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eMail Etiquette


  • If you know the person or use his/her first name when face to face, it is acceptable to use "Dear Mary" or "Mary" or no salutation at all, in your opening line in your email. If the person is a stranger or is addressed by "Miss/Mrs/Ms/Mr.", then use "Dear Mr. Smith" in your email.
  • Use a signature, if your email program allows it. It is recommended to use your name and email address in your signature. If you are writing on behalf of a business, be sure to include your title and the name of your company, in addition to your name.
  • If you are answering an email, don't start a new one for your reply. Use the reply feature in your email program. It is best to include only the important parts of the original message. Delete the unimportant material and insert your answers/remarks within the original message. This will refresh the recipient's memory as to why the correspondence is taking place. Hint: If you press the reply key first and then delete the unimportant parts of the original message, the lines of the original message will appear with quotes (>). This will allow the reader to differentiate the original message from your reply.
  • Be attentive when using the reply feature. Most email programs have a "reply to all" button. If you use that, then all the people on the original address line will get a copy of your reply. Sometimes you want everyone to see your reply, other times you may not.
  • If you don't want the recipients to know you are sending a copy to a specific person(s), enter that person(s) name in the BCC (blind carbon copy) field.
  • Be careful what you say in an email. If you work for a company, the network administrators can read your mail. You may accidentally address your message to the wrong person and maybe what you say in your email is confidential.
  • Remember that reading from a screen is more difficult than reading from paper. Use short paragraphs and blank lines between each paragraph.
  • Use meaningful subject lines. It gives the reader a better clue as to what you are writing about. If you are announcing a meeting, put "Managers Meeting Sept 14th" as the subject, rather than saying "Important Announcement".
  • Be sure to include as much detail as possible in your email. For example, when asking for technical help on a software program, you must tell
    The copyright of the article eMail Etiquette in Internet Communication is owned by Maureen Fleury. Permission to republish eMail Etiquette in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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