How not to write an email?

Asked by: Harmon Graham DDS  |  Last update: April 8, 2026
Score: 5/5 (18 votes)

To write a bad email, use vague subject lines, be overly informal or abrupt, bury the main point, write long rambling paragraphs with no clear call to action, use jargon/slang/ALL CAPS, forget attachments/proofreading, and send without a proper sign-off, making it hard for the reader to understand and act on your message quickly.

What is the 3 email rule?

The "3 Email Rule" (or Thread Rule) is a communication guideline suggesting that if an email conversation goes back and forth for more than three messages, it's time to switch to a more direct channel, like a phone call, video chat, or in-person meeting, to avoid miscommunication and resolve issues faster. This rule helps prevent endless, unproductive email chains by encouraging a quick shift to real-time conversation when complexity or frustration builds up. 

What is the 5 email rule?

The 5-sentence email rule, popularized by figures like Guy Kawasaki, is a guideline to keep emails concise (five sentences or fewer) for clarity, efficiency, and better engagement, balancing politeness with brevity to respect the recipient's time and get faster responses by focusing on essential information and a clear call to action. It prevents fluff, reduces information overload, and encourages users to either make a quick point or switch to a phone call if more detail is needed, making communication more effective. 

What to avoid when writing an email?

Email writing mistakes you should avoid

  • Writing a poor subject line. ...
  • Not personalizing your greeting. ...
  • Announcing too much in one message. ...
  • Employing ambiguous language. ...
  • Copy and pasting. ...
  • Forgetting to explain attachments. ...
  • Using jargon words. ...
  • Failing to use a signature.

Is BCC rude?

Yes, BCCing someone in an email can be rude and damage trust if done secretly in one-on-one or small group professional settings, as it feels sneaky or like "snitching," but it's perfectly acceptable and often necessary for privacy in mass mailings like newsletters or when protecting people's email addresses in large groups. The key is transparency; if the primary recipient expects a private conversation, secretly BCCing someone is a breach of etiquette, but using it for mass communication or discreetly informing a manager for a paper trail (when appropriate) is fine. 

8 Email Etiquette Tips - How to Write Better Emails at Work

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What are the 5 C's of email etiquette?

The 5 C's of email are Clarity, Conciseness, Courtesy, Correctness, and Completeness. These principles guide effective email writing, ensuring your message is clear, respectful, error-free, and includes all essential information to prompt a prompt and informed response from your intended audience.

Why shouldn't you BCC?

But by adding a BCC you are essentially creating an email eavesdropper — deliberately hiding the identity of that BCC'd individual from the recipient. Once exposed, the practice erodes trust. And it often gets exposed like a secret when you least expect it.

What are the 7 C's of email etiquette?

The 7 Cs of email writing are a checklist for effective communication: Clear, Concise, Concrete, Correct, Coherent, Complete, and Courteous, ensuring your message is easy to understand, brief, specific, accurate, logical, thorough, and polite, which helps build better business relationships and increases communication effectiveness.
 

What is the 4 email rule?

The 4 Email Rule: if an internal email chain has gone back and forth 4 times between 2 people without there being a resolution, then the rule is that you HAVE to pick up the phone and call the person to resolve the matter.

What are the 5 rules of email etiquette?

The five essential rules of email etiquette are: write a clear subject line, be concise and professional, proofread for errors, use a polite tone and proper formatting, and always include a clear call-to-action or closing, ensuring you address the right people. These principles help maintain professionalism, ensure your message is understood, and respect the recipient's time, which is crucial for effective business communication. 

What is the +1 email trick?

The "+1 email trick," also known as plus addressing, lets you create infinite email aliases for a single account (like Gmail) by adding +anything before the @ symbol (e.g., yourname+shopping@gmail.com), with all mail still arriving in your main inbox. This helps you organize subscriptions, track spam/data selling, create unique sign-ups for services, and filter emails without needing multiple accounts, as the mail server treats each + address as distinct but delivers it to your primary inbox.
 

