10 golden rules of email sign-offs (plus 100+ ideas)
Marta and Renata, Legal team
When ending an email, most people type "Best," hit send, and move on. It's the path of least resistance, but it’s costing you replies.
Your email's closing line is the last thing a reader sees before they decide what to do next. Reply, ignore, file for later, or click something.
Just like email preheaders or P.S. statements, it's a small detail that can have a big impact. And yet, it's one of the most overlooked parts of any newsletter.
This guide covers everything: what makes a great email sign-off, how to choose the right one for every situation, and 100+ ready-to-use examples you can steal today.
What is an email sign-off?
An email sign-off is how you wrap up your email or newsletter, after sharing your message. The usual components of an email sign-off include:
A sign-off message (e.g. Have a great day)
Your name
Your contact details
Links to your social media profiles
A logo
A profile picture
Here’s a simple email sign-off we created for an imaginary company called Foreign Rooftops. After a final call to action (CTA), we close with the message “Have a lovely day”, followed by a signature and links to the brand’s website and social media profiles.
Why your email sign-off matters
Email is the most effective marketing channel on the planet because it is personal. If you lose that personal element by omitting a sign-off, you lose some of the secret sauce.
Here are 3 reasons why email sign-offs are more important than you might think:
They add a personal touch: When subscribers can attach a name and a face to your newsletter, it will build an instant connection (read more about how to personalize your emails).
Your audience can easily connect with you: Sharing your contact and social media details is a surefire way to get more interaction with your subscribers. It makes you and your brand even more accessible.
You could inspire action: Ending your email with a well-positioned link or CTA could inspire your subscribers to click through and convert.
Yep, that small section at the end of your email newsletter really does pull its weight! In fact, around 80% of survey respondents claimed that a branded email signature increased their trust in the sender, and is an important part of a company’s brand identity.
The 10 golden rules of email sign-offs
Your email sign-off should resonate with your audience, and stay with them even after they’ve read your email. Here are 10 practical tips for creating your email sign-off.
1. Make it personal
Personal sign-offs make you much more human and relatable. You’re no longer a faceless organization: you’re a real person that your subscribers can connect with.
When you’re wrapping up your email, think about how you can add warmth and brand authenticity to your sign-off.
For example, check out the example author email we created below, where the author shares a reel of photos in his signature to better connect with his subscribers.
Pro tip: He also embedded social media icons, which is a great way to involve his subscribers on other channels as well! Combining the forces of social media and email is a great way to grow your email list even further.
2. Reinforce your brand voice
Your brand voice is the way that you speak to your audience, and the content of your email ending needs to reflect that. It makes you stand out, and it reminds people what you’re all about.
Before designing your email closing, think about what kind of tone you want to create.
A formal sign-off is very different to something you would send to a close friend! For example, the abbreviation “XOXO” or “thx” would not be an appropriate ending for a corporate business email.
However, something like this could be perfect for a modern makeup brand like the email example we created below.
3. Share your name and a profile picture
It helps when people can match a name and a face to the email they’re reading, but surprisingly, only 5% of professional email signatures include a profile photo.
Just by adding a photo, it’s a safe bet that you’re already standing out from the crowd.
At MailerLite, all our emails are signed off with a profile picture of the colleague who’s sending the email. If it’s being sent from a team, then we have a team photo attached.
Here you can see the email sign-off from our Customer Education specialist, Harmony.
4. Try a handwritten sign-off
These sign-offs have all the charm of a handwritten letter.
By sharing your signature with the world, you’re marking the newsletter as your own, and again adding a nice personal touch to the end of your email. It could even become the hallmark of your brand over time.
Pro tip: To add your handwritten sign-off, write it out on a piece of white paper. Either scan or photograph it, save it in .png or .jpg format, and then insert it into the body of your email. You can play with the contrast, crop it and resize it however you like.
Here's how we use a handwritten signature in the MailerLite weekly newsletter.
