Email Sign-Offs: 60+ Professional Ways to End an Email (and Which to Avoid)

The safest professional email sign-offs are "Best regards", "Kind regards" and "Thanks". Use "Sincerely" or "Yours faithfully" for formal letters and job applications, "Best" or "Thanks" for everyday work email, and "Cheers" or "Talk soon" only with people you already know. Avoid abbreviations like "Thx" or "Rgds", anything romantic, and "Sent from my iPhone" as your only goodbye.

Below are 74 sign-offs grouped by situation, each with a note on tone and when it fits, followed by the ones to avoid, a three-question way to choose, international sign-offs, and a few funny ones for when humor is safe.

How to choose an email sign-off in 3 questions

You don't need to memorize a list. Ask yourself three things:

1. How well do I know this person? A stranger, a client or a hiring manager gets a formal or neutral sign-off. A colleague you message every day can get "Thanks" or "Cheers".
2. What is this email doing? Asking for something, thanking someone, delivering bad news and confirming a meeting all call for different endings. The sections below are organized this way.
3. What did they use? If someone signs off "Best" or "Cheers", you can match their level. If they write "Kind regards" with a full signature, stay at that level. Mirroring is the quickest way to get the tone right, and it works in any language.

When in doubt, go one step more formal than you think you need. Nobody has ever been offended by "Kind regards".

Formal email sign-offs

For first contact, senior people you don't know, legal or official matters, complaints and anything that might be printed or forwarded.

1. Sincerely: The standard formal close in the US. Right for cover letters, official requests and letters to people you've never met.
2. Yours sincerely: The UK and Commonwealth formal close when you know the recipient's name ("Dear Ms Patel").
3. Yours faithfully: The UK formal close when you don't know the name ("Dear Sir or Madam"). Rare in email now, but still expected in some formal British correspondence.
4. Very truly yours: A traditional US close used in legal and formal business letters. It reads as stiff in normal email.
5. Respectfully: For writing to someone in a position of authority: a judge, a government office, a military officer. Too much for everyday business.
6. Kind regards: Polite and warm without being personal. One of the safest choices in international business email.
7. Best regards: Slightly less formal than "Kind regards". Fine for clients, suppliers and colleagues in other departments.
8. With regards: A slightly old-fashioned variant of "Regards". Fine in formal contexts, especially in British and Indian English.

Neutral, everyday professional email closings

For the dozens of routine emails you send every week to colleagues, clients and suppliers.

9. Best: Short, neutral and widely used in US business email. Some people find it abrupt, but it rarely causes problems.
10. All the best: A little warmer than "Best". Works well at the end of a project or conversation.
11. Best wishes: Friendly and polite. Common in British English, and good for the end of an exchange.
12. Regards: Neutral and efficient. On its own after a tense email it can sound cold, so pick something warmer when the tone matters.
13. Thanks: The everyday workhorse. Use it whenever the reader is doing, reading or considering anything for you, which is most emails.
14. Thank you: A touch more formal than "Thanks". Good with clients and people you don't know well.
15. Speak soon: For when a call or meeting is already planned or likely.
16. Talk soon: The American equivalent of "Speak soon". Friendly and forward-looking.
17. Have a great week: Fine on a Monday or Tuesday, odd on a Friday afternoon.
18. Enjoy your weekend: Friday's natural sign-off for people you're on easy terms with.

Warm and friendly sign-offs

For clients you've worked with for a while, friendly contacts and anyone you'd greet with a smile in person.

19. Warm regards: The friendliest version of "Regards". Good for long-standing clients.
20. Warmly: Personal and kind. Suits thank-you notes, networking and community or nonprofit work.
21. Warm wishes: Gentle and seasonal-feeling. Nice around holidays or at the end of a year.
22. Cheers: Casual and positive. Everyday in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. In the US it can read as either breezy or slightly affected, so use it with people who already know you.
23. Take care: Kind for people you know. In a tense or formal exchange it can read as an ending rather than a farewell, so save it for friendly contexts.
24. Have a lovely day: Warm and simple. Common in British English.
25. See you soon: Only when you will actually see them soon.
26. Looking forward to catching up: For contacts you haven't spoken to in a while and plan to meet.

