Professional Email Closing Lines
A professional email closing line should finish the message’s purpose before the sign-off. It can summarize the next step, invite a specific response, or offer appropriate thanks, while the separate sign-off handles the formal close.
Examples include: “Please send the revised file by Thursday,” “I appreciate your help with the handover,” or “I look forward to discussing the proposal on Monday.”
Key details
Important caveats
Gratitude Boundary
Thank the recipient when there is something specific to acknowledge; do not use gratitude to imply that an optional request has already been accepted.
Signoff Boundary
The closing line is part of the message body; the sign-off such as “Best regards” or “Sincerely” is a separate element.
Further guidance
Next Step
If action is needed, use the final line to make the requested next step or timing clear.
Practical Application
Use the final body sentence to finish the email’s purpose: state the next step, requested response, deadline, or appropriate thanks before the separate sign-off.
Reader Check
Check whether the reader knows what happens next without having to infer it from the sign-off. Do not treat “Best regards” or “Sincerely” as the closing line itself.
Worked Example
Action close: “Please send the revised file by Thursday.” Appreciation close: “I appreciate your help with the handover.” Then add the sign-off separately.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- How to End an Email — Closing Lines & Sign-Offs (opens in a new tab)Scribbr · Email closing context and sign-off guidance
- Professional Email Etiquette for Work (opens in a new tab)The Emily Post Institute · Professional email structure, greeting, closing and tone guidance