What is the best professional email sign-off?

For most professional situations, 'Best regards,' is the safest choice — it's warm enough to feel human but formal enough for any business context. 'Kind regards,' works similarly. For less formal but still professional emails, 'Best,' is widely accepted. The key is matching the formality to your relationship: mirror the other person's style and you'll almost never go wrong.

Is 'Best' a good email sign-off?

'Best,' is one of the most popular email sign-offs because it's short, universally acceptable, and tonally neutral. Some people find it too casual for initial outreach to executives or clients. Others find it too abrupt. But for day-to-day business email with people you've communicated with before, it's perfectly fine. Think of it as the jeans of email sign-offs — appropriate almost everywhere except the most formal occasions.

What email sign-off should I use for a client?

For new clients: 'Best regards,' or 'Kind regards,' — professional and respectful. For established clients: 'Best,' or 'Thanks,' — warmer and less stiff. After a good meeting: 'Looking forward to working together,' — shows enthusiasm. Key rule: start formal and match their energy as the relationship develops. If they switch to 'Cheers,' you can too.

What sign-off should I use in a follow-up email?

For follow-ups, use action-oriented sign-offs that keep the conversation open: 'Looking forward to your thoughts,' or 'Happy to discuss further,' or 'Let me know if you have any questions.' These gently signal that you're expecting a response without being pushy. Avoid 'Thanks in advance,' which can feel presumptuous.

Should I use the same sign-off for every email?

Having a default is fine — most people land on 'Best,' or 'Thanks,' for everyday email. But varying your sign-off based on context shows emotional intelligence and makes your emails feel less robotic. Save 'Sincerely,' for formal occasions, 'Cheers,' for casual teammates, and 'Looking forward to hearing from you,' for when you need a response. Variety keeps your emails feeling personal.

What email sign-offs should I avoid?

Avoid: 'Thanks in advance,' (presumptuous), 'Please advise' (it's a demand, not a sign-off), 'Sent from my iPhone' (remove this from your settings), 'XOXO' or 'Love,' (never in business), 'Yours truly,' (antiquated), and 'Thx' (too abbreviated, looks lazy). Also avoid overly long sign-offs that are basically a second email — keep it to one line.

What sign-off should I use in marketing emails?

Marketing emails work best with warm, personal sign-offs: 'Until next time,' 'Have a great day,' 'Cheers,' or something unique to your brand voice. Avoid stiff closings like 'Sincerely,' or 'Regards,' — they make newsletters feel corporate. The goal is to sound like a person, not a company. Many successful newsletters sign off with just a first name and no formal closing at all.

Should I include a comma after my sign-off?

If your sign-off is a phrase (not a complete sentence), add a comma: 'Best regards,' 'Thanks,' 'Cheers,' followed by your name on the next line. If it's a complete sentence, use appropriate punctuation: 'Looking forward to hearing from you.' or 'Have a great weekend!' Don't put a comma after a sentence-style sign-off — 'Have a great weekend,,' looks odd.

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Email Sign-Off Generator

Browse 40+ professional email sign-offs organized by tone and context. Filter by professional, friendly, casual, grateful, or creative. Includes situation-specific recommendations and a random picker for when you're stuck.

Find the Perfect Sign-Off

Tone

Context

42 sign-offs found

Best regards,

professional

Too formal for close colleagues.

Kind regards,

professional

Can feel stiff in casual teams.

Warm regards,

professional

Slightly warmer than 'best regards' — avoid if the email is terse or delivering bad news.

Sincerely,

professional

Can feel overly formal in modern business settings.

Respectfully,

professional

Can feel submissive. Use with genuine respect.

With appreciation,

professional

Avoid if you're not actually thanking someone.

Cordially,

professional

Feels very traditional. May seem out of touch in tech/startup culture.

Regards,

professional

Some find it cold — 'best regards' feels warmer.

Best,

friendly

Some consider it too casual for initial outreach.

All the best,

friendly

Can feel like a permanent goodbye in wrong context.

Cheers,

friendly

Avoid with senior executives unless you know them well. More common in UK/Australian culture.

Take care,

friendly

Can feel like you're ending the relationship.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

friendly

Pushy if used after the first email with no prior conversation.

Have a great day,

friendly

Feels generic. Use sparingly.

Have a wonderful week,

friendly

Awkward if sent on a Friday.

Enjoy your weekend,

friendly

Only works if sent on a Friday or Saturday.

Warmly,

friendly

Can feel too intimate for purely transactional emails.

With gratitude,

friendly

Save for when you're genuinely grateful — overuse cheapens it.

Thanks,

casual

Only use when there's something to actually thank for.

Thanks so much,

casual

Can feel sarcastic in the wrong context.

Thank you,

casual

Perfectly safe but can feel routine.

Talk soon,

casual

Don't use if you don't actually intend to talk soon.

Catch you later,

casual

Too casual for clients or formal situations.

More soon,

casual

Creates expectation of follow-up — only use if you will follow up.

Onward,

casual

Can feel overly motivational. Best after good news.

Until next time,

casual

Only works for recurring communications.

Thank you for your time,

grateful

Can feel like an ending. Use when wrapping up.

I appreciate your help,

grateful

Only when they actually helped or will help.

Thanks for your patience,

grateful

Use sparingly — overuse implies you're always slow.

Grateful for the opportunity,

grateful

Can feel desperate if used too early in a relationship.

