Email Writing Guide

Write emails that look like they came from a real person — not an AI.

Good email hygiene improves deliverability, avoids spam filters, and gets responses.

Subject Lines

• - 40-60 characters — long subjects get truncated on mobile
• Be specific — "Q3 metrics review for Acme project" beats "Update"
• No ALL CAPS — spam filters penalize this heavily
• Avoid spam triggers — "free", "act now", "limited time", "click here", "urgent", "guaranteed", "no obligation"
• Match the tone — casual for teammates, professional for external contacts

HTML Body Structure

The --body argument in ravi email compose accepts HTML. Always use semantic tags — never pass plain text.

Note: --subject is only used with the compose command. Reply and forward commands auto-derive the subject from the original message (prepending Re: or Fwd:).

Do this:
CODEBLOCK0

Don't do this:
CODEBLOCK1

Rules:

• - Always wrap text in <p> tags
• Use <h2> for section headers (not <h1>)
• Use <ul>/<li> for lists, not dashes or asterisks
• Use <a href="...">descriptive text</a> for links — never bare URLs
• No <html>, <head>, or <body> wrapper tags — the email system adds these
• No <br> chains — use separate <p> tags instead
• Get the identity name with: INLINECODE16

Recommended Template

Copy-paste starting point for most emails:

CODEBLOCK2

Tone and Style

• - First person, active voice — "I'll send the report Monday" not "The report will be sent"
• Short paragraphs — 2-3 sentences max per <p> tag
• Get to the point — state your purpose in the first sentence
• End with an action item — "Can you review by Friday?" not "Let me know your thoughts"
• No filler phrases — cut "I hope this email finds you well", "Just wanted to touch base", "Per our previous conversation"
• No robotic language — cut "I am writing to inform you", "Please be advised", "Kindly note"
• Match the thread tone — if they're casual, be casual. If they're formal, be formal.

Anti-Spam Essentials

These rules help your emails land in the inbox, not spam:

• - High text-to-HTML ratio — more words, fewer tags. Don't over-format.
• No link shorteners — use full URLs. Spam filters distrust bit.ly, t.co, etc.
• Max 2-3 links per email — more links = higher spam score
• No ALL CAPS — not even for emphasis. Use <strong> instead.
• No image-only emails — always include text content
• One topic per email — don't cram multiple requests into one message
• Don't repeat yourself — saying the same thing in different words triggers spam heuristics

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Why it's bad	Do this instead
Plain text in INLINECODE19	Renders as one blob, no formatting	Wrap everything in <p> tags
INLINECODE21 chains

Looks spammy, inconsistent spacing | Use separate <p> tags | | "Dear Sir/Madam" | Outdated, signals mass email | Use the recipient's name or "Hi there" | | Wall of text | Nobody reads long emails | Break into 2-3 short paragraphs | | "Click here" links | Spam trigger, bad accessibility | <a href="...">descriptive text</a> | | Empty or vague subject | Low open rates, looks like spam | Be specific: "Invoice #1234 for January" | | Excessive HTML styling | High tag-to-text ratio triggers filters | Keep formatting minimal | | No signature | Looks impersonal, unprofessional | Sign with identity name | | "Sent by AI" disclaimers | Undermines trust, unnecessary | Just write naturally |

Related Skills

• - ravi-email-send — CLI commands for compose, reply, reply-all, and forward
• ravi-inbox — Read incoming email to understand what you're replying to
• ravi-identity — Get your identity name for email signatures
• ravi-feedback — Tell the Ravi team if email deliverability could be better