Whether reaching out to a colleague, applying for a job, or networking, the way you format your email can significantly impact how your message is received.
Email format refers to the structured layout and presentation of an email, designed to ensure clear, professional, and easy-to-read communication. A well-formatted message that follows email etiquette conveys its message effectively while being mindful of the recipient’s time and attention, making it essential for successful personal, professional, and formal interactions.
This guide covers the basics of email format with tips and examples to help you write clear and professional emails. You’ll also find out how Proton Mail can help compose well-structured messages easier.
Understanding email context
Before you start writing, it’s important to consider the context of your email. You should tailor your tone and level of formality based on your relationship with the recipient. For example, a message to a co-worker can be more casual than a professional email sent to a client or potential employer.
Plus, you should identify whether your email is informative, a request, or a follow-up, to help shape your content and tone:
- An informative email should be clear and concise, prioritizing facts, updates, or instructions with bullet points or a structured format. It tends to have a neutral and straightforward tone, such as “I’m reaching out to share the Q3 sales report.”
- A request email clearly states what you need early in the message, followed by details or reasons. It requires a polite and persuasive tone to encourage the recipient to take action, such as “Could you please review the attached document by Friday?”
- A follow-up email should start by referencing the initial email or conversation before reiterating the purpose. It often needs a balance between polite persistence and professionalism, such as “I wanted to follow up on my earlier email about the meeting schedule.”
Key components of email format
A well-formatted email is made up of several elements that work together to ensure clarity, professionalism, and effective communication:
Subject line
The subject line is often the first thing your recipient sees, so it should be clear and concise, giving the recipient an idea of what to expect. It’s important to convey the purpose of the email and to start with actionable words like “Update,” “Request,” “Reminder,” or “Invitation” to set expectations. For instance, instead of “About the deadline,” use “Reminder: Submission deadline on Dec 5.”
Aim for 50 characters or less to ensure the subject line is fully visible in most inboxes, especially on mobile devices. Plus, you should avoid misleading subject lines and words that might trigger spam filters or seem unprofessional, such as “Free,” “Urgent!!!,” or excessive use of exclamation marks.
Salutation
The salutation is the opening greeting in your email, setting the tone and showing respect for the reader. Choosing the right salutation depends on the context, formality, and your relationship with the recipient:
- Formal salutations should be used when writing to someone you don’t know well, in professional settings (business proposals, formal complaints, job applications, cover letters), or when addressing senior colleagues or clients. For example, “Dear [first name last name],” “Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. [last name],” “Dear [job title/department],” or “To whom it may concern” (if the recipient is unknown).
- Semi-formal salutations strike a balance between professional and approachable, making them suitable for internal communications, networking emails, routine business emails, colleagues, or acquaintances. For example, “Hello [first name],” “Hi [first name],” “Good morning/afternoon [first name],” or “Dear team.”
- Informal salutations create a friendly and approachable tone for casual or familiar relationships, such as emails to friends or close colleagues, team or project updates in casual settings, quick notes, or informal announcements. For example, “Hi there,” “Hey [first name],” “Hello everyone,” or “Hi all.”
Opening paragraph
If you’re writing to someone for the first time, start with a self-introduction that clearly identifies who you are and why you’re reaching out, such as “My name is John Smith, and I am a Headhunter for ABC Company. I specialize in connecting top talent with exciting opportunities in the tech industry.” Plus, you should mention any mutual connections, such as “I was referred to you by Jane Doe, who spoke highly of your work.”
When following up or continuing a conversation, use a courtesy opener before getting into the main content, such as “I hope you’re having a great day. I’m following up on our earlier discussion regarding [specific issue].” Make sure to acknowledge any recent interactions or updates with something like “Thank you for your insightful input during last week’s meeting.”
If you’re addressing a sensitive or challenging topic, start with a polite and empathetic statement before addressing the matter, such as “I trust all is going well. I’d like to touch base about your current assignments to clarify a few points.”
An email written for multiple recipients should include an opener that acknowledges the group or the shared purpose, such as “Thank you all for your efforts on the recent project. I wanted to provide some updates and discuss next steps.”
Main content
Start the email body by offering relevant context or background information to help the recipient understand the purpose of your message. For example, “As discussed during our last meeting, we are moving forward with the updated marketing strategy.”