Thanks for considering this,

grateful

Can undermine your position — you're implying they might say no.

Looking forward to your thoughts,

action

Assumes they will respond. Don't use if the ball isn't in their court.

Let me know if you have any questions,

action

Overused. Try to be more specific about what questions might arise.

Excited to get started,

action

Only if the project is actually confirmed.

Looking forward to working together,

action

Premature if the deal isn't closed yet.

Don't hesitate to reach out,

action

Overused in sales emails. Can feel like a template.

Happy to discuss further,

action

Good for keeping conversation open without being pushy.

Sent from a place of caffeinated optimism,

creative

Too quirky for most business contexts.

May your inbox be kind to you,

creative

Only works for email-related audiences.

Here's to fewer meetings,

creative

Don't use with someone who loves meetings.

Wishing you a productive day (whatever that means to you),

creative

Too informal for clients.

Go make something great,

creative

Can feel condescending from a manager.

Sign-Off Cheat Sheet by Situation

First email to a potential client

Good choices:

Best regards,Kind regards,Looking forward to hearing from you,

Avoid:

Cheers,Talk soon,Catch you later,

First impressions matter. Go professional until you gauge their communication style.

Email to your team

Good choices:

Thanks,Best,Cheers,

Avoid:

Sincerely,Respectfully,Cordially,

Internal emails should feel human, not like legal documents.

Follow-up after no response

Good choices:

Looking forward to your thoughts,Happy to discuss further,Thanks for your time,

Avoid:

Thanks,Best,

Re-open the door gently. Show you're available without being pushy.

Sending a proposal or pitch

Good choices:

Looking forward to your thoughts,Excited to get started,Happy to discuss further,

Avoid:

Thanks for considering this,Hope to hear back,

Be confident. Don't preemptively apologize or suggest they might say no.

Email to a senior executive

Good choices:

Best regards,Thank you for your time,Respectfully,

Avoid:

Cheers,Catch you later,Talk soon,

Match their expected formality. You can become casual once they set the tone.

Friday afternoon email

Good choices:

Enjoy your weekend,Have a great weekend,Best,

Avoid:

Looking forward to hearing from you,Excited to get started,

Nobody wants urgency on a Friday. Wish them well and circle back Monday.

Newsletter / Marketing email

Good choices:

Until next time,Have a great day,May your inbox be kind to you,

Avoid:

Sincerely,Respectfully,Regards,

Newsletters should feel personal and warm, not corporate.

Apology or bad news email

Good choices:

Thank you for your understanding,With appreciation,Sincerely,

Avoid:

Cheers,Have a great day,Onward,

Match the gravity of the message. Don't be cheerful when delivering bad news.

Sign-Offs to Never Use (Seriously)

"Sent from my iPhone"

Not a sign-off, it's an excuse for typos. Looks lazy. Remove it from your phone settings.

"XOXO"

Unless you're emailing family. In any business context, this is wildly inappropriate.

"Thx"

Looks like you couldn't be bothered to type four more characters. Write 'Thanks' or nothing.

"Best wishes"

Sounds like a greeting card. Fine for actual occasions (birthdays, holidays), weird for business.

"Yours truly,"

Unless you're writing a letter from the 1800s. It sounds antiquated in modern email.

"Love,"

Reserved for personal relationships. Never appropriate in business email, period.

"Thanks in advance,"

Presumes they'll do what you asked. Can feel entitled and passive-aggressive.

"Please advise"

Not a sign-off. It's a demand disguised as politeness. Ask a specific question instead.

Pro Tips for Email Sign-Offs

Match the recipient's energy

If they sign off with 'Cheers,' you can too. If they use 'Best regards,' mirror it. Matching their style builds rapport.

Be consistent within a thread

Don't start with 'Sincerely,' then switch to 'Cheers,' then 'Thanks.' Pick one tone for the thread.

Drop the sign-off in rapid back-and-forth

If you're going back and forth like a chat, you don't need a sign-off on every reply. Just respond naturally.

Your sign-off is part of your brand

For marketing emails and newsletters, your sign-off sets the tone. Consistent sign-offs become part of how readers remember you.

Don't use a comma if your sign-off is a sentence

'Looking forward to hearing from you,' ends with a comma. 'Have a great weekend!' ends with punctuation. Don't mix these up.

Consider no sign-off at all

In casual internal emails, just ending after your last sentence is perfectly fine. Not every email needs a formal closing.

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About this tool

The way you end an email matters more than most people think. Your sign-off is the last thing the recipient reads — it sets the emotional tone of your entire message. "Sincerely" in a casual team thread feels weirdly formal. "Cheers" in a first email to a CEO feels too familiar. Getting it right is subtle but important.

This tool gives you 40+ curated sign-offs organized by tone (professional, friendly, casual, grateful, action-oriented, creative) and context (client emails, internal team, first contact, follow-ups, newsletters). Filter to find exactly the right closing for your situation, or hit "Pick Random" when you're stuck in a rut of using "Best," for every email.

Looking for help with other parts of your emails? Our subject line tester helps you craft better opening lines, and our preview text generator optimizes what shows up in the inbox preview. For the complete email signature below your sign-off, check our email signature generator.

If you're writing marketing emails, your sign-off is part of your brand voice. Keep it consistent across campaigns — your subscribers should feel like they know who's writing. Learn more about building that relationship with automated email sequences.

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