Email subject lines: 130 examples by purpose, and the rules that get them opened

The subject line decides whether anyone reads the rest of your email. It has to say what's inside, sound like you, and be worth a tap on a phone screen full of other messages. All in a few words.

This guide gives you a large set of email subject lines, grouped by the job each email does: welcome, sale, abandoned cart, re-engagement, product launch, newsletter, B2B and SaaS, and cold email. Every subject line below is an example written for this guide. Swap in your own products, numbers and voice, and treat them as starting points, not formulas. After the lists, you'll find the principles that make any subject line work: length, preview text, personalization, avoiding spam-like habits, and A/B testing.

What makes a good email subject line

Before the examples, a quick test you can run on any subject line. A good one does at least three of these:

• Says what's inside. The reader can guess the content before opening.
• Gives a reason to open now. A deadline, a new arrival, something only for them.
• Sounds like the sender. A playful brand can joke; a law firm probably shouldn't.
• Is specific. "Linen shirts are back in sand and olive" beats "New arrivals!"
• Keeps its promise. What's in the subject line is in the email. That's also a legal requirement: the FTC's CAN-SPAM compliance guide says the subject line "must accurately reflect the content of the message."

Placeholders in square brackets, like [Product] or [first name], mark what you fill in.

Welcome email subject lines

The welcome email is the one new subscribers expect, so you don't need tricks. Confirm they're in, deliver what you promised at sign-up, and set expectations.

1. Welcome in. Here's your 10% code
2. You're on the list, [first name]
3. Your discount code is inside, as promised
4. Thanks for joining. Start here
5. Welcome to [Brand]: what to expect from us
6. The 3 products our customers reorder most
7. Nice to meet you. A quick hello from the founder
8. Your guide to [Brand] in 2 minutes
9. Here's the free guide you asked for
10. One question before we start
11. You're in. First order ships free
12. Welcome. Here's how we make [product category]

If you send a welcome series rather than a single email, see welcome email examples for full copy for every step.

Sale and promotion subject lines

For sales, clarity beats cleverness. Put the offer and the deadline in the subject line so people who scan their inbox still get the message.

1. 20% off everything until Sunday
2. Our summer sale starts now
3. Free shipping on every order, this weekend only
4. Last day: 25% off ends at midnight
5. Buy one, get one half off on [category]
6. Early access for subscribers starts today
7. The sale you asked about is here
8. Prices drop on [Product] for 48 hours
9. Your members-only price is ready
10. Everything under $30, ending tonight
11. Final hours to save on [category]
12. Restocked and on sale: [Product]
13. A gift for you: $10 off orders over $50
14. Our once-a-year sale, now on
15. Spend more, save more, through Friday

Make the deadline real. If "last chance" isn't actually the last chance, readers learn to ignore it, and the FTC's guidance against deceptive subject lines applies to claims like this too.

Abandoned cart subject lines

Abandoned cart emails go to people who were close to buying. Name the product, keep the tone helpful, and save any offer for a later email.

1. You left something in your cart
2. Still thinking about [Product]?
3. Your cart is saved, whenever you're ready
4. [Product] is waiting for you
5. Did something go wrong at checkout?
6. Questions about sizing? We can help
7. Your cart, one click away
8. Free returns on the [Product] in your cart
9. [Product] is selling fast. Your cart is still here
10. Still interested? Here's 10% off your cart
11. Last reminder about your cart
12. We're clearing saved carts soon

The abandoned cart email examples guide has a longer list by timing step, plus full copy for each email.

Re-engagement and win-back subject lines

These go to subscribers who haven't opened or clicked in a while, or customers who haven't ordered in months. Be honest about why you're writing, and make it easy to leave.

1. It's been a while, [first name]
2. Do you still want to hear from us?
3. Here's what's new since your last visit
4. We'd love you back: 15% off your next order
5. Should we stop emailing you?
6. Your favorite, [Product], is back in stock
7. Still on the list? Click to stay
8. A few things changed. Here's what's better
9. Time to restock your [Product]?
10. We miss you (and we have a small gift)
11. Last email unless you want more

A re-engagement email that asks "do you still want to hear from us?" is also a list-cleaning tool. People who don't respond can be removed, which helps protect your sender reputation.

Product launch subject lines

Launches are news. Lead with what's new and why it matters, not with adjectives.