Grateful sign-offs (thank-you emails)

For when someone has helped you, made an introduction, given feedback or done you a favor.

27. Many thanks: Polite and slightly more emphatic than "Thanks". Common in British English.
28. Thanks so much: Warm and sincere for real help. Too much for routine requests.
29. Thank you for your help: Specific and clear. Good when the email is a reply to someone who solved a problem.
30. Much appreciated: Brief and friendly. Works with colleagues and suppliers.
31. Thanks again: For the second or third email in a thread where you've already thanked them once.
32. With gratitude: Heartfelt. Right for a big favor, a reference or a mentor's advice.
33. Gratefully: A softer, slightly formal version of "With gratitude".

When you're asking for something

A thankful close is the natural fit when you need a reply, a decision or a favor.

34. Thanks in advance: Clear and common. Some readers find it presumptuous because it thanks them for something they haven't agreed to, so use it for small, normal requests only.
35. Thanks for considering this: Polite for bigger asks where "no" is a real option: budget, time off, a partnership.
36. I appreciate your help with this: For requests that will take the other person some effort.
37. Thank you for looking into this: Good for support requests, complaints and anything where someone needs to investigate.
38. Looking forward to hearing from you: Signals you're expecting a reply without demanding one. Works in formal emails too.

Does a thankful sign-off actually get more replies? The most quoted data comes from Boomerang, an email productivity company, which analyzed more than 350,000 email threads from online community mailing lists and published the results on January 31, 2017. Emails ending with "Thanks in advance" got replies 65.7% of the time, "Thanks" 63.0%, and "Thank you" 57.9%, against a 47.5% baseline for all emails. "Kind regards" (53.9%), "Regards" (53.5%), "Best regards" (52.9%) and "Best" (51.2%) were all above the baseline but below the thankful closings. Two caveats: the emails were mostly people asking for help in community forums, not business correspondence, and the study is from 2017. Still, the direction makes sense. If you need something, saying thank you doesn't hurt.

Following up

For the second email when the first one got no answer. The sign-off should keep the door open without sounding impatient.

39. Looking forward to your thoughts: Invites a reply without pressure. Good for proposals and drafts.
40. Thanks again for your time: Useful after a meeting, call or interview.
41. Hoping to hear from you by Friday: Polite but specific. A deadline in the sign-off is clearer than a vague "soon".
42. Keen to hear what you think: Friendly and British-sounding. Works well for internal follow-ups.
43. Just let me know either way: Makes it easy to say no, which often gets you a faster answer.

After bad news or a difficult email

When you're apologizing, declining, delivering bad news or writing to someone going through a hard time, the sign-off should be calm and human. Skip exclamation marks and anything breezy.

44. With apologies: For when you or your company made a mistake. Pair it with a real fix in the email.
45. Thank you for your patience: After a delay you caused. It thanks them for something they've already done, which feels better than "Thank you for your understanding".
46. Thank you for your understanding: Common, but it can sound like you're telling them how to feel. Use it when the news is minor.
47. Wishing you all the best: For declining a candidate, ending a working relationship or saying goodbye on good terms.
48. With sympathy: For condolences. Keep the rest of the email short and sincere too.
49. Thinking of you: For a colleague or client dealing with illness or loss, when you know them personally.

Cover letters and job applications

Formal, but not stiff. Recruiters care more about the content than the sign-off; the job here is to avoid a wrong note.

50. Thank you for your consideration: The most common close for applications. Polite and to the point.
51. Thank you for your time and consideration: A little longer and warmer. Good after an interview.
52. I look forward to hearing from you: Confident without being pushy. Often used as the last line before "Sincerely".
53. With appreciation: A warm but formal alternative for thank-you emails after an interview.

"Sincerely", "Kind regards" and "Best regards" from the formal list also work well here. Avoid "Cheers", "Thanks!" and anything with an exclamation mark in a first application.

Sales and client emails

The sign-off is the last thing a prospect reads before deciding whether to reply. Keep it friendly and low-pressure.

54. Looking forward to connecting: For outreach and first conversations.
55. Happy to help: Positions you as useful, not pushy. Good after answering a question.
56. Speak Thursday: When a call is booked, naming the day doubles as a reminder.
57. Here when you're ready: For prospects who said "not now". It keeps the relationship open without chasing.
58. To your success: Upbeat and common in coaching and consulting. It can feel salesy, so use it only if it fits your voice.