5. Include your contact information
If you want to have a higher response rate from your subscribers, then you need to make it super easy for them to follow up with you.
Insert your phone number, and/or your postal address, and/or a link to your online contact form, and/or your email address (if it’s different from the address that you’re sending the newsletter from).
Check out the email sign-off example we created below, where an email from a writing website includes their email address for queries, their UK and US phone lines for people who want to reach out, plus, a contact form.
6. Add a P.S. line after your sign-off
You might have noticed that we often include a P.S. line at the end of our weekly newsletters, and that’s because we found they generate surprisingly high click rates.
Inserting a P.S. line after your sign-off is your last chance to share important links and information, and a lot of your subscribers will be sure to check it out.
Here’s a P.S. on our product marketing email from our colleague Kerry, urging readers to check out our Custom reports feature.
7. Consider using a CTA
Your sign-off is also your last chance to get your subscribers to convert before they leave the email newsletter.
You could include a CTA button for them to download a workbook, sign up for an event or buy a digital product, for example.
Check out the prominent CTA button for downloading a free meal-planning workbook that we created for the email below.
Pro tip: If you aren’t sure, you can always fine-tune your approach with A/B testing. For example, you could test to see whether a CTA button or CTA anchor text gains more conversions in your sign-off.
8. Rethink the sign-off placement
Who says your sign-off needs to be at the end of your email?
If you want to mix things up a little, you could add a little note at the beginning of the email, just like Hard Graft did in the example below.
Their signature sets the tone for the rest of the newsletter, just like an editor’s note at the start of a magazine.
9. Make sure the overall design matches with your branding
When you’re designing your email sign-off, make sure it matches with your overall style and color scheme.
You could incorporate logos, emoticons, illustrations, videos and anything else you like, just so long as it complements your style!
This email sign-off we created for a fictitious wellness blog incorporates the blog’s aesthetics of neutral color scheme and fun fonts, so that it flows with the rest of the email (more tips about blogging success here).
Pro tip: Emails that end with some form of “thank you” receive much higher responses than other sign-offs.
10. Be unique
At the end of the day, we can all follow the same format for our email sign-offs… Or we can go wild and try something different!
Remember that it’s ok to think outside the box and try something else (as long as it matches your brand and your target audience). It will make your email even more memorable.
This email ending from an online tote bag brand that we created is a great example. The company finishes off its marketing emails with a series of positive life sayings. The brand is surely ending its newsletters on a high note!
100+ email sign-offs you can use
Whether you’re writing a formal email or a relaxed newsletter, here are 72 of the best email sign-offs to use. As long as it’s tailored to your audience, the sky's the limit!
Formal (use for first contact, legal, or executive emails)
Sincerely
Respectfully
Yours faithfully (use when you don't know the recipient's name)
Yours sincerely (use when you know the recipient's name)
With respect
With appreciation
Everyday business (safe for almost anyone)
Best regards
Kind regards
Warm regards
All the best
Best wishes
With gratitude
Many thanks
Thank you
Thanks again
Regards (neutral; fine for professional use, but colder than "Kind regards")
Warm professional (suitable for established relationships, friendly industries)
Thanks so much
Cheers (common in the UK, AU, and Canada; use cautiously in US corporate settings)
Hope this helps
Looking forward to connecting
Until next time
Casual and friendly sign-offs (suitable for teammates, colleagues, and anyone you'd happily grab coffee with)
Thanks!
Take care
Talk soon
Catch you later
Have a good one
Speak soon
Until next time
Stay well
See you then
Hope your week is going well
Enjoy your weekend
Warm email sign-offs (use in newsletters, client relationships, and anyone you want to feel genuinely seen)
Warmly
With warmth
With care
Wishing you well
Sending good vibes
With appreciation and warmth
Here for you
Looking forward to staying in touch
With thanks and good wishes
Rooting for you
Creative and unique email sign-offs (works well in marketing emails, newsletters, and community communications)
Over and out
Onwards!
