The way you close an email shapes how the recipient feels about the entire message. A thoughtful sign-off reinforces your professionalism, personality, and relationship with the reader. Whether you need a buttoned-up closing for a client proposal, a casual send-off for a teammate, or something funny to make someone smile, this guide has you covered with over 100 options for every situation.
Your email closing is the last thing someone reads before deciding how to feel about your message. Research shows that emails with a professional sign-off receive higher response rates than those that end abruptly. The closing sets the emotional tone: “Best regards” says you are competent and polite, “Cheers” says you are friendly and approachable, and “Sent from my carrier pigeon” says you do not take yourself too seriously.
Your sign-off also works in tandem with your email signature. The closing is the human part (the words you choose), while the signature is the branded block below it (your name, title, contact info, and logo). Together, they create a polished, professional ending that reinforces who you are.
These closings work in any professional context: client emails, first introductions, formal proposals, and cross-company correspondence.
“Sincerely”
The gold standard for formal correspondence. Best for first-contact emails, legal communication, and cover letters.
“Best regards”
The most widely used professional closing. Safe for virtually any business email.
“Kind regards”
Slightly warmer than "Best regards" while remaining fully professional. Popular in the UK and Europe.
“Respectfully”
Conveys deference and formality. Ideal for government, military, and hierarchical organizations.
“With appreciation”
Shows gratitude without being as casual as "Thanks". Great for emails where someone has helped you.
“Yours faithfully”
Traditional British English closing for letters to someone whose name you do not know. Rarely used in American English.
“Cordially”
Formal yet warm. Works well for invitations, event-related emails, and diplomatic correspondence.
“Best”
Short, clean, and universally understood. The most common closing in everyday business email.
“Warm regards”
Adds a personal touch while staying professional. Good for ongoing client relationships.
“Thank you”
Appropriate when you are making a request or acknowledging someone's effort.
“Many thanks”
A slightly warmer variant of "Thank you". Common in British business English.
“With thanks”
Concise and polite. Works well at the end of emails requesting action.
“Looking forward to hearing from you”
Signals that you expect a reply. Use it when the next step depends on the recipient.
“Please don't hesitate to reach out”
Invites further conversation. Good for sales, support, and relationship-building emails.
“Happy to discuss further”
Shows openness without being pushy. Ideal for proposals and follow-ups.
“Talk soon”
Casual but professional. Works when you have an established relationship and expect to speak again.
“All the best”
Warm and genuine. A versatile closing that works in most professional contexts.
For teammates, colleagues you know well, and internal communications. These closings are friendly and relaxed without being unprofessional.
“Cheers”
Relaxed and friendly. Popular in British, Australian, and startup cultures.
“Take care”
Warm and personal without being unprofessional. Great for signing off with teammates.
“Have a great weekend”
Context-appropriate for Friday emails. Shows you are a human, not a robot.
“Catch you later”
Very informal. Reserve for close colleagues and internal Slack-style email threads.
“Until next time”
Gives a sense of continuity. Works well after meetings or collaborative sessions.
“TTYL”
Extremely casual. Only appropriate for close colleagues in very informal workplaces.
“Onwards!”
Energetic and forward-looking. Good for team emails after a milestone or decision.
“Stay awesome”
Fun and encouraging. Works in creative, startup, or team-building contexts.
“High five”
Celebratory and informal. Use after a win or positive news.
“Enjoy your day”
Friendly and thoughtful. A nice alternative to "Have a great day" without being generic.
“Peace out”
Very casual. Best for close friends or extremely informal workplace cultures.
“Later!”
Quick and breezy. Only for people you email frequently in informal settings.
When the situation allows for it, a funny sign-off makes your emails memorable. Use these with people who will appreciate the humor. See our full list of funny email signatures and sign-offs for even more ideas.
“Sent from my carrier pigeon”
A playful spin on the classic "Sent from my iPhone" tagline.
“Digitally yours”
A modern twist on "Yours sincerely" that acknowledges the medium.
“May the force be with you”
A Star Wars reference that works in geeky, creative, and tech environments.
“Live long and prosper”
The Vulcan salute for Star Trek fans. A safe pop culture reference.
“Warmly (but not in a creepy way)”
Self-aware humor that pokes fun at the awkwardness of email closings.