Internal team emails

Inside a team, the sign-off matters less, and in fast threads it can be dropped entirely.

59. Thanks!: The exclamation mark makes it friendlier. Fine internally, careful externally.
60. Cheers: Common in British, Irish and Australian teams.
61. Shout if you need anything: Friendly and practical for handovers and updates.
62. Onwards: For the end of a project update or a team note after a setback.
63. Your initial only, like "J.": For quick back-and-forth with people who know you well.
64. No sign-off: Normal in quick replies inside an ongoing thread. Not for a first email.

International and cross-cultural email sign-offs

Formality varies a lot between countries. As a rough guide, US business email tends to be the most informal, British email is polite but relaxed ("Cheers" is fine with people you know), and German, French, Italian and Japanese business email often stays formal for longer. When writing in English to someone abroad, "Kind regards" or "Best regards" is the safest choice. When writing in their language, these are the standard closes:

65. Mit freundlichen Grüßen (German): The standard formal close. Expected in first contact and official emails.
66. Viele Grüße or Beste Grüße (German): Neutral to friendly, for people you're already corresponding with.
67. Cordialement (French): The everyday professional close in French email.
68. Bien à vous (French): Polite and slightly warmer. Common in Belgium and France.
69. Atentamente (Spanish): Formal, like "Sincerely".
70. Un saludo or Saludos (Spanish): Neutral and friendly, the everyday choice.
71. Cordiali saluti (Italian): The standard polite close.
72. Met vriendelijke groet (Dutch): The standard professional close in the Netherlands and Flanders.
73. Atenciosamente (Portuguese): Formal, common in Brazilian business email.
74. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu (Japanese, よろしくお願いします): Hard to translate: roughly "I appreciate your help and support". A very common closing line in Japanese business email.

If you only learn one rule: in German and French business email, don't switch to the casual form until the other person does.

Best regards alternatives

If "Best regards" feels worn out, here's what to use instead, depending on what you want to add:

Email sign-offs to avoid (and why)

Some sign-offs aren't wrong everywhere, but they cause problems often enough that it's easier not to use them in professional email.

• "Sent from my iPhone" (as the only sign-off): It tells the reader you didn't sign off at all. Replace it with a short mobile signature; see how for iPhone and the Outlook app.
• Thx, Rgds, BR, KR: Abbreviations save you two seconds and make the email look rushed. "BR" and "KR" also confuse readers who don't know them.
• Love, xoxo, Hugs: Fine for family. In work email, even between friends, they can be forwarded to people who will read them differently.
• Yours truly: Not wrong, but it sounds like a letter from another century, and some readers find it oddly personal.
• Have a blessed day: Well meant, but it assumes the reader shares your beliefs. Keep religion out of business email unless you know the reader.
• Awaiting your positive response: Presumes the answer, which can feel like pressure. "Looking forward to hearing from you" says the same thing politely.
• Respectfully, when you're disagreeing: In an argument, "Respectfully" often reads as the opposite.
• Regards, after a heated exchange: Cold and clipped. If the conversation is tense, a warmer close helps.
• Sincerely, in a two-line internal email: Too formal for a quick note to a colleague. It reads as distance or irony.
• Nothing at all, in a first email: Without a sign-off, a first message feels abrupt. Save the no-sign-off style for ongoing threads.

How to end an email: the line before the sign-off

The sign-off is not the only ending. The sentence just above it does most of the work. A strong last line tells the reader exactly what happens next:

• "Could you send the signed contract by Thursday?"
• "I'll call you on Monday at 10 a.m. to confirm."
• "No reply needed, this is just for your records."
• "Let me know if any of these dates work."

Avoid empty last lines like "Hope this helps!" or "Let me know if you have any questions" on every email. They're not wrong, but if you use them everywhere, readers stop noticing.

A few formatting conventions that make the ending look tidy:

• Capitalize only the first word. "Best regards", "Kind regards", "Thank you for your help". Not "Best Regards".
• Put a comma after the sign-off, then your name on the next line. This is the US and UK convention. Skipping the comma isn't a mistake in casual email, just be consistent.
• Don't add your name twice. If your signature starts with your full name, you can write just your first name under the sign-off, or let the signature do the job.

