“Hi there,” “Catch you later,” “Welcome to _______,” “To whom it may concern.” What each phrase has in common is a place in your inbox. By now, you’ve likely seen it all — email salutations that make you laugh out loud, boost your confidence, or maybe even cringe a bit when the sign-off doesn’t match the brand.
When writing an email for your business, you might think that the meat of your email — between the greeting and your sign-offs — is the most important. While that might be true for certain businesses and organizations, how you say ‘Hello’ and ‘Goodbye’ to your subscribers is key because it allows your brand voice to shine through.
Email salutations set and close the tone of an email. They can range from formal to funny to appreciative. There are so many ways to convey your overall tone to the recipient. To get the most out of your next email (and encourage an action or response), choose salutations that best fit your audience and intention.
Greetings and goodbyes: Understanding email salutations
So, what exactly are email salutations? They’re messages that greet or say goodbye to your readers — AKA email greetings and sign-offs.
The best salutations for emails leave a positive impression on recipients and align with the context of your message. Here are a few examples:
- If you’re a coffee shop employee sending out a monthly newsletter, you might use “Hey there,” to begin your message and “See you at the shop” to end it.
- If you’re sending a formal email to your boss at work, a polite and professional salutation such as “Best regards” would likely fit the context of the message.
- Emailing a close friend doesn’t call for such formality, and you can probably use something like “Hi [friend’s name]” and “See you soon,” instead.
Mastering the art of email salutations
Yes, there is an art to salutations for emails. But don’t worry; you don’t need to be a professional writer to master it.
All you have to do is consider these questions when deciding on the best salutation for your email:
- What is the context of my message? Am I welcoming a new customer? Introducing a product or service? Sending an internal communication?
- What is my relationship with the recipient? Do I have one?
- Is my message tone positive, neutral, funny, creative, or formal?
Chances are, the answers to those questions will be pretty clear by the time you finish drafting the body of your email. Remember to pay attention to your results — they’ll help you to nail the correct salutations for emails consistently!
Different types of salutations for emails
Now, let’s dig into the nitty gritty and showcase some good opening and closing salutations for emails in nearly every scenario.
Formal email salutations
Are you emailing your client, company, or B2B partner? Your message will likely have a formal tone, and your salutation should match it.
- Hello or Dear ________: Identify your recipient with a standard and or personalized greeting.
- Best regards: Sending your regards — whether you use “Best regards” or a variation like “Regards” or “Kind regards”, this is one of the most common sign-offs used in formal emails.
- Respectfully: A salutation like “Respectfully” signifies your esteem of the recipient. Conversely, you can also use it to soften negative overtones in a formal message.
Salutations for professional emails
You might send a professional email to a client or someone you have a business relationship with. Try these salutations.
- To whom it may concern: When you’re sending to a group and are only familiar with their involvement or interest in a particular matter, using “To whom it may concern” keeps your greeting respectful and generalized.
- Cordially: If you’re sending a message to someone you don’t know, “Cordially” covers all your bases. It’s formal and respectful. However, it can be a bit stiff — so it’s best for uber-professional messages.
- Best: This is a simple sign-off with a positive undertone and is flexible enough for nearly any professional email scenario.
Friendly or casual salutations for emails
Are you trying to reengage with a customer or schedule an event? These friendly salutations for emails can help.
- Hey there: This casual greeting puts you in a friendly conversation with your audience. You’re providing an update, offer, or request that isn’t super urgent but might delight or softly dismay your audience. Something like “Hey there” says: “We want to see you in our store” or “We’re sad to say we’re closed down for the day, but we’ll be happy to see you tomorrow.”
- Have a good one: A salutation like “Have a good one” tells the reader you want them to enjoy the rest of their day. It conveys an easygoing, informal tone that’s perfect for friends.
- Talk soon: This salutation tells the reader you look forward to continuing the conversation.
- We look forward to seeing you: Like the greetings “Hey there” and “Talk soon”, this sign-off is warm and casual. This is a noticeable cue to your reader that you want to see them on their time.
