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Write subject lines people actually open

The subject line is the only part of your email most people ever see. A few small habits reliably lift open rates without resorting to clickbait.

You can craft the perfect email and still get ignored — because the subject line is the gatekeeper. Here's what consistently moves the needle.

Keep it short and specific

Most inboxes truncate around 40–50 characters on mobile. Front-load the value:

  • Weak: "An update about the new features we've been working on this quarter"
  • Better: "3 new ways to segment your contacts"

Write like a human

Sentence case, no ALL CAPS, and skip the exclamation-point pileup. Curiosity beats hype:

  1. Ask a real question your reader has.
  2. Hint at a concrete number or outcome.
  3. Personalize when you actually have the data — never fake it.

Test, don't guess

Send two variants to a small slice of your list and let the open rate pick the winner. Small, honest experiments beat one clever guess every time.

The best subject line is the one that tells the truth in the fewest words.