Write Subject Lines That Get Opened

A good subject line is 6-10 words, clearly states the email's purpose, and gives the reader a reason to open. The best ones are specific, relevant to the recipient, and create genuine curiosity — without clickbait. Numbers, questions, and personalization all help.

Aim for 6-10 words or 30-50 characters. Most email clients truncate around 50-60 characters on desktop and even shorter on mobile. Front-load the important words so your key message shows even when cut off.

Avoid spam triggers like "free," "act now," "limited time," "congratulations," and "click here." Skip ALL CAPS and excessive punctuation (!!!). These land emails in spam folders and erode trust with recipients.

Personalize with the recipient's name or company, reference something specific about their work, and keep it short. Questions and numbers perform well. Avoid generic openers like "Quick question" — be direct about the value you're offering.

Subject lines are the single biggest factor in open rates. 47% of recipients decide to open based solely on the subject line. A strong one can double or triple your open rate compared to a generic subject, especially for cold outreach and newsletters.