Warm email salutations
A warm email is one step up from casual, but not overly fond. You can use warm email salutations with newly engaged subscribers or people who started dropping off — aka the people you’re trying to strengthen relationships with.
- Greetings: This salutation is jaunty and sunny — a word that can’t be said without a smile and an implied wave (maybe even a hat tip, if you’re feeling fancy). It’s a great way to engage with newer subscribers.
- Long time, no see: When subscribers seem disengaged, it might be time for a “Long time, no see” intro to an email offering updates or a special offer.
- Warm regards: If your relationship veers on the professional side, but you want to convey its value to you, “Warm regards” is a good fit.
- Take care: A “Take care” email sign-off demonstrates that you want the best for the recipient. It’s ideal for personalized emails, and hospitals, private practice, or health and fitness services — here’s looking at you.
Unique email salutations
If you want to stand out from other senders, a unique email salutation can help.
- “Howdy,” “Top o’ the mornin’,” “Ciao”: Have a business or venture that’s tied to a particular location or culture? Using a location-specific or foreign-language greeting can set the tone and encourage your audience to place themselves in your region or culture.
- “Howdy” might indicate an American southern-based company, owner, or voice.
- “Top o’ the mornin’” is a traditional Irish greeting.
- “Ciao” evokes thoughts of romance languages like French or Italian.
- “Greetings [name of followers]” or “Hey there [name of followers]”: Create brand loyalty by addressing your readers with a company-given or a group-adopted name.
- Only X days until Friday: What’s not to love about Friday? The end of the workweek means more time for relaxation. Use this to connect with subscribers or work colleagues who might enjoy a bit of humor around closing in on the end of the workweek (even if it’s only Monday).
- Yours virtually: Sending an email to someone you can’t see in person? A “Yours virtually” sign-off can get a quick laugh and strengthen your connection with the recipient.
Creative email salutations
Is there a book or movie quote that relates to your email message? Maybe a pun or a phrase associated with your business or following? Include it as your salutation! It will get the reader thinking, and they’ll certainly remember you.
- Happy FriYAY!: “Whether you’re giving the girlies self-care tips or sharing a weekly special for the French-fry lovers, a positive and trendy Friday greeting is a perfect way to kick off sales for the weekend.”
- “Be excellent to each other,” or another positive reference: This quote comes from 80s cult classic: Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. While the film is a goofy comedy, this line still pulls at my heartstrings and is a nostalgic way to wish your readers well. This option is great for nonprofits, charity drives, and “free-spirited” stores.
- References to viral content: Memes, TikTok songs, and viral dances can be a good place to start when you want to be timely and trendy. From a Monday sign-off including the all-time classic “This is fine” meme, to an email opening referencing the viral TikTok song “I’m looking for a man in finance” you can update your readers or join in on the fun.
Complimentary email salutations
Do you want to show appreciation for someone’s hard work? Try one of these complimentary sign-offs.
- Thank you: “Great working with you!”, “Thanks for lending a hand”, “Thanks for volunteering.” Let employees or volunteers know how much you appreciate their hard work with a greeting or sign-off that spotlights them and their impact.
- It was great to see you: “We loved seeing you!”, “We can’t wait to see you again.”, “We miss you already.” Let shoppers and event attendees know how much you loved seeing them.
Funny email salutations
A funny email salutation can liven up someone’s day, especially in the proper context.
- Have a Monday: Everyone hates Mondays (or, at least, Garfield does). Send this to a subscriber or your work team when you feel a little blah and need a laugh.
- Hakuna Matata: It means no worries — that’s what I learned from The Lion King. Warning: The recipient may get the song stuck in their head for hours.
Sector-specific email salutations
Some industry sectors are known for using email salutations that an outsider might not understand. However, a sector-specific email salutation can demonstrate your credibility in the industry.
Business and workplace greetings and sign-offs
Maybe you’re B2B, in internal comms, or you lead an organization, department, or team. You probably send frequent emails to your fellow employees, boss, and clients. Try these greetings and sign-offs out.
- Hey team: A casual greeting to your business team that is still professional and supportive? Count us in!