Until the next chapter
Your fellow inbox survivor
Signing off from [city] with ☀️
Caffeinated and ready
Wishing you more wins than losses this week
Go get 'em
Onward and upward
Here's to good things ahead
May your inbox be kind to you
Cheering you on
Your favorite [writer/creator/marketer]
Until next time, take care of yourself
Funny email sign-offs (use sparingly and only when you're confident the recipient will appreciate the tone)
Later, alligator
May the odds be ever in your favor
Now, where's my coffee?
If you need me, I'll be at the beach
Phew. That took longer than expected
Thanks for reading to the very end
drops mic
If you noticed any typos, it was definitely autocorrect
Sending digital high-fives
Over and out—actual rocket scientist not included
TTYL (but in a professional way)
Warmly, and with caffeine
For job applications (go formal, spell everything correctly, and don't try to be clever)
Sincerely
Best regards
Kind regards
Respectfully
With appreciation for your time
Thank you for your consideration
I look forward to hearing from you
Yours faithfully (if you don't know the hiring manager's name)
For sales and cold outreach (imply a next step or express genuine enthusiasm without pressure)
Looking forward to your thoughts
Let me know if you'd like to explore this further
Happy to jump on a quick call
Excited to hear what you think
Talk soon
Here to help
Let me know either way, no pressure
More than happy to answer any questions
Hope we get to work together
For follow-up emails (signal urgency without coming across as passive-aggressive)
Just wanted to make sure this didn't get buried
Happy to answer any questions that might have come up
Let me know if the timing works better
Looking forward to hearing from you when you have a moment
Always here if you need anything
For internal and colleague emails (keep it light)
Thanks
Cheers
Let me know!
Talk soon
Appreciate it
All good, let me know if you need anything
Thanks for jumping on this
Have a great rest of your day
For apology emails (reinforce accountability and sincerity without any jarring note of brightness)
Again, my sincere apologies
Thank you for your patience and understanding
I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to make this right
With genuine regret
I'm committed to doing better; thank you for understanding
For condolences and sensitive messages (simple, warm, unhurried)
With deepest sympathy
Thinking of you
With heartfelt condolences
Wishing you peace
With care
I'm here if you need anything at all
For holiday and out-of-office emails (warmer and more festive than usual)
Happy holidays and a wonderful new year
Wishing you a restful break
See you on the other side of the holidays
Enjoy every moment of the break — you've earned it
Until next year!
Happy [holiday] from all of us at [Company]
Gen Z email sign-offs: How the new generation closes emails
Gen Z's approach to email closing lines reflects their broader communication style: direct, authentic, and a little less concerned with performing professionalism for its own sake.
Research has found that the most common sign-off among Gen Z professionals is simply "Thanks", efficient and zero-fuss. Many also drop the sign-off entirely in ongoing threads, treating them like chat messages once rapport is established.
What you're less likely to see from a Gen Z sender: "Yours faithfully," "Respectfully yours," or anything that reads like it was lifted from a 1987 business writing guide.
What you might be seeing more of:
Best (brief, no-frills)
Thanks! (warm, conversational)
Talk soon (assumes a relationship)
Take care (genuine over formal)
Catch you later (casual, confident)
Have a good one (neutral warmth)
Signing off with just their first name
The occasional emoji in very informal or internal threads
Gen Z professionals aren't reckless about this. Research consistently shows they're more anxious about email formality than older generations. The informal sign-offs you see reflect a deliberate choice, not a lack of awareness. When the stakes are high (a first email to a client, a message to senior leadership), most Gen Z professionals will default to something standard.
Generational comparison at a glance:
| Generation | Typical default sign-off | Style tendency |
|---|---|---|
| Boomers | Sincerely / Best regards | Formal, consistent |
| Gen X | Best / Regards | Professional with some flexibility |
| Millenials | Thanks / Cheers / Best | Friendly, context-dependent |
| Gen Z | Thanks / [First name] / nothing in threads | Authentic, relationship-driven |
The difference between email sign-off vs. email signature
Your email sign-off is the closing phrase: "Best regards," "Thanks," "Talk soon." It's personal and should change based on context.