1. Introducing [Product]: [one-line benefit]
2. It's here: [Product] is available today
3. New: [Product] in three colors
4. You asked, we made it
5. Meet the lighter version of [Product]
6. Subscribers first: [Product] launches tomorrow
7. The [Product] waitlist is open
8. Now shipping: [Product]
9. Our biggest update this year
10. [Product], redesigned from scratch
11. Small batch, limited run: [Product]
12. New flavor alert: [flavor]

Newsletter subject lines

Newsletters compete with everything else in the inbox every week. Give each issue a reason to open: the best story, a number, a question, a useful tip.

1. 5 ways to style one linen shirt
2. This month: new arrivals and a recipe
3. The mistake most people make with [topic]
4. What we learned shipping [number] orders
5. Your weekly [topic] roundup
6. How [Product] is made, step by step
7. Three reader questions, answered
8. The tool we use every single day
9. Behind the scenes: our new studio
10. A quick tip for [season]
11. What's trending in [category] this month
12. Your [month] [topic] checklist
13. One recipe, three ways

B2B and SaaS subject lines

B2B and SaaS emails go to people at work. They want to know what the email helps them do, quickly. Lifecycle emails such as onboarding and trial reminders benefit from plain, functional subject lines.

1. Your account is ready. Here's step one
2. Finish setting up [Product] in 5 minutes
3. Your trial ends in 3 days
4. You haven't connected [integration] yet
5. New in [Product]: [feature]
6. Your [month] usage report
7. How teams use [feature] to save time
8. Invite your team to [Product]
9. Your plan renews on [date]
10. Webinar: [topic], [date]
11. A quicker way to [task]
12. Three shortcuts most users miss
13. Your workspace has 2 pending invites
14. What changed in [Product] this month

For more on lifecycle email triggered by product events, see SaaS lifecycle email.

Cold email subject lines

Cold email is different. The reader doesn't know you, so the subject line should look like an ordinary note from one person to another. Short, lowercase, and specific to them. Avoid anything that looks like a campaign.

1. quick question about [Company]
2. [Company] + [your company]
3. idea for [their team]
4. [mutual connection] suggested I reach out
5. your post about [topic]
6. hiring for [role]?
7. [Company]'s [process]
8. question about your [tool] setup
9. thoughts on [their recent launch]
10. worth a chat?
11. [first name], a quick idea
12. re-thinking [their pain point]
13. following up

Two rules for cold email subject lines. Never fake a reply or forward: Google's email sender guidelines say not to start subject lines with "Re:" or "Fwd:" unless the message really is a reply or forward. And keep the subject line honest about the email's purpose. For full sequences, see cold email templates.

Seasonal and event subject lines

28 more for the calendar moments most stores plan around.

1. Black Friday starts now. Everything 25% off
2. Our Black Friday sale, a day early for you
3. Cyber Monday: the last day of our biggest sale
4. Gift ideas under $50
5. Order by [date] for delivery before the holidays
6. Last shipping day for holiday delivery
7. Gift cards, delivered instantly
8. New year, new [category] essentials
9. Valentine's gifts they'll actually use
10. For Mother's Day: gifts she'll love
11. Father's Day ideas, ready to ship
12. Back-to-school essentials, all in one place
13. Summer is here. So is our summer edit
14. Spring cleaning? Start with [category]
15. Halloween treats (no tricks)
16. Thank you for a great year
17. Your year with [Brand], in numbers
18. It's our birthday, and you get the gift
19. A small thank-you on your 1-year anniversary
20. Happy birthday, [first name]. Here's a treat
21. Weekend plans? Shop the [category] edit
22. Rain in the forecast. Stay dry with [Product]
23. Doors open: our pop-up in [city]
24. Your invitation to our customer event
25. Preorders open for [season]
26. Small Business Saturday: shop independent
27. Sale ends at midnight, your time
28. The countdown starts now

How long should an email subject line be?

There is no single right length, but there is a practical rule: put the meaning in the first few words. Phones cut subject lines off, and where they cut depends on the email app, the device, the screen size and the font. A subject line that only makes sense at the end will often lose its ending.

Practical habits:

• Front-load the key word. "20% off linen shirts, ends Sunday" survives truncation; "Don't miss what we have for you this weekend: 20% off linen" doesn't.
• Cut filler. "Just wanted to let you know that" adds nothing.
• Preview on a phone. Send a test to your own phone before every campaign and read it in the inbox list, not in the opened email.
• Don't force a length. A clear 9-word subject line beats a vague 3-word one.

Preview text: the second subject line

Most email apps show a line of text after the subject line, taken from the start of the email. If you don't set it, readers see whatever comes first in your email. Often that's "View in browser" or an image alt text.

Write it on purpose. The preview text should extend the subject line, not repeat it.