- Hello [business name]: B2B operations will likely begin this way and break down into individual emails with single recipients over time. Newsletters and general updates to your B2B clients will appreciate the formula and personalized greetings.
- Best: Give your best to email recipients. From colleagues to partners, make sure to leave your reader on a positive note.
- Have a great day: When you have a request, it’s best to put forth positive energy towards the other party.
Outreach greetings and sign-offs
Are you trying to close a deal or strengthen a client relationship? Consider these outreach salutations.
- We’re excited to see/work with you: Let them know from the get-go that you’re eager to begin a new partnership or relationship.
- I look forward to connecting soon!: This is simple, positive, and a look towards future opportunities.
- Let us/me know what you think!: A request for feedback is a sign that you’re ready to improve and value your customer/subscriber/partner’s opinion.
Military sign-offs
The military follows a strict ranking structure, so you must be careful when emailing superiors or fellow service members of the same rank. These sign-offs are commonly used in the military.
- V/R: This sign-off is an acronym for “Very Respectfully.” It’s appropriate when sending a formal email to a superior-ranking officer or an individual of the same rank as you.
- /R: The /R stands for “Respectfully.” If you’re sending an email to a military service member of a lower rank than you, it’s appropriate. However, avoid using this sign-off with someone of a higher rank — they may be offended.
Holiday and religious email salutations
It’s customary to share a religious salutation around holidays like Christmas, Easter, or Hanukkah, especially with close friends, family members, or fellow members of a congregation.
Christian salutations
A few Christian salutations you might include are:
- Merry or Happy Christmas/Easter: A greeting during a holiday.
- Peace be with you: A common greeting offering well wishes.
- Praise the Lord: Often a sign-off or exit response extending a similar thought/mission.
Jewish salutations
Email sign-offs that are appropriate for religious emails with Jewish people include:
- Happy Hanukkah: A greeting during a holiday.
- Shabbat Shalom: A greeting for the beginning of the Sabbath.
- Mazel Tov: “Congratulations” or “Good.”
Muslim salutations
Consider these greetings and sign-offs for your Islamic organization or collective:
- Ramadan Kareem: “May Ramadan be generous to you.”
- Eid Mubarak: “Have a blessed Eid.”
- As-Salaam-Alaikum: “Peace be onto you.”
Email salutation mistakes to avoid
Some salutations rarely impress anyone and may be offensive. Here are our top five worst email salutations to stay away from at all costs:
- Sent from my iPhone / iPad / Android device: You can turn off this automated feature in your device settings.
- Love: Avoid using “Love” unless it is a part of your brand voice, for example, “Love, the team at [business name]. Avoid this in a workplace setting or between businesses.
- Rgds: Always spell out your salutation; don’t use abbreviations.
- Good luck: Unless you provide further context, the reader might not understand why you’re wishing them luck.
- No salutation at all: It shows a lack of email etiquette.
Salutations for emails: Frequently asked questions
What is a good salutation for an email?
A few salutations that work for nearly any email include “Kind regards,” “Thank you,” and “Best.” They’re appropriate for professional, personal, and formal emails.
How do you start a professional email greeting?
Begin a professional email with a greeting, followed by the individual’s name. For example, “Dear Mr. Smith” or “Greetings Mrs. O’Hara” work well. If you’re unsure of the recipient’s name, “Hello” or “Good morning/afternoon” are appropriate.
How do you end a professional email?
When closing a professional email, use a formal salutation such as “Regards” or “Best,” followed by your full name and contact information.
What is a friendly email sign-off?
A few friendly email sign-offs you can use with friends or close colleagues include “Have a great day,” “Great to catch up with you,” and “Enjoy your day/week/weekend!”
The best salutations for emails capture tone and context
When deciding on your email greetings and sign-offs, consider your message and your relationship with the reader. Whether it’s “Hey, there” and “Best wishes” or “Dear [name]” and “Cordially” remember to say hello and goodbye. If you want more advice on writing a well-crafted email, check out our guide on personalizing email messages!
