,
A correction to this morning's email: Thursday's all-hands starts at 3:00 p.m., not 2:00. The room and the video link are the same. Sorry for the mix-up.
Maya
Decline email examples
A good decline says no in the first or second sentence, gives a short reason if one helps, and offers something smaller where you honestly can: a later date, another person, part of the work. Avoid the soft maybe that leaves the other person chasing you for a real answer.
Subject: Re: Weekly sync on the partner portal
Hi Jamal,
Thanks for including me. I'm going to skip the weekly sync for now: most of the agenda is engineering detail, and my part, the launch copy, doesn't start until June.
Could you add me to the notes instead? I'll join from June onward, or any week you need a decision on copy.
Ana
Subject: Re: Can you take on the partner newsletter?
Hi Dana,
I'd like to help, but I can't take on the partner newsletter this quarter without something else slipping. Right now I have the help center rebuild, due June 30, and the onboarding guide.
If the newsletter matters more, I could pause the onboarding guide until July. Or I could start the newsletter on July 1, once the rebuild ships. Which would you prefer?
Ana
Subject: Content strategist offer
Dear Ms. Alvarez,
Thank you for offering me the content strategist position, and for the time you and the team spent with me. After a lot of thought, I've decided to decline. I've accepted a role that's closer to research, which is where I want to focus right now.
I enjoyed meeting everyone, and I hope our paths cross again.
Sincerely,
Jordan Reyes
How to write a professional email
- Write the ask in one sentence
Before the greeting, write down what you need, from whom and by when: “Leo sends three Q3 numbers by Thursday noon.” If you can't write that sentence, you aren't ready to send the email, and you may need a call or a document instead.
- Turn that sentence into the subject line
Lead with the topic and add the action or the date if there is one: “Need by Thursday noon: Q3 support numbers.” A subject line you could search for in six months is a good subject line.
- Add only the context needed to answer
History the reader already knows and apologies for writing can go. If the reader needs a long document to decide, attach or link it and summarize it in two lines.
- Format it for a phone
Use short paragraphs, a list for three or more items, and dates with a day and a time zone when people are in different places. Short sentences and plain words help readability on any screen, and most of all on a small one.
- Check it before you send
Read it once as the recipient. Check names and their spelling, the attachment, who is in To and who in CC, and whether Reply All is needed. A send delay helps: Gmail and Outlook.com both let you hold a message for up to 30 seconds after you press Send, which is enough to catch a missing attachment.
Before and after
Here is a typical first draft of a request, and the same email after the steps above.
Subject: Checking in
Hi Jordan,
Hope you had a great weekend! I just wanted to circle back on the thing we talked about last week. When you get a chance, would you be able to take a look at the pricing page draft and let me know your thoughts? No rush at all, but we're hoping to launch soon, so sooner would be better if possible. Let me know if you have any questions!
Thanks so much,
Priya
Subject: Review by Wednesday: pricing page draft (2 questions)
Hi Jordan,
Could you review the pricing page draft by Wednesday at 5:00? We launch Monday and need a day for changes. I only need answers to two questions:
- Are the plan limits stated correctly?
- Does the refund answer match what support tells customers?
The draft is in the Launch folder. Comments in the doc are perfect.
Thanks,
Priya
Phrases to replace
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| Instead ofI just wanted to reach out to see if… | WriteCan you… |
| Instead ofSorry to bother you | WriteThanks for looking at this |
| Instead ofASAP, or when you get a chance | WriteBy 3:00 p.m. Thursday |
| Instead ofPlease advise | WriteShould we go with A or B? |
| Instead ofPer my last email | WriteThe deadline is still March 5. |
| Instead ofLet me know if you have any questions | WriteHappy to walk through it on a call. |
| Instead ofI hope this email finds you well | WriteA line about them, or nothing |
Drafting the hard ones in Strokes
Most emails should be written in the mail app and sent. The exceptions are the ones you rewrite five times: an apology to a client, a no to your manager, a change announced to the whole company. Those are easier in a document, where nothing goes out by accident. In Strokes you can select a paragraph, press ⌘K and ask for it shorter or less defensive, and the text changes in place. The AI Assistant beside the document can tell you whether the ask is clear or the tone has slipped. Read every suggestion as the recipient would, since only you know the facts and the relationship. Version history keeps each draft, and one document of your best emails becomes a set of templates you'll actually reuse.
Frequently asked questions
How do you start a professional email?
With a greeting that fits the relationship, such as “Hi Dana,” for most work email or “Dear Dr. Okafor,” for a formal first contact, and then the point. Skip “I hope this email finds you well” and say what you need in the first or second sentence.
How long should a professional email be?
As short as it can be while still answerable without a reply asking for details. Most work emails fit in three short paragraphs or fewer. If yours needs more than five, put the detail in a document and use the email to summarize it and ask for what you need.
Is “Hi” too casual for a professional email?
No. “Hi” and a first name is the usual greeting for most work email in the US, including with clients. Use “Dear” for a first message in a formal setting, such as a job application or a note to a professor, and then mirror how the other person writes to you.
How do you follow up on an email without being pushy?
Reply in the original thread, restate the ask in one line, and give a reason to answer now, such as a deadline or new information. Wait a few business days before the first follow-up, and after two unanswered follow-ups send a short closing note instead of a third.
Should I use “To whom it may concern”?
Rarely. A name is best, and a role or team is the next best thing: “Dear Hiring Team,” or “Hello Billing Team,”. Check the company's website or LinkedIn for the right person before you fall back on a generic greeting.