Your email signature is the block of information that follows: your full name, job title, company, contact details, social links, and sometimes a logo, legal disclaimer, or headshot. It stays consistent across most emails and serves as a reference point for the recipient.
A common mistake is treating the signature as a substitute for a sign-off. Just because your name appears in the signature block doesn't mean you can skip the closing phrase. The two serve different purposes, and removing the sign-off makes an email feel abrupt even when the signature is right there.
How to create an email signature with MailerLite
Now it’s time for you to create your own sign-off!
There are 3 customizable signature blocks to choose from in the MailerLite drag & drop editor. Go to the section named Special on the left-hand side of the editor and then choose between Aligned signature, Centered signature, or Digital signature.
Choose your favorite signature block, then drag and drop it into your newsletter.
Click on the pencil icon on the border of the block to edit it.
A settings menu will open on the right side of the editor. Here, you’ll be able to edit the image, text and signature to your liking.
Et voilà, your email sign-off is ready to go out into the world!
Signing off
Over to you! It’s time to tap into one of your most underrated email marketing tools and wrap up your email in a memorable way.
✅ Target audience: Make sure the tone is relevant
✅ Design: Keep the sign-off colors and styles consistent
✅ Inspire action: Add your contact details, a CTA and/or a P.S. line
✅ Personalize: Use photos and signatures to add a personal touch
✅ Be unique: Don’t be afraid to try something different
Follow these email sign-off hacks to ensure your subscribers remember you long after they leave your email!
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is an email sign-off?
A: An email sign-off is the short closing phrase placed before your name at the end of an email, for example, "Best regards," "Thank you," or "Sincerely." It signals the end of your message and sets the tone for how you want to be remembered.
Q: What are the best professional email sign-offs?
A: For most professional contexts, "Best regards," "Kind regards," and "Thank you" are the safest and most universally effective options. For formal first contact, "Sincerely" is the gold standard. For warm professional relationships, "Warm regards" or simply "Best" work well.
Q: What's the difference between an email sign-off and an email signature?
A: The sign-off is the closing phrase (e.g., "Kind regards"). The signature is the block of contact information that follows it: your name, title, company, phone number, and any links. They appear together but serve different purposes.
Q: Are casual email sign-offs appropriate for work?
A: Yes, but in the right context. For internal emails, messages to close colleagues, or communications in casual company cultures, sign-offs like "Thanks," "Cheers," and "Talk soon" are widely accepted and often preferred. The key is reading the relationship and the situation.
Q: Which email sign-off has the highest response rate?
A: According to studies, sign-offs that include a form of "thanks" consistently achieve higher response rates than neutral or absent sign-offs. Emails with no sign-off tend to receive the fewest replies.
Q: What email sign-offs should I avoid?
A: Avoid anything with no sign-off at all, passive-aggressive phrases like "Per my last email" or "Awaiting your response," and tone-deaf cheerful closings on serious messages. "Regards" alone can read as cold with people you know. Abbreviations like "Thx" signal low effort. Ending with just your name consistently ranks as the most passive-aggressive thing you can do in a workplace inbox.
Q: How do Gen Z professionals sign off emails?
A: Gen Z defaults to simple, authentic closings: "Thanks," "Best," "Talk soon," or sometimes just their first name. In ongoing threads, they often drop the sign-off entirely, treating it more like a chat conversation. In formal contexts, they'll match the expected level of professionalism.
Q: Should the sign-off match the greeting?
A: Not exactly, but they should be in the same tonal register. If you open with "Dear Ms. Patel," close with "Sincerely" or "Best regards,” not "Cheers." If you open with "Hey Sam," you have more room to be casual.
