80 Best Email Opening Lines to Grab Readers’ Attention

“I hope this email finds you well…” We’ve all seen that line more times than we can count. But let’s be honest: how often does it make you want to keep reading?

Generic email opening lines like this don’t spark curiosity or connection. To grab readers’ attention, they should feel personal and intentional—especially if you’re hoping for a reply or prompting an action. But what happens when inspiration hits a wall?

In this guide, we share some great email opening lines that break the ice, along with tips to nail yours. Whether you’re writing a personal message, a cold outreach email, or a friendly reminder, you’ll find examples that actually work.

Why Compelling Email Opening Lines Are Important

While an email subject line can affect open rates, your email opening lines can impact engagement, responses, and conversions. They matter even more when you’re reaching out to new contacts—whether it’s cold sales emails, job applications, or other first-touch communications.

Here are some of the benefits of crafting engaging email opening sentences that align with your goals:

• Grab recipients’ attention: Well-crafted opening lines builds anticipation and motivate recipients to keep reading.
• Set the tone: The first line frames the message and signals what kind of content the reader can expect.
• Drive engagement: Well-written and personalized email openers are more engaging and stand out faster than generic alternatives.
• Make a strong first impression: A personalized greeting shows you’ve put in effort and makes readers more willing to engage.
• Increase responses and conversions: A unique opening line can encourage recipients to act, whether that’s replying, clicking, or converting.

Whether you’re emailing prospects, co-workers, or other professional contacts, making the extra effort to craft thoughtful opening lines can unlock new opportunities. An AI writer can save you time if you type the right prompts—as can real-world examples.

List Of Email Opening Sentences for Different Purposes

Ready to make a great first impression? If you need inspiration, check out these effective email opening lines, suitable for various tone of voices and communication types:

Formal email opening lines

When contacting people in positions of authority, such as government officials, lawyers, employers, or professors, stick with formal etiquette. Common use cases include sending job applications, seeking professional advice, or searching for new business development opportunities.

These opening lines are usually stiffer due to the nature of these communications. Maintain a formal tone and mention the purpose of your email right away to clear the air. If you don’t know the recipient’s name, start your email with “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir\Madam”:

Here are some good email opening lines that fit that category:

• My name is [Your name] and I am writing to request information regarding [Topic].
• I am writing to apply for the job position [Add title] found on LinkedIn.
• You are cordially invited to our event [Event name] on [Date]—please find attached your invitation.
• I would like to express my gratitude for your quick response after our previous conversation on [Date].
• I am contacting with regards to [Topic], after talking to our mutual connection [Name].
• I would like to book a call at your earliest convenience to discuss [Topic].
• I am excited to announce a positive update that took place after our last communication on [Date].
• I am pleased to announce that I submitted my proposal and look forward to receiving your feedback.
• I hope you have had a pleasant day so far; let me introduce myself briefly.
• I would like to express my disappointment with a service I recently received from [Company name].

Professional email opening lines

Not all professional emails need to be official—especially if you’re sending to partners, customers, or external contacts you want to network or collaborate with. These business email opening lines have a professional tone but are less impersonal.

You can combine them with email greetings such as “Hello” or “Good morning,” followed by the recipient’s name. As for email sign-offs, “Best regards” is a good closure line.

Have a look:

• I appreciate your expertise, and I’d love to get your thoughts on [Topic].
• I would like to give you an update on [Topic], following up on our conversation on [Date].
• I am [Name] from [Company name] and I have a quick request for [Topic].
• I’d love to get some feedback regarding [Topic]—can we schedule a meeting for next week?
• Thanks for reaching out after our quick chat the other day.
• I’m glad to hear about [Achievement]—congrats!
• Just a quick heads up before our next meeting about [Topic].
• Quick question: do you have a final date for [Event/Proposal]?
• It’s been a while since our last contact—what about a quick call next week to discuss business updates?
• I’m reaching out after a conversation with our mutual connection [Name]—are you available to jump on a quick call to discuss collaboration opportunities?

Informal email opening lines

What email opening lines work best when contacting colleagues, long-term partners, or peers who don’t require formalities to get hooked? Since these recipients are warmed up, you can start with “I hope you’re well” and similar phrases before moving on to the gist of the email.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Hope you had a great weekend—I just want to touch base on [Topic].
• Hello from the other side. Could you help me with [Topic]?
• I’ve got some great news to share. Are you ready?
• I’m so happy to connect with you again.
• I saw a social media post that reminded me of our last conversation.
• Hey you! I need your input on [Topic]. Can we chat?
• What’s going on? I’m sorry to hear that [Issue].
• Weekend is coming (hooray!), one more question to go!
• Thanks for sending this info—it was so helpful.
• It’s me again! Do you have a clear estimate of [Date/Event]?

Cold email opening lines

Cold emails often get lost in the noise of busy inboxes—and busy recipients, too. The first element that attracts a reader’s attention is usually the subject line. But once they open the email, an effective opening line is necessary to keep them engaged.

Many professionals start by introducing themselves briefly, adding a hook related to the purpose of the email. For instance, they include pain points the reader experiences and how their services can help, invitations to an event, or social proof via a mutual connection to earn readers’ trust.

Check out these email opening line examples and tailor them based on your needs:

• I was referred to you by [Referral’s name], and I would like to introduce myself and my company briefly.
• I saw your LinkedIn profile and noticed [Shared expertise]—would you like to schedule a short meeting to discuss how [Company] can help you with [Pain points]?
• I’m [Name], [Job position] at [Company name]. I recently read your report on [Source/Topic] and found it extremely insightful.
• Just listened to your podcast and heard that you prioritize [Process] as a business.
• Ever wondered how to thrive in [Process] without wasting a huge budget along the way?
• We see a great opportunity for collaboration in [Specific area]—would you like to chat?
• We’re hosting a networking event next week and would love for you to attend.
• We’re collecting testimonials from valued customers and would appreciate your thoughts on [Product/Service].
• I wanted to introduce you to our [Service], which has helped companies like yours achieve [Specific benefit].