Personalization that goes beyond first names

Adding [first name] is the easiest personalization, and it can work, but it comes with two risks. If the field is empty, you send "Hi ," to part of your list. And when every brand does it, it stops standing out.

• Always set a fallback. "Hi there" or no greeting at all, when the name is missing.
• Personalize with behavior. The product someone viewed, the category they buy, the plan they're on. "Your [Product] is back in stock" is more personal than any first name.
• Use location and time carefully. Local events, weather and shipping cut-offs work if your data is accurate.
• Don't make it creepy. Referencing something the reader didn't knowingly share with you can backfire.

Avoiding spam-trigger habits

Lists of "spam trigger words" are mostly folklore. Mailbox providers decide on reputation: whether your domain is authenticated, whether people open and keep your mail, and how often they report it as spam. Google's sender guidelines ask senders to keep the spam rate reported in Postmaster Tools below 0.3%, and recommend staying below 0.1%.

The subject line habits that do cause trouble are those that look misleading or make readers hit "Report spam":

• Misleading subject lines. A fake "Re:" or "Fwd:", a fake order confirmation, a claim the email doesn't back up. The FTC's CAN-SPAM guide says plainly: "Don't use deceptive subject lines."
• ALL CAPS and stacked punctuation. "FREE!!! LAST CHANCE!!!" looks like spam to people, and people are the ones who click "Report spam."
• Constant false urgency. If every email is "final hours", readers stop believing you.
• Emoji overload. One emoji can add tone. Five look like noise, and emoji can render differently across devices.
• A mismatch with the sender name. The From name and subject line should clearly come from the same brand.

If your emails are landing in spam even with clean subject lines, the cause is almost always elsewhere: authentication, list quality or complaint rates. The email deliverability guide walks through the fixes.

How to A/B test subject lines

An A/B test sends two subject lines to two small, random parts of your list, then sends the winner to everyone else. Done well, it tells you what your audience responds to. Done badly, it produces noise.

1. Test one thing at a time. Offer in the subject vs. no offer. Question vs. statement. Product name vs. benefit. If you change three things, you won't know which one mattered.
2. Write a hypothesis first. "Naming the product will beat a generic reminder" is something you can learn from.
3. Pick the winning metric before sending. Opens are no longer reliable on their own, because Apple Mail Privacy Protection can load emails automatically, which can count as an open whether or not the person read it. Clicks, or orders after a click, are a sounder measure.
4. Use a big enough test group. With small lists, differences are often random. If your list is small, run the same comparison across several campaigns before drawing a conclusion.
5. Keep a log. Write down each test, the result and what you'll do differently. Patterns across 10 tests are worth more than any single win.

Writing subject lines in EterMail

EterMail is our product, an AI email marketing platform for ecommerce, SaaS and apps. When you ask the AI for a campaign draft, it suggests subject line options in your brand's voice, and you edit or replace them before approving. Campaigns support subject line A/B tests: a share of the audience receives each subject, and the version with more clicks goes to everyone else. Campaigns can also go out at the same local time in each subscriber's time zone. A person on your team approves every send. See AI email marketing for how drafting and approval work.

FAQ

What is a good email subject line?

A good subject line tells the reader what's inside, gives a reason to open now, and sounds like your brand. It is specific ("Linen shirts are back in sand and olive") rather than generic ("New arrivals!"). Above all, it is accurate: the email must deliver what the subject line promises.

How many characters should an email subject line be?

There is no universal number, because each email app and device cuts subject lines off at a different point. Put the key words at the start so the meaning survives truncation, and check how the subject line looks on your own phone before sending. A clear longer subject line is better than a vague short one.

Do emojis in subject lines help or hurt?

Neither, in general: it depends on your brand and audience. One relevant emoji can add tone or draw the eye, while several in a row look like spam. Emoji also render differently across devices, so preview the email on more than one before sending.

What words should you avoid in email subject lines?

No single word sends an email to spam on its own; filters weigh your sender reputation, authentication and complaint rate. What you should avoid are misleading subject lines, such as a fake "Re:" or a promise the email doesn't keep, plus all caps and stacks of exclamation marks. The FTC's CAN-SPAM guidance prohibits deceptive subject lines.

How do you A/B test email subject lines?

Write two versions that differ in one thing, send each to a small random share of your list, and send the winner to the rest. Decide the winning metric in advance; clicks are more reliable than opens because of Apple Mail Privacy Protection. On small lists, repeat the test across several campaigns before trusting the result.

Should the preview text repeat the subject line?

No. The preview text is the line that appears after the subject line in most inboxes, and repeating the subject wastes it. Use it to add a detail the subject line didn't have room for, such as "No code needed" or "Returns are free."