40+ Most Essential Emailing Rules in 2021

In both personal and professional settings, email has become one of the most common methods of communication.

In fact, the majority of people write at least one email per day, and many people write many emails on a daily basis.

While sending an email may appear straightforward and is undoubtedly a speedy and effective means of communication, there are a few guidelines to follow while emailing in a professional position.

The top 40 email rules to consider while drafting and sending professional emails are discussed in this article.

What are Email Etiquette Rules?

When it comes to drafting, responding to, and sending emails, email etiquette relates to how one should act. Depending on the type of email being sent, email etiquette may differ.

When sending emails to friends and family, for example, the email etiquette expected of you is likely to differ from the etiquette expected of you at work.

When writing or responding to emails in various circumstances, knowing basic email etiquette will help you appear professional and confident.

40 Essential Emailing Rules

When writing or responding to emails in a professional capacity, you should follow the following 40 email rules:

It should be of a Professional Nature
Make use of a Professional Tone
Use a subject line that is precise and succinct
Avoid Making Grammatical or Spelling Errors
Make sure your recipient’s name is spelled correctly
Use a font and font size that is easy to read
Avoid Emojis and other animations
Attach only Relevant attachments
Respond as soon as possible to professional emails
Double-check that you’re sending your email to the right person
Before you hit “send,” double-check your email
Always start with a proper hello
Avoid using sarcasm or colloquialism
Think about why you’re sending the email
Before you grin, think about it
Don’t use the reply all or CC everyone buttons
In a timely manner, respond
Consider where your email might wind up
In emails, don’t ramble aimlessly
Organize your email inbox
Respond to emails as soon as possible
Requests for deliveries and receipts
Send smaller files that have been compressed
Please respond within 24 hours
Make your email signature stand out
Avoid Exclamation points
Use the auto-responder only when absolutely necessary
Use greetings that seem professional
Don’t be obnoxious with your follow-ups
Be cautious about what you send out
Use proper punctuation in your email
Respond all Emails
Don’t send a face-to-face message through email
Avoid making jokes
Don’t take a shot from the corner of your mouth
Keep private information private
Reconsider the words you use
For last-minute communication, avoid using email
When should you use BCC
Use capital letters sparingly

1. It Should be of a Professional Nature

Good email etiquette necessitates the use of a professional email address. If you’re responding to an email from someone within your firm, you should always use the email address that was provided to you.

If you’re responding to professional emails outside of work, use a professional email template that contains your name so recipients know who’s delivering the message.

2. Make use of a Professional Tone

Another crucial aspect of proper email etiquette is maintaining a professional tone in your work correspondence.

When communicating in a business-related context, even if you know the individual well, you should endeavor to be as professional as possible.

3. Use a subject line that is precise and succinct

Make sure your subject line is straightforward and easy to understand when composing a professional email.

This might assist in swiftly conveying to the recipient what your email is about as well as ensuring that your email is actually opened.

The recipient may delete or overlook your email if the subject line is ambiguous or overly casual.

4. Avoid Making Grammatical or Spelling Errors

Make every effort to ensure that your email is free of grammatical and spelling problems.

This demonstrates to the receiver that you value your correspondence and are not a slacker when it comes to email.

5. Make sure your recipient’s name is spelled correctly

It’s critical to check that you’ve spelled your recipient’s name correctly for proper email etiquette.

A single typo can make your writing appear sloppy and offensive. Double-check, if necessary, that the recipient’s first and last names are spelled correctly before pressing the “send” button.

6. Use a font and font size that is easy to read

Use a basic, easy-to-read typeface, such as Calibri, Times New Roman, or Arial, with a font size of 10 or 12.

Most readers will be able to read and scan your email thanks to the mix of size and typeface.

7. Avoid Emojis and other animations

Emojis and other animations, such as smiley faces, should not be used in business communications.

This may come across as extremely casual, which may leave the recipient with an unfavorable impression.

