How to write a formal email with 8 examples & template

Learn how to write a formal email including format, structure, greetings, body, and sign-offs with the help of our formal email examples and template.

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Formal emails play a crucial role in communicating information clearly and without errors in our business, professional and personal lives.

So, whether you're enquiring about an opportunity, inviting someone to an event, or resigning from a job, knowing how to write a formal email is an essential skill you need to know.

In this guide on how to write a formal email, we break down the process into simple steps. Then, we describe the ideal formal email format and provide a selection of business email templates examples that you can use as the basis for your correspondence. 

Writing formal emails has never been faster or easier, just use MailMaestro. Our smart email templates that write your email for you, like this:

What is a formal email?

A formal email is an email that you send to a person (or group of people) that you don't know or an important email that you are sending to a person in a position of authority – your boss, for example.

Emailing or messaging a close colleague or a friend can be done in a more informal way (here are some informal sample emails).

Writing a formal email is similar to writing a formal letter, with the same structure, salutations, and sign-off. They're free from spelling and grammatical errors, planned and written with a clear purpose.

Formal emails are polite, professional, and get straight to the point. They're 100% focused on an outcome, leaving no room for mistakes or misunderstandings.

Some examples of formal emails include:

  • Introducing yourself to a professional person that you don't know
  • Making a complaint
  • Resigning from a job
  • Offering an apology

You may be asking why, in a digital world, we still need formal emails? 

Many organizations and individuals have indeed shifted to communicating less formally. However, US researchers found this can cause problems in the workplace, contributing to what they describe as a growing risk of "incivility".

Organizations where individuals communicate formally, politely, and with respect are less likely to experience conflict, they say.

Formal emails have some influential friends. The Plain English Campaign has been calling for clarity in communication since 1979. "Remember that people are unlikely to be offended if you are too formal, but some may think you are being rude if you are too informal," they advise.

The solution? "Always think about the reader." 

We agree. If you know the person you are writing to, then you have the freedom to write more informally. If you don't know the person or the message you are sending is important, be formal. 

We've written before about the importance of professional communication. To learn more, check out our guide on how to write a professional email.

Why write a formal email?

"People tend to believe that they can communicate over email more effectively than they actually can," researchers at the American Psychological Association found. In a 2005 study, they performed a series of experiments and concluded that it's hard to convey emotion and tone over email. 

The reason? Because of our own "egocentrism," we're unable to detach ourselves from our perspective and see someone else's. 

Put simply, it's easy for misunderstandings to occur if we're too friendly or informal in our emails. The tone of voice may not be suitable for communicating vital information, too. 

Formal emails remove the potential for misunderstanding and misrepresentation. It's all about observing the correct business email etiquette.

A formal email has a clear purpose and treats the reader with respect. It's written in a standard way that travels across borders and cultures. 

Writing formal emails can benefit anyone in business, including leaders, says the influential Forbes columnist Benjamin Laker. Emails should be respectful of emotions and delivered with empathy. Most importantly, your email says a lot about your "personal brand". How do you want to be perceived?

A well-written formal email is polite and professional, two powerful brand attributes that will improve your brand and increase business success.

Formal email format

Creating great formal emails is very simple. There are just five parts to the perfect formal business email format:

  1. Subject 
  2. Greeting
  3. Opening lines & Body 
  4. Closing 
  5. Sign-off

Each piece of correspondence follows the same formal email structure, which means that once you've mastered it, you'll never need to change.

1. Formal email subject line

In business, time is money, so be brief.

Your subject line should be short and easy to understand. Tell your reader precisely what's in the message. The ideal formal email subject line is a few words: "Leave Request", "Meeting Request", or "Customer Complaint", for example. 

Formal email subject lines shouldn't attempt to be overly friendly or funny either. 

2. How to start a formal email

The formal way to start an email is to use 'Dear'.

It may seem old-fashioned or strange if you know the person, but it's about following some set rules that we've used for generations to communicate formally. Dear is a formal email salutation that continues to be used to this day.

If you know the person's gender, you can use what's called an honorific – Mr, Mrs, etc. – but we'd suggest simply using the full name if you have it. This advice may seem to contradict some of the older guides on formal writing, but it reflects broader changes in society.