To make your email easier to read, break it into short, digestible paragraphs, each focusing on a single idea. For instance, the first paragraph introduces the main topic, the second dives into details, and the third summarizes the key takeaways or next steps.
Organize complex information or multiple points into bullet points or numbered lists, which helps the recipient scan the email and understand key details faster. Formatting like bold, italics, or underline draws attention to critical details, but avoid overusing them to maintain a professional tone. For example:
“To complete the process, please:
- Review the attached document.
- Provide your feedback by Friday, Dec 8.
- Confirm the next steps via email.”
Closing paragraph
The closing paragraph is your final opportunity to reinforce your message, leave a positive impression, and encourage a response or action. Use this section to:
- Summarize your main points. For example, “To recap, I’m seeking your input on the attached proposal to ensure it aligns with our objectives.”
- Go over the actions or follow-ups required, such as “Please let me know if you have any questions or require additional details before making a decision.”
- Show appreciation for the recipient’s time with something like “I appreciate your attention to this matter.”
- End on a positive note. For example, “I’m excited to hear your perspective on this and discuss next steps.”
Sign-off
As with the salutation, choosing the right sign-off depends on the level of formality, the context of your email, and your relationship with the recipient:
- Formal closings: “Sincerely,” “Respectfully,” “Yours faithfully,” (for very formal contexts), “Yours sincerely.”
- Semi-formal closings: “Best regards,” “Kind regards,” “Warm regards,” “Thank you.”
- Informal closings: “Best,” “Cheers,” “Thanks again,” “Take care,” “All the best.”
Signature
Always include your full name and contact information in professional emails to ensure the recipient knows who you are, especially if you are reaching out for the first time or your name isn’t immediately recognizable. For example:
“Sincerely,
John Smith
Marketing Manager, ABC Company
john.smith@abccompany.com | (123) 456-7890”
More email format tips
Crafting a visually appealing and polished email improves readability and ensures your message is taken seriously. Here are additional tips to format your email effectively:
- Stick to standard, easy-to-read fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri, use a 12-point size, and avoid decorative fonts that might distract from your message. Proton Mail offers a composer with plenty of options, including font, background color, an emoji library, as well as the ability to resize images and clear all formatting from copied text with one click.
- Insert a blank line between paragraphs to create white space and avoid a cluttered appearance.
- Check for typos and grammatical errors before sending and use built-in spellcheck features to catch errors.
- Avoid overly casual language in formal emails. Slang and abbreviations (e.g., “u” instead of “you”), for example, are often considered unprofessional.
- While it’s important to provide enough detail to avoid ambiguity, keep your email concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary jargon or overly long explanations.
- Long emails can overwhelm the reader, so keep your email short and to the point. Instead, focus on one topic per email. If you need to include extensive information, consider attaching a document with detailed content or using Proton Drive(nova janela) to securely share links to your document.
- Mention any attachments in the body of the email (e.g., “Please find the project proposal attached for your review”) and ensure your attachments have a clear and descriptive name (e.g., “John_Smith_Resume.pdf” instead of “document.pdf”).
Improve email formatting with Proton Scribe
Proton Scribe is a privacy-first writing assistant integrated into Proton Mail, designed to help you craft clear, professional, and well-structured emails. By providing a brief prompt, Scribe can generate a complete email draft, helping you overcome writer’s block and focus on communicating what’s important instead of making the email look perfect.
Scribe offers options to proofread emails, correcting grammatical errors and typos, and can adjust the tone to be more formal or friendly as needed. Unlike some AI tools that may compromise data privacy, Scribe can run locally on your device, ensuring that your data remains protected by end-to-end encryption and is not used for training language models.
Protect your privacy with Proton Mail
With Proton Mail, you don’t just get Scribe — you gain a secure email service that ensures your conversations remain private and accessible only to you and your recipients. You can password-protect emails, set expiration dates, and undo sent emails to make further adjustments.
It’s easy to move your data to Proton Mail with our Easy Switch feature, which securely transfers your emails, calendars, and contacts.
We’re dedicated to make privacy the foundation of the internet. Proton Mail is just one part of an encrypted ecosystem protecting your emails, passwords, internet connections(nova janela), cloud storage(nova janela), calendar, and digital assets.
