How to Format an Email Correctly

The 5 Rules of Email Formatting

Rule 1: One Email, One Topic

Never cram multiple unrelated topics into one email. It confuses the reader and makes it hard to reply to specific points.

Instead of:

"Hey, can you approve the budget? Also, are we still meeting Thursday? And I need the design files for the landing page."

Send three separate emails — or at minimum, use clear headers:

Budget: Can you approve? Need sign-off by Friday.

Thursday Meeting: Still on for 2 PM?

Design Files: Can you send the landing page mockups?

Rule 2: Front-Load the Important Stuff

The first 2 lines of your email should communicate:

Why you're writing
What you need from them

Everything else is supporting detail. Don't bury your ask in paragraph three.

Rule 3: Use White Space

Break up your text. Every 2-3 sentences, add a line break. This transforms a wall of text into something scannable.

Hard to read:

Hi John, I wanted to follow up on our conversation from Tuesday about the project timeline. After reviewing the requirements with my team, we think the original 6-week estimate needs to be extended to 8 weeks due to the additional features discussed. The main bottleneck is the API integration which requires coordination with the vendor. Can you confirm whether the new timeline works for your team? We'd need sign-off by Friday to adjust the sprint planning accordingly.

Easy to read:

Hi John,

Following up on Tuesday's conversation about the timeline.

After reviewing with my team, we need to extend from 6 weeks to 8 weeks. The bottleneck is the API integration — requires vendor coordination we hadn't scoped.

Can you confirm the new timeline works? Need sign-off by Friday for sprint planning.

Best, [Name]

Rule 4: Bold the Key Information

Busy people scan emails. Help them find what matters:

Deadlines: "Need this by Friday EOD"
Questions: "The main question: do we proceed with Option A or B?"
Action items: "Your action: review and approve the attached"

Rule 5: End with a Clear CTA

Never leave the reader wondering what to do next. The last line should be actionable:

✅ "Can you confirm by Thursday?"
✅ "Let me know which option works."
❌ "Let me know." (know what?)
❌ "Thoughts?" (about what specifically?)

Formatting Dos and Don'ts

✅ Do

Keep paragraphs to 2-3 sentences
Use bullet points for lists of 3+ items
Bold important dates, numbers, and asks
Include a clear subject line
Match formatting to the tone (plain text for casual, light formatting for formal)
Use standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica)

❌ Don't

Write walls of text with no line breaks
Use colored text or multiple fonts
Include huge images or logos in the body
Use ALL CAPS (reads as shouting)
Over-format (rainbow highlighting, 5 font sizes)
Leave "Sent from my iPhone" (remove it)
Use tiny font sizes (below 11pt)

Format by Email Type

Quick Request

[Greeting]
[1 sentence: what you need]
[1 sentence: deadline or context]
[Sign-off]

Status Update

[Greeting]
[1 sentence: summary]

Key updates:
- [Point 1]
- [Point 2]
- [Point 3]

Next steps: [what's happening next]
[Sign-off]

Detailed Information

[Greeting]
[1-2 sentences: context/purpose]

**[Section 1 Header]**
[Details — 2-3 sentences]

**[Section 2 Header]**
[Details — 2-3 sentences]

**Action needed:** [clear CTA]
[Sign-off]

Cold Outreach

[Greeting]
[1 line: personalization]
[2-3 lines: value prop + proof]
[1 line: soft CTA]
[Sign-off]

Key: Cold emails should be plain text, under 150 words, no images, no HTML formatting.

Mobile Formatting Tips

Over 60% of emails are read on mobile. Format accordingly:

Shorter paragraphs — phone screens are narrow
No tables — they break on mobile
Larger buttons for CTAs (if using HTML)
Test on mobile before sending important emails
Front-load subject lines — only ~35 characters show on mobile

When Plain Text Beats Rich Formatting

For these situations, skip all formatting and go plain text:

Cold emails — HTML triggers spam filters
Quick internal messages — formatting a 2-line email is overkill
Replies deep in a thread — keep it conversational
Emails to executives — they prefer brevity over beauty

Formatting for Deliverability

If you're sending outbound email at scale, formatting directly impacts deliverability:

Plain text has higher inbox placement than HTML
No images in cold emails (tracking pixels are fine, embedded images aren't)
Minimal links — 0-1 links in cold email bodies
No attachments in first cold emails
Standard fonts and sizes — unusual formatting triggers filters

ColdRelay provides infrastructure optimized for plain-text outbound:

$1 per mailbox — dedicated cold email infrastructure
Deliverability-first — SPF, DKIM, DMARC pre-configured
Built for plain-text outreach — no HTML bloat needed

Format correctly. Send on infrastructure that delivers.

FAQ

Does email formatting affect deliverability?

Yes. Heavy HTML, multiple images, and unusual fonts increase spam filter sensitivity. For cold email, plain text with minimal formatting has the best inbox placement.

Should I use bullet points in every email?

Only when you have 3+ items to list. For short emails (2-3 sentences), bullets are overkill. For longer emails with multiple points, bullets dramatically improve readability.

Is it unprofessional to send very short emails?

No — it's respectful of the recipient's time. A 2-sentence email that's clear and complete is better than a 5-paragraph email that says the same thing.

How do I format emails on my phone?

Keep it simple. Phone email apps have limited formatting tools. Focus on line breaks and brevity. A well-structured plain text email from a phone is better than a poorly formatted rich text email.

Format your emails for humans. Deliver them with infrastructure built for inboxes. ColdRelay — $1/mailbox.