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:

<p>Opening line that states the purpose.</p>

<p>Supporting details in a second paragraph.</p>

<ul>
  <li>Key point one</li>
  <li>Key point two</li>
</ul>

<p>Closing with a clear next step or ask.</p>

<p>Best,<br>IDENTITY_NAME</p>

Don't do this:

Plain text with no tags at all

Or this:<br><br>Using br chains<br><br>instead of paragraphs

Rules:

• Always wrap text in

  tags

• Use

  for section headers (not

  )

• Use
  /
  • for lists, not dashes or asterisks
  • Use descriptive text for links — never bare URLs
  • No , , or wrapper tags — the email system adds these
  • No
chains — use separate

    tags instead

  • Get the identity name with: ravi auth status

  Recommended Template

  Copy-paste starting point for most emails:

  ravi email compose \
    --to "recipient@example.com" \
    --subject "Specific subject under 60 chars" \
    --body "<p>Hi Alex,</p><p>I'm reaching out about [specific topic]. [One sentence of context.]</p><p>[Core message — what you need, what you're sharing, or what you're asking.]</p><ul><li>[Key point or action item]</li><li>[Key point or action item]</li></ul><p>[Clear next step — what should the recipient do?]</p><p>Best,<br>YOUR_NAME</p>"
  

  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

    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 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 --body	Renders as one blob, no formatting	Wrap everything in tags
  chains	Looks spammy, inconsistent spacing	Use separate 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	descriptive text
  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