Briefle words · Writing & copy
Subject line
The one-line headline of an email, shown in the inbox, which decides whether and when the recipient opens it.
Say it to an AI
Email to my manager asking him to approve $1,440 for 6 design tool seats by Friday. Write it BLUF: the ask, amount and deadline in the subject line and first sentence, then two or three sentences of why. Keep the body under 110 words.
How an expert would brief the stronger version of “Budget approval email”.
See it
Try it as a puzzle →A design lead emails her busy manager to get a small purchase approved before a deadline.
Why: B's 'Approval needed by Fri: $1,440 for 6 design seats' works on its own; A's 'Design tool licenses update' sounds like an FYI that can wait.
More ways experts use it
Short email from me to Marcus, the Android lead, asking to move the 4.2 release from Tue, Oct 6 to Thu, Oct 8 because QA failed on payments. Subject line should be the specific ask, front-loaded, phrased as a question with version and date in it.
Release date change email · Writing & copy
Related words
Room 1 · Essentials
Learn “Subject line” in a five-minute lesson