8. Attach only Relevant attachments

Make sure that any attachments you include in your email are required for the message you’re sending.

For example, rather than sending an attachment, a paper with only one or two phrases could be placed in the email body.

Also, make sure to mention the attachment in your email so that the recipient doesn’t miss it.

9. Double-check that you’re sending your email to the right person

A common office blunder is sending an email to the incorrect recipient. This is especially true if a company employs multiple people with the same name.

It’s all too simple to click on a saved email address only to discover after the message has been sent that it was sent to the wrong person.

Before hitting “send,” double-check that you have the correct recipient’s email address.

10. Respond as soon as possible to professional emails

While you are unlikely to react to every email you receive right away, it is excellent email etiquette to do so as soon as possible.

This is especially true for emails from customers or other important correspondence.

Prioritize your emails as they arrive so you can figure out which ones require the quickest reply.

11. Before you hit “send,” double-check your email

Before sending any professional email, make sure it is correct and has all the important information by proofreading it at least once.

Proofreading your emails will help you avoid spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as the necessity to send a follow-up email because the original email was missing information.

12. Always start with a proper hello

Salutations are a contentious topic. Many people believe that a formal greeting should always be used.

This is dependent on the person receiving the gift. If you’re writing to a close friend or a member of your team, a simple “Hi” would probably suffice.

It’s fine to write without a greeting if you’re writing in a chain of emails when the context has already been established in a previous email or even over the phone.

Always include a formal salutation and an introduction when writing to someone you don’t know well

13. Avoid using sarcasm or colloquialism

Be mindful that your colleagues in foreign offices may utterly misinterpret amusing sayings or colloquialisms. At worst, you may offend them; at best, you may make them feel befuddled or excluded.

14. Think about why you’re sending the email

Always specify if and when an action is required in your email. Emails with open-ended responses might be perplexing.

It is beneficial to have an action or even to inform the receiver that no further action is required.

Before you submit anything, picture what you want to achieve and change your words accordingly.

15. Before you grin, think about it

Emojis have infiltrated our daily lives. Because it’s impossible to observe facial expressions when communicating via email or text, people use smiley faces to soften their emails. However, according to a 2017 study, this could make the sender appear inept.

It depends on your company’s and industry’s norms, but be aware of when and to whom you send emojis. That’s acceptable if you’re sending them to people you know well and are confident will understand them. If not, think about whether they’re truly necessary.

16. Don’t use the reply all or CC everyone buttons

Have you double-checked that you’re only communicating with the folks who need to know?

If you get copied into every email or see every response in a chain that is not related to your recipient, it might be inconvenient.

17. In a timely manner, respond

Even if it’s just to acknowledge an email and say you’ll get back to them with an appropriate response within a specified timeframe, always respond within 24 hours. People despise being neglected!

18. Consider where your email might wind up

In a work email, never use obscene language. Your email will, in fact, stay on the server long after you have deleted it.

Even if the problem is rectified, your email will still exist, and you don’t want to offend somebody or get into problems because of something you wrote hastily.

19. In emails, don’t ramble aimlessly.

When writing a professional business email, the rule of thumb is to stick to one subject in each email.

Pick up the phone if an email exchange has already lasted more than two emails on both sides. It is not only more professional and convenient, but it also saves time.

20. Organize your email inbox.

Do not simply abandon message threads. Make it a practice to organize your emails into categories so that you won’t have trouble finding a certain message if the need arises in the future.

21. Respond to emails as soon as possible

An email should be treated as if it were a phone call and responded in a fair amount of time

22. Requests for deliveries and receipts

Because there aren’t many people who enjoy them, it’s best to avoid them.

23. Send smaller files that have been compressed

Sending compressed files rather than huge attachments is preferable. This makes it easier for the receiver to download the file and decreases the chances of it being lost in the mail.

24. Use capital letters sparingly

Use sentence case as you would in any formal communication, and avoid using full caps, which can come across as yelling your intentions.

