Professional email sign-offs: Best closing lines

Keep reading to learn the best closings for a professional email.

by Alyssa Schmitt

 

How do you add a professional ending to an email? 

Professional email closings should always contain three elements:

1. A closing line or phrase
2. A sign-off or closing salutation
3. A signature

For example, a good email ending that includes these three elements could look like this:
   
Now, let’s look at some different email sign-off examples you can use in your professional correspondence.

Step one: Ending lines for professional emails

A professional ending line or closing line is the sentence or sentences you use just before signing off. The purpose is to restate the intent of your email and motivate the recipient to respond – rather like a call to action. It is also good professional etiquette to express appreciation or gratitude in your email closing.
 
Common phrases for starting an email closing include “Thank you for…”, “I appreciate…”, and “I look forward to…”.

Professional email closing phrases examples

Here are some ways you can customize your email ending depending on the response you would like to receive.
 
Asking for feedback:

1. Thank you for taking the time to review my proposal. I look forward to receiving your feedback this week!
2. I look forward to receiving your response in the attached form. Please let me know if you have any questions by replying to this email or reaching out on Zoom.

Asking for action:

1. I appreciate your attention to [this matter] and look forward to your response.
2. I am eager to hear from you soon regarding [my request]. Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

Requesting a meeting:

1. I appreciate this opportunity to connect! I look forward to speaking with you on [date and time].
2. I am eager to discuss this with you at your earliest convenience. Please let me know your availability for a meeting [next week].

Following up on a meeting:

1. Thank you again for meeting with me today. I’ll be in touch about next steps by the end of the week.
2. Thank you again for your valuable input! I will follow up on [action] as agreed.

Fostering a relationship:

1. I look forward to our continued collaboration! Talk to you soon!
2. I appreciate your support and look forward to working together going forward.

Step 2: Professional email closers

Now that you’ve nailed your professional closing line, it’s time for your sign-off. Also known as a “closer,” “closing salutation,” or “valediction,” an email sign-off is a formal way of closing your message, just like ending a letter with “Sincerely yours”. So, what is best way to end an email?
 
In a professional email, you are safest choosing a sign-off like “Best regards” or “Kind regards”. “Kind regards” is a bit more formal than “Best regards” and for a more informal version – e.g., for someone in the same company as you – you can shorten it to “Regards” or “Best”.
 
These different “regards” closers are considered semi-formal, but they are appropriate for professional emails because an email is seen as less formal than a traditional letter. However, if you are writing a very formal email, you can choose “Sincerely,” “Sincerely yours,” or “Yours sincerely” as your sign-off instead of finishing your email with some form of “regards.”
 

Professional email sign-off examples

Here are eight professional signoffs to close your business email, ranked from most formal to least formal:

1. Sincerely
2. With kind regards
3. With best regards
4. Kind regards
5. Best regards
6. Regards
7. All the best
8. Best

Sign-offs for informal business emails

Not all professional emails are formal – sometimes you are emailing coworkers you know well or longtime clients with whom you have a friendly relationship, for instance. Here are some casual email endings that are still safe for work:

1. Best
2. Take care
3. Thanks
4. Talk to you soon
5. Cheers
6. Have a great day/weekend
7. Warm regards

Sign-offs for personal emails

There are some common email sign-offs that are perfectly acceptable in a non-professional setting but are considered too casual or personal for a business setting. Here are ten sign-offs for emails you should avoid in a professional setting:

1. Chat soon
2. Yours truly
3. Love
4. Have a good one
5. Yours
6. Blessings
7. XOXO
8. Later
9. Ciao
10. Peace

Step 3: Conclude your professional email with a signature

After your closing salutation, you should type your name. If you have addressed you recipient by first name, write your first name as well; if you addressed them with Ms./Mr. + last name, sign off with your first and last name. 
 
When writing a professional email, you should include your contact information under your name, e.g., the company address, your direct phone number, etc. Most companies will have an automatic signature in the footer that includes this information, so you don’t have to type it in yourself.  If you are self-employed or running your own small business, you should create a professional email signature to conclude your emails.
   

Email ending FAQs

Still have questions about email sign-offs? We have answers!

Can you send an email without a sign off?

If you are writing an email to someone for the first time, you should definitely use a greeting and a closing. Even if you know your recipient, whenever you are starting a new email thread it’s considered good form to start with a greeting and end with a proper sign-off. Otherwise, you might come across as abrupt or impolite. An exception to this rule would be if you are writing a very short, very informal email – e.g. “The team is going out to lunch – want to join?” And if you have an email thread that is going back and forth several times in the same day, you don’t need to have a greeting and closing on every follow-up message.

How do you end an email that requires a response?

If your email requires a response, it’s a good idea to turn your closing line into a gentle reminder. Your request should be clear and polite – and expressing appreciation is never a bad idea! Here are five sample closings that keep a professional tone while encouraging your recipient to respond:

1. Thank you for your help in answering my question!
2. I would greatly appreciate it if you could get back to me by [date].
3. Please let me know your thoughts before [the meeting] on [date].
4. I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this!
5. Could you please get back to me by [date]? Thank you in advance for your assistance!

What should a professional email sign-off include?

You should always end a professional email with three things: a closing line or phrase, a sign-off or closing salutation, and a signature.

Is “all the best” a good way to sign off an email?

“All the best” is a common, friendly email signoff that is appropriate for work. Although it has occasionally been suggested “All the best” it is a passive-aggressive way of saying “Good luck, you won’t be hearing from me again,” it remains a standard email signoff that is widely used – similar to “Best” or “Kind regards”.

Should I include my pronouns in my email signature?

Some people like to include their gender pronouns after their name in their email signature, e.g., “Avery Johnson (he/him)”. This has become increasingly common in recent years and is encouraged by some companies as a way of promoting inclusivity. However, the practice is not so widespread that it is considered a must – whether or not you’d like to add pronouns to your signature is entirely up to you. Although including your pronouns can be a way of identifying as a member or an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, it can also be useful when you are sending an email to someone who does not know you. This is because your recipient will feel confident in the correct way to address you in their replies, especially if you have a gender-neutral first name like Alex or Taylor.

We hope this article helps you give your professional email the perfect happy ending. And if you don’t have a mail.com email address yet, why not sign-up for an account with us today?

This article first appeared on January 15, 2024, and was updated on August 1, 2024.
 
Images: 1&1/GettyImages