“Typos courtesy of my cat”
Relatable for remote workers. A charming excuse for any errors.
“Respectfully, unless you disagree”
A tongue-in-cheek take on professional formality.
“Sent from the future”
Light sci-fi humor. Works especially well in tech and innovation spaces.
“Over and out”
Military radio style. Simple, funny, and universally understood.
“May your coffee be strong and your Mondays be short”
A universally relatable office wish.
“Your favorite coworker”
Cheeky and confident. Best used with people who actually like you.
“I'll be here all week”
Classic stand-up comedy closer. Works after a particularly witty email.
“Written by a human (probably)”
An AI-era joke that gets a knowing smile in tech circles.
“Allegedly professional”
Self-deprecating humor that works in casual creative environments.
“Ctrl+S and out”
A developer-friendly sign-off that will land with technical teams.
These sign-offs can undermine your professionalism or make the recipient uncomfortable. Steer clear in business contexts.
“Thx”
Abbreviating "Thanks" saves you two characters and costs you credibility. It reads as lazy and disrespectful, especially in professional settings.
“Sent from my iPhone”
As an intentional sign-off (not the auto-generated one), this signals that you did not care enough to write a real closing. Remove the auto-generated version too if you can.
“XOXO”
Hugs and kisses have no place in business email. Even in casual workplaces, this crosses a professional boundary.
“Love”
Reserve this for personal emails to friends and family. In a work context, it creates discomfort regardless of intent.
“Yours truly”
This is not inherently bad, but it reads as old-fashioned and overly intimate in modern business email. "Best regards" communicates the same thing without the awkwardness.
“[Nothing at all]”
Ending an initial email with no closing feels abrupt and impersonal. It is fine in ongoing threads, but for first emails, always include a sign-off.
“Blessings”
Unless you work for a religious organization, this can feel presumptuous. The recipient may not share your beliefs.
“Ciao”
Using foreign-language closings when it is not your native language can come across as affected. Stick to closings that feel natural to you.
Your sign-off and your email signature should feel like they belong together. A formal “Sincerely” above a playful, colorful signature creates a disconnect. Similarly, a casual “Cheers” above a stiff corporate signature with a legal disclaimer feels off.
Match the tone: if your signature is clean and minimal (name, title, phone), pair it with a professional or semi-formal closing. If your signature includes a headshot, social links, and a CTA banner, you have more room for warmth and personality in your closing.
Not sure where to start? Use our free email signature generator to create a professional signature, then pick a closing from this guide that matches the style. For teams, BrandFooter ensures everyone uses consistent signatures so the only variable is the human touch of the closing.
Common questions about email closings and sign-offs.
"Best regards" is widely considered the safest, most universally professional email closing. It strikes the right balance between formal and approachable, works in every industry, and is understood across cultures. If you need something more formal for legal, government, or first-contact emails, "Sincerely" or "Respectfully" are strong alternatives.
"Best" on its own is perfectly acceptable for day-to-day business communication with colleagues, clients you have an existing relationship with, and internal emails. It only feels too informal in highly regulated industries (law, finance) or when writing to someone for the very first time in a formal context. When in doubt, use "Best regards" instead.
Use "Thank you" when the recipient has actually done something you are grateful for, or when you are making a request. It feels natural and sincere in those contexts. Avoid using it as a default closing for every email, since it can feel hollow when there is nothing to thank someone for. "Thanks" is a slightly more casual variant that works well in ongoing threads.
In short, back-and-forth email threads, dropping the closing is common and generally acceptable. The conversation has already been established, and adding "Best regards" to every reply can feel stilted. However, for initial emails, formal correspondence, or messages to people you do not know well, always include a closing. It signals professionalism and intentionality.
It depends on your workplace culture and your relationship with the recipient. In creative agencies, startups, and informal teams, a witty sign-off can reinforce your personality and make emails more memorable. In client-facing roles, legal settings, or when emailing someone for the first time, stick to a professional closing. Read the room before adding humor.
Your email closing (sign-off) is the text you type before your name, like "Best regards" or "Thanks". Your email signature is the formatted block below that with your name, title, contact info, and branding. They work together: the closing sets the tone, and the signature provides the professional details. A polished signature can make even a simple "Best" look professional.
A great closing deserves a great signature below it. Create a polished, HTML email signature in under 60 seconds. Free for individuals, no account required.