If you want to know how not to open a formal email, avoid "Dear Sir/Madam" or stuffy-sounding collective terms such as "To whom it may concern".

3. Formal email greetings with no name

Suppose you're worried about how to write a formal email without knowing the name. In that case, you can use "Dear Sir/Madam" as a suitable substitute. This approach is practical, too, if you don't know how to address a formal email to a company.

When deciding how to start a formal email to multiple recipients, you have several options (in case you need it, here's our guide to remind you about how to use CC and BCC). For example, you can address the team ("Dear team"), collective ("Dear all", "Dear Colleagues"), or for events ("Greetings"). 

You can check out our guide on how to start an email. 

4. Formal email opening lines

There is no standard formal email opening. Instead, you'll have to decide what's appropriate for the communication and the context. 

If you don't know the person (or organization) you are writing to, it's polite to introduce yourself. However, if you know the person, you don't need to do this and can jump straight into the meat of your message.

We provide examples of several formal email opening sentences below. If you need some more email intro inspiration, read our article on best email opening lines.

We would advise against using empty phrases such as "I hope you are doing well" in a formal email. Such phrases are clichés that add nothing to a message, and you should avoid them.

5. Formal email body

So, you've engaged the recipient and introduced yourself (if required), now it's time to get to the point.  

We provide some examples below, but formal email communication should follow the Pyramid Principle. Developed by a leading executive at McKinsey, the Pyramid Principle states that you should start with the answer first and structure the information underneath it to support your argument.

In a formal email, the recipient will want to know what the message is about and why they should care about it. So, tell them!

You can see some examples below of how we address several examples. We also illustrate how to end a formal email, including common formal email closing sentences.

6. Formal email sign off

A formal email ending uses a specific ending (or a valediction to give it its formal name). Readers will be familiar with (and expect) formal ways to end an email.

In most cases, you'll use the formal email ending "Yours sincerely" if you know the name of the person you are writing to.

If you don't (or are writing to a group of people, for example), you'd typically end a formal email with "Yours faithfully".

However, there are changes in how to end an email formally. Examples of acceptable formal endings include "Sincerely", "Regards", and "With best wishes".

The best way to end a formal email depends on the individual, the context, and what you're communicating. In most cases, we'd suggest sticking with either "Yours sincerely", or "yours faithfully".

Are you struggling to find a fitting ending? See our in-depth guide on how to end an email. 

8 Formal email examples

To illustrate the points above, we've created a selection of formal email writing examples for situations you may encounter. 

While it can be helpful to see an example of a formal email, we don't recommend that you cut and paste these and use them yourself. You should tailor every formal email to your specific circumstances. Instead, use these as an essential guide to increasing understanding before creating your own – or using MailMaestro to write your emails for you.

1. Formal introduction email

There are several reasons you may want to introduce yourself formally. For example, you may inquire about a job vacancy, research opportunity or reach out to someone you want to ask for some advice. If you're struggling with how to introduce yourself via email formally, this one's for you. 

Check out our formal introduction email sample below for an example.

Subject Line: Requesting access to online tutorials
Dear Professor Stuart,

I'm a third-year student at the University of Oxford. I'm contacting you to request access to your online series of tutorials. I'm fascinated to listen and learn from you and believe these resources would support my current studies.

If you are willing to provide me access, please contact me here with the details. I await your reply.

Yours sincerely,
Sarah Thomas

2. Formal thank you email

After excellent service or support, it's polite to show your appreciation, but just how to thank in an email formal?

In this formal thank you email sample, we demonstrate how to construct a personal and positive reply that can be shared within an organization and externally with other clients or customers.

Subject line: Thank you for your hospitality
Dear Philip Rose,

I want to thank you for the hospitality you showed during a recent stay at your property. My partner and I enjoyed a fantastic break and would like to express our gratitude to you and your staff for all your hard work.

Please extend my warmest regards to your staff. We will be delighted to return in the future.

Yours sincerely,
Sarah Thomas

3. Formal resignation email

When resigning from a job, it's vital that you send a formal resignation email. The resignation not only notifies your employer that you are leaving but also acts as proof of your resignation date.

A formal email resignation can be short – in some cases, just one line. However, as you'll see in this formal resignation email sample, we've taken the time to show our appreciation to our employer.