What is bad email etiquette?

A bad email is an email that is unclear, poorly written, or hard to understand. It may have grammar mistakes, the wrong tone, or irrelevant content. If an email is confusing or unprofessional, it can harm the sender's image and fail to get the message across.

Should you reply all when saying thank you?

#1 Think before replying all

A reply of 'thank you', for example, needs only be sent to the person you are thanking, not the entire firm. Think twice when hovering over the toolbar and try to choose the simple 'Reply'.

What is the golden rule of email?

Because a large number of phishing emails target victims every day, it is more important now than ever to remember The Golden Rule of Email. This modern version of the well-known principle states that you should treat every email as if it were a phishing attempt.

Which of the below should not be done while writing an email?

The Do's and Don'ts of Writing Professional Emails

  • Do – Include a brief and clear subject line. ...
  • Do – Use an appropriate greeting. ...
  • Don't – Be too familiar. ...
  • Do – Keep your message concise. ...
  • Do – Make it actionable. ...
  • Don't – Use Too Many Exclamation Points. ...
  • Do – Proofread Your Email.

What's the rule of 1 in email?

So remember the Rule Of One when writing cold emails: one prospect, one problem, one solution. Keep your emails that simple and focused, and you'll see a big jump in replies and meetings.

What are the 5 C's of email?

The 5 Cs of effective email writing are Clarity, Conciseness, Completeness, Correctness, and Courtesy, providing a framework to ensure your message is understood, efficient, accurate, and professional, helping you get the desired response quickly. 

What is email etiquette?

Email etiquette is the set of social guidelines that govern polite, productive email communication. As with offline etiquette, email etiquette serves to make conversations comfortable, considerate, and professional.

What is the 12 second rule for emails?

Keep It Concise

Consider following the 12-second rule when it comes to writing an email. The 12-second rule helps you craft an email that gets to the point within the first 12 seconds, ultimately grabbing the recipient's attention as they quickly scan the content.

What would be poor email etiquette?

12 Unprofessional Bad Email Etiquette Examples. Not using someone's name in a message, especially if they have told you, or you already know it, can be very rude. You seem as though you haven't read the message or taken any notice of their details. Businesspeople send and receive emails all day long, every single day.

What are the two things you need to use an email?

To receive emails, you will need an email account and an email address. Also, if you want to send emails to other people, you will need to obtain their email addresses.

What are the 10 rules of email etiquette?

Rules for email etiquette

  • Use a clear, professional subject line. ...
  • Proofread every email you send. ...
  • Write your email before entering the recipient email address. ...
  • Double check you have the correct recipient. ...
  • Ensure you CC all relevant recipients. ...
  • You don't always have to "reply all" ...
  • Reply to your emails.

What are common BCC mistakes?

If you send bulk emails often, it's possible to accidentally carbon copy (CC) the recipients instead of BCC-ing them. You could also send a direct email to your recipients by mistake instead of BCC-ing them. In both instances, you can unknowingly reveal others' email addresses to unknown people.

Is BCC shady?

Yes, using BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) can be seen as sneaky or untrustworthy in many professional situations because it hides recipients, potentially creating a lack of transparency, but it's also useful for privacy in mass emails or for introductions where you want to spare someone clutter. Its "sneakiness" comes from hiding who else is reading, which can erode trust if used to copy a boss on a complaint or to gossip, but it's perfectly fine for sending newsletters or introducing people without cluttering inboxes. 

When should I avoid using CC?

You should avoid using "CC" in emails when someone needs to take action (use "To"), when sending sensitive info without consent, or to be passive-aggressive, to prevent inbox clutter, and always use {BCC} for large groups to protect privacy. When paying with a credit card (CC), avoid it for unsecured sites, emergency loans, or if you can't pay the balance in full to prevent debt and fees, and never use it for cash advances.