25. Please respond within 24 hours

It is standard politeness to respond to an email within 24 hours. If you have mistakenly beyond this deadline, apologize and explain the situation nicely.

26. Make your email signature stand out

When it comes to email signatures, less is usually more. Only your name, job title, company website, and phone number where you can be reached should be included in your signature.

27. Avoid Exclamation points

Exclamation points should never be used in an email, no matter how excited you are.

28. Use the auto-responder only when absolutely necessary

Auto-responders for vacations are fine. Just remember to turn them off manually or have them turn off “automagically” when you return to the office.

29. Use greetings that seem professional

Don’t start business emails with pleasantries like “hey” or “yo” unless you know the receiver well and this is a style you’re both used to. A simple “hello” or “hi” is typically sufficient. In formal business correspondence, use the salutation “dear.”

30. Don’t be obnoxious with your follow-ups

Sending a slew of follow-up emails isn’t a good idea. If a contact isn’t replying and you truly need to hear from them, give them a call if it’s possible. In all other cases, presume the recipient isn’t interested if your carefully worded follow-up doesn’t elicit a response after one or two efforts.

31. Be cautious about what you send out

There are times when it’s acceptable to forward an email—for example, if the sender accidentally sent the message to the wrong person or you need to add someone to the conversation.

However, do not forward any emails that are sensitive or confidential. If you have any doubts about whether the sender wants the discussion shared, you should ask permission before doing so.

32. Use proper punctuation in your emails

Punctuation is subtle when used correctly, but it’s clear when it’s not. Don’t make your recipients cringe by memorizing and strictly following these principles.

33. Respond all Emails

Even if the email wasn’t intended for you, respond to it.

It’s tough to respond to every email message you’ve ever received, but you should make an effort. This includes situations where an email was sent to you by mistake, especially if the sender is anticipating a response.

A response isn’t required, but it’s good email etiquette, especially if you work in the same firm or industry as this person.

34. Don’t send a face-to-face message through email

Sending an email for a discussion that would be better done in person is not a good idea.

Email is not the best way to handle sensitive messages. If you and the recipient have a disagreement, it is preferable to talk about it face to face rather than exchange unpleasant emails.

35. Avoid making jokes.

Humor does not work well in an email. Without the accompanying verbal tone and facial expressions, what you think is funny is likely to be misread or misinterpreted as sarcasm by the other party. If in doubt, avoid using comedy in professional discussions.

36. Don’t take a shot from the corner of your mouth.

Never write an angry email or respond quickly and flippantly. Before you send your message, take some time to think about it.

Put your message in the “drafts” folder if you’re furious, then examine it later when you’re calmer and have more time to compose a suitable response.

37. Keep private information private.

Even mistakenly sharing emails is far too easy. If you need to discuss sensitive or personal information, do so in person or over the phone.

Before sending sensitive information in the body of an email or as an attachment, get permission first.

38. Reconsider the words you use

Use words that everyone understands. Excessively long sentences should be avoided. Slang should be avoided, and technical terminology should be kept to a minimum.

Use bespoke and customized information that adds value to your sender instead of email templates. Also, ensure that communications are sent to the relevant persons at the proper times.

Always use active verbs and avoid adverbs like “very, really,” and similar phrases. They give your message a foggy appearance.

39. For last-minute communication, avoid using email

You should never use email to cancel appointments, lunches, or interviews at the last minute. It’s also not a good idea to use it to deliver unpleasant news.

In that circumstance, making a phone call is the best option. However, if you need to provide information to a large group of individuals, e-mail is a superior solution.

40. When should you use BCC

The term “blind carbon copy” is abbreviated as “BCC.” The receivers’ email addresses in this field are not visible to one another.

This email etiquette should only be used when sending an email to a group of people who are unfamiliar with each other. Using the BCC when introducing someone will confuse everyone.