How the sign-off and your signature work together

Your email ending has three parts, from top to bottom:

Thanks for considering this,      ← sign-off
Kate                              ← your name (first name is enough)

Kate Morgan                       ← signature
Director, Morgan Plumbing Ltd
+44 20 7946 0000 · morganplumbing.co.uk

The sign-off sets the tone. The signature gives the facts: who you are, what you do and how to reach you. They should match. A warm "Talk soon" above a cluttered block of five phone numbers and a legal paragraph feels mismatched, and so does a formal "Yours sincerely" above a signature with a cartoon GIF.

Two practical tips:

• Type the sign-off yourself; don't bake it into the signature. Your signature should start with your name. If "Best regards" is part of the saved signature, it appears on every email, including the ones where "Thanks so much" or "With apologies" would fit far better.
• Use a separate short signature for replies if your app allows it. A full signature on every reply in a long thread adds clutter. Many email apps let you choose a different signature for new emails and replies.

If your signature is the weak part of the ending, our guide to professional email signatures covers what to include and what to cut. You can also make one in a couple of minutes with Signguin, a free email signature generator: type your work email and it pulls in your company logo, colors and contact details, then installs it straight into Gmail or gives you step-by-step paste instructions for Outlook and Apple Mail.

Funny email sign-offs (and when humor is safe)

Humor is safe when three things are true: you know the person, the email isn't about anything serious (money, complaints, bad news, legal matters), and you'd be comfortable if it got forwarded to their boss. If any one of those fails, use "Thanks" instead.

Fridays, internal team threads and long-running friendly client relationships are the usual safe zones. Some sign-offs that land well there:

• Stay hydrated: A friendly nudge for a team in a busy week.
• Yours in caffeine: For the early-morning or late-night email.
• Off to find more coffee: Same idea, a little more honest.
• Over and out: Good for the last email of a long thread that's finally resolved.
• Live long and prosper: For fellow Star Trek fans only. You'll know who they are.
• Signing off before the next meeting starts: Relatable in any office.
• Sent from my couch: For the work-from-home crowd, on an email that really was.
• Waddling off: Penguins can't fly, but they always look dressed for the meeting. Use it only if you're as relaxed about your sign-off as a penguin is about its tuxedo.

One more rule: a funny sign-off wears out fast if you use the same one every day. Keep it occasional.

FAQ

What is the most professional email sign-off?

"Kind regards" and "Best regards" are the safest professional sign-offs in English. They're polite, neutral and understood the same way in the US, the UK and internationally. For formal letters and job applications, "Sincerely" (US) or "Yours sincerely" (UK) is standard. For everyday work email, "Thanks" or "Best" is fine.

Is "Best" rude as an email sign-off?

No. "Best" is short for "Best wishes" or "All the best" and is widely used in US business email. Some people find it a little curt, especially in a first email or after a tense exchange. If you want to be safe, use "Best regards" or "All the best" instead.

Should I use "Thanks in advance"?

It's fine for small, normal requests, and a 2017 Boomerang study of community mailing lists found it had the highest reply rate of the closings it measured. Some readers find it presumptuous, though, because it thanks them for something they haven't agreed to. For bigger asks, "Thanks for considering this" is more polite.

Is "Cheers" professional?

In the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, "Cheers" is a normal, friendly sign-off for people you know. In the US it's less common and can come across as casual or slightly affected. Avoid it in first contact, job applications and formal emails anywhere.

Do you put a comma after the email sign-off?

Yes, in standard US and UK business email, the sign-off is followed by a comma and your name on the next line: "Kind regards," then "Kate". Capitalize only the first word. In very casual email some people skip the comma; it's not a mistake, but be consistent.

Should my sign-off be part of my email signature?

It's better not to. If "Best regards" is saved in your signature, it appears on every email, including the ones where "With apologies" or "Thanks so much" would fit better. Type the sign-off yourself and let the signature start with your name.

How do you end a formal email to someone you don't know?

Finish with a clear last sentence about the next step, then a formal sign-off: "Sincerely" in the US, "Yours sincerely" in the UK if you know their name, or "Kind regards" for international email. Follow it with your full name and a signature with your title, company and phone number.