Subject lines that tell the reader what to do

“Update”, “Following up” and “Quick question” tell the reader almost nothing. They cannot prioritise the email from the inbox, and they cannot find it next month with a search.

A simple pattern

Action + topic + date (when relevant). For example: “Approval needed: revised delivery date — by Thu 4 PM”, “FYI: September invoices sent to client”, “Decision: vendor shortlist for support tool”.

• Start with the type of email: Approval needed, Decision, FYI, Input requested, Reminder.
• Name the specific topic, not the project in general.
• Include the deadline if the reader must act by a certain time.
• Update the subject when the thread changes topic, instead of replying under an old one.

Keep it consistent across a team

When a team agrees on a handful of prefixes, inboxes become sortable and searchable for everyone. It is one of the smallest changes with the most visible effect in day-to-day communication.

Examples in this guide are fictional and written for teaching — not client material or measured results.