Subject line: Notice of resignation
Dear Thomas Payne,

I am writing to inform you that I am resigning from my position of Head of Marketing.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to learn and develop in the organization, and I have enjoyed my time here. I'm willing to work with you to support the appointment of my successor.

You can contact me here at any point to discuss any support I may offer or any details you may need from me to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Yours sincerely,
Steve Welch

4. Formal invitation email for an event

Here's a formal invitation email sample sent to a group of colleagues. Every formal invitation email should include a clear subject line, all details about the event (including date, time, and location), and how people can RSVP.

Here's a formal invitation email for an evening event at business.

Subject line: Leaving event for Steve Welch – RSVP
Dear colleagues,

I want to invite you to an event we are holding for Steve Welch, our Head of Marketing who is leaving on 12 December. The event will take place between 7 pm – 12 pm on 12 December.

Numbers are limited, and guests will be required to RSVP before the event to ensure adequate space and refreshments.

If you would like to attend, RSVP to this email with any dietary requirements. If you cannot attend, we encourage you to send your messages of support for Steve before he leaves to start his new role.

Regards,
Mandy Smith

5. Formal complaint email

If you have received poor service or are disappointed with a product, a formal complaint email can raise awareness of your issues. In formal emails, it's important to state facts but to avoid becoming overly emotional.  

Here's an example of a formal complaint email.

Subject line: Customer complaint: 12 September
Dear Sir/Madam,

I am contacting you to complain about the service I received on 12 September. Your staff was rude and uncommunicative during my visit.

I have been a long-time user of your services and was disappointed that, on this occasion, you failed to live up to your typically high standards.

I want to request a formal apology and learn what you plan to do to avoid this happening in the future.

Yours faithfully,
Steve Roberts

6. Formal apology email

Composing a formal apology email can be challenging, but admitting a mistake has been made is crucial at limiting damage and restoring a relationship.

Here's a straight-to-the-point formal apology email sample from a company to deal with a customer who has made a complaint.

Subject line: Apologies for the service you received
Dear Steve Roberts,

My name is Ryan Davies, and I am a Customer Service Representative at XXX. I want to take this opportunity to formally apologize for the service you received on 12 September 2021.

Unfortunately, we failed to reach our high standards on this occasion. We have spoken with all team members involved and have reiterated the importance of customer service. I would like to assure you that this will not happen again.

You can contact me directly if you would like to discuss your complaint further. We have attached a voucher for ÂŁ10 for you to use on your next visit, to show our appreciation.

Sincerely,
Ryan Davies

7. Formal reminder email

If you're reading this, chances are you're a human, but if you're like us, that might mean your memory is that of a goldfish. We all forget things and sometimes all we need is a little nudge to remind us of something important.

Sending a formal reminder email is one of the most common emails you will send as a professional. So here's a formal email example to remind your manager about a vacation request before you take off on holiday:

Re: Vacation request for July
Hi Shiva,

I recently sent you a vacation request for the week of 1 July to 5 July. I'm looking to book a holiday with my family. I have talked to my team and made sure there is adequate cover for my clients during the leave. You can be in contact with Anne during my absence if needed.

Please can you confirm whether my leave request has been granted when you can? If you would like to discuss my request, please let me know as soon as you can.

Best,
Jack

8. Formal request email

Most of us ask for favors or request something on a daily basis. Here's a formal email example of how to so just that:

Subject line: Requesting help for upcoming project
Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Ram, and I'm contacting you from Book's and Pen's Agency.

I would like to request your help with a current project. See the proposal attached below.

I would appreciate it if you could let me know whether you can accommodate my request. Your expert advice and support will be invaluable to the project's success, and I eagerly await your reply.

Yours sincerely,
Ram Kulkarni

Want to write better formal emails? Try MailMaestro

Writing formal emails is simple if you follow our process. The formal email templates included in this blog post should provide a guide but should always be adapted and updated to reflect your specific circumstances.

However, there's an even easier way. MailMaestro is an AI writing tool that turns short instructions into ready-to-send emails and message.

If you're still struggling to find the right words for writing formal email, MailMaestro can help you get started and offer some inspiration – or even write the whole email for you with click of a button. As you can see from the example below:

Do you still wonder how to send a formal email? We hope not. The next time you are writing a formal email just keep these examples in mind and you can communicate with confidence.

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