Business email format at a glance
85% of workplace emails were read in under 15 seconds, according to Microsoft's Work Trend Index data. Whenever you're writing a personal email, write for someone giving your message a single fast pass.
Put the reason for writing near the top and make the next step easy to spot. If the structure is fine but a sentence still sounds wrong, consider reading up on how to write a professional email or using the AI email response generator.
One business email with each of its seven parts named beside it: subject, greeting, opening context, body, request, sign-off, and signature. The request is on its own highlighted line.
Subject
Priya knows the topic and what's being asked before she opens it. "Quick question" would not tell Priya what this is about.
Greeting
Sets the formality and starts the message on its own line.
Opening context
Says what you're sending and why, before you ask for anything.
Body
Gives only the detail Priya needs to decide. Here that is the page number.
Request
The one thing Priya has to do, with a time attached, on its own line.
Sign-off
Ends the message once the request is clear.
Signature
Your name and role, so Priya knows who is asking.
What each part needs to do
Use the seven parts as a checklist when a message feels hard to scan.
- Write a specific subject: A specific subject line includes the project, the decision, or the deadline that sets the email apart. “Approval needed for May campaign budget” tells the reader more than “Quick question.”
- Put the greeting on its own line: A simple “Hi Priya,” works for many professional relationships. Start the message on the next line.
- Establish context immediately: State what you're sending, what changed, or why you're writing. “I've attached the revised proposal with the pricing changes we discussed yesterday” gives the reader that context in one sentence.
- Give each paragraph one purpose: Keep a status update separate from the decision you're asking for so the reader can see where they need to respond.
- Make the request visible: Place the request after enough context to understand it. Give an important request its own sentence or paragraph when a reader scanning the message could miss it.
- End after the next step: Once the action and timing are clear, use a brief sign-off such as “Thanks” or “Best” and add your name.
- Keep the signature useful: Include only the contact details the recipient may need in your email signature, such as your role, company, phone number, or booking link.
Format for a reader who is scanning
Short paragraphs help readers separate context, detail, and action. A good default is one main idea per paragraph. Keep paragraphs to no more than five sentences, according to GOV.UK's clear-language guidance, which also favors direct, active writing.
Use bullets when the reader needs to compare separate options, questions, documents, or steps. Keep connected thoughts in prose.
Use bold for at most one deadline or decision because readers can't tell what matters when several lines are bold. Whitespace usually creates enough separation without added emphasis.
External readers may not know your internal shorthand. Spell out an acronym the first time it appears, according to GOV.UK's A-to-Z style guide.
If your draft runs long, you can make it a short email by cutting repeated context while keeping the request, supporting details, and deadline.
A worked before-and-after example
Before: everything in one paragraph
The request is the fifth of six sentences in one paragraph, so a scanning reader has to read everything to find it.
Onboarding plan
Hi Alex,
I've attached the revised onboarding plan. We tested the workflow with your operations leads yesterday, and everything is ready. We still need the start date. We can move the team on September 1, which gives everyone a clean start to the month, or September 15, which avoids quarter-close work. Both dates work for us, so which do you prefer?
Best,
Maya
After: the request is in its own paragraph
The same facts are all here, but the request now has its own short paragraph that a scanning reader can't miss.
Onboarding start date: September 1 or 15?
Hi Alex,
I've attached the revised onboarding plan. We tested the workflow with your operations leads yesterday, and everything is ready.
We need to choose the start date. Would September 1 or September 15 work better for your team?
Once you confirm, I'll update the rollout schedule.
Best,
Maya
Three business email formats you can reuse
Approval request
Choose this template when one person has to approve a finished item by a real deadline.
Approval needed for [deliverable]
Hi [Name],
I've attached the revised [deliverable] with the changes from [review or conversation].
Could you approve it by [time and day]?
That gives [person or team] time to [next action].
Thanks,
[Your Name]
Specify which meeting or review the revision came out of, and connect the deadline to the next scheduled action.
Keep a second request out of the deadline explanation. Send a separate email when another person owns that decision.
Project update
This template fits a progress report that tells the reader whether they need to act.
Project update for [project name]
Hi [Name],
We completed [milestone] on [day], and [specific check or result] is confirmed.
You don't need to do anything today. I'll send [next deliverable] by [time and day].
Best,
[Your Name]
Replace the generic milestone with the exact change the reader cares about, then give the next deliverable and its date.
Don't list every task the team completed. Keep the update focused on the current status and what the reader should expect next.
Attachment for review
When the recipient has to review a specific change in an attached document, use this template.
Revised [document] for review
Hi [Name],
I've attached the revised [document] with [specific change] updated as discussed.
The change appears on [page or section]. Does the revised wording work for you?
Thanks,
[Your Name]
Point to the exact page or section so the recipient can open the file at the relevant change.
Don't send an attachment without explaining what changed in the file or what response you need.
Common business email formatting mistakes
- Several requests compete: Put the one request you need answered first on its own. Group supporting questions only when the same person can answer them together.
- Formatting adds noise: Remove decorative colors, repeated bold text, oversized logos, and extra sign-off lines that distract from the message.
dreamif.ai
Format a draft with dreamif.ai
dreamif.ai connects to your Gmail and drafts replies or new emails using the thread and connected context. Each draft waits in Gmail Drafts, where you can edit the wording and paragraph breaks, then decide whether to send it. You can compare plans and pricing.
Questions, answered.
A useful structure is subject, greeting, opening context, body, request or next step, sign-off, and signature.