Sales email opening lines

Do you want to inform customers or prospects about a new product launch or a promotional activity? These marketing emails need effective opening lines to move them fast to checkout.

Here are some suggestions for different purposes, such as sales, cross-selling, and lead nurturing:

• We’re excited to announce our latest product [Name], which could massively improve [Specific Process].
• I am [Name] from [Company], and I’d love to schedule a demo to show you how [Product] can improve [Process] and benefit your business.
• We have an exclusive offer on [Product/Service] we thought you’d love to claim.
• We’re offering a free 15-minute consultation to explain how our products can help improve [Specific process].
• I’m reaching out to inform you about an upgrade to our product [Name] and how it can help you meet your goals.
• Based on your interests so far, I think you’ll find our product [Name] beneficial and handy.
• Be the first to experience our new [Product] and get free shipping until [Date].
• Last call for a great deal—claim a [%] discount on [Product] by [Date] to boost your seasonal savings.
• Looking for a new solution to tackle [Pain point]? We offer you a 30-day free trial to test [Product] and see if it fits you.
• I made a short video to show you how [Product] can help you tackle [Pain point] and improve your day-to-day tasks.

Follow-up email opening lines

What happens if recipients don’t respond to your email campaigns? This is a common scenario, especially with cold and sales emails. Subscribers step into chaotic inboxes every day, and skipping some unread messages is normal.

Let’s see some follow-up email openings to give your campaign a second chance:

• Following up on our last conversation, I would like to share a new solution for [Process] our company has exceled in—here’s a case study.
• Here’s a quick follow-up in case my previous email got lost in an endless ocean of messages.
• Did you get the chance to review my proposal?
• I wanted to follow-up on our last conversation about [Topic/Service].
• Just following up on our discussion about a potential future collaboration.
• Just a quick follow-up after our event—did you get any insights you’d like to discuss regarding [Topic/Product]?
• I know life can get busy, so here’s a follow-up on my last email.
• Circling back to see if you had the time to check my report.
• Let me know if there’s a better date and time to discuss [Topic].
• Just a quick reminder to complete our survey—your opinion matters.

Friendly email opening lines

Do you want to send polite emails to customers, colleagues, and partners or begin conversations in a more friendly tone? You can start these emails the way you would greet someone you know well, asking them how they are—but in a more eye-catching way.

Check out these suggestions and tailor them based on your needs. If you want a splash of color, add a smiley emoji:

• I hope this email finds you in good spirits 😊
• I have a great idea and there’s nobody that can help me more than you to make it work.
• I hope you’ve had a great week so far.
• This article made me think of you—how is it going?
• It was amazing chatting with you the other day.
• Thanks so much for helping me with [Process]—it wouldn’t be the same without you.
• It’s been a while since our last chat—do you want to jump on a quick call next Thursday? ☕
• I hope you had a wonderful holiday off! Let’s do something today to return smoothly to office life.
• The weekend is coming, but can we check one final thing?
• It was amazing to see you at the event–what did you think of it?

Funny email opening lines

Let’s admit it, reading emails all day long can get boring. But with the right twists and turns, you can make your messages a reading delight. Add humorous phrases sticking to your tone of voice and take recipients into consideration.

These tweaks are safe for long-term contacts and colleagues, but they’re not suitable for formal communications. Let’s see some examples:

• I hope this email finds you. Period.
• Ping! Did you miss my questions already?
• See you now alligator (yes, it’s a bit urgent!)
• TGIF—but not yet, I have one more question to shoot you.
• I hope this email finds you well, away from never-ending Zoom meetings.
• I’m just looking forward to connecting and sharing memes with you.
• Sorry for messing up your inbox cleanliness, but I must ask. 🧹
• TGIM…said no-one ever.
• Have you had your coffee?
• Just another email that could have been a meeting—let’s chat!

Best Practices for Attention-Grabbing Email Opening Lines

If you want to create an email opening line from scratch or ensure that your copy is effective, check out these do’s and dont’s:

Email opening line do’s

✅Use personal or behavioral data, such as recipient’s name or touchpoints to write a targeted email opening line, relevant to the reader.

✅ Help readers understand your email purpose with clear copy and set expectations to engage them.

✅ Ensure that the subject and email opening lines align to create a cohesive experience, focusing on email purpose (e.g., pain points, event invitation, etc.).

✅ Build anticipation around the email to grab and hold readers’ attention using hook lines or questions.

✅ Consider cultural differences—people from certain cultures and countries are used to more formal language and may get confused with casual openers.

✅ When reaching out to someone for the first time, make a brief introduction of you and your company.

Email opening lines dont’s

❌Avoid generic and cliche greetings—write original copy to reach up to readers’ expectations.

❌ Don’t send messages “en masse”—prefer more personalized opening lines using customer data to meet your goals.

❌ Avoid sounding aggressive. While urgency and assertiveness can put you extra points in readers’ eyes, sounding too pushy can repel them.

❌ Don’t use unprofessional language; consider the context each time, otherwise you might confuse, or annoy, readers.

Turn Email Opening Emails into Ice Breakers

Do you remember the best email opening lines you’ve ever read? Browse through email salutations you found unique to unveil their secret formula and replicate it.

We hope you gave you the inspiration you needed to start your emails with grace. We haven’t seen them, but we already love them.