AI Prompts / Email writing prompts
ChatGPT prompts for better emails
Updated: 19 Oct 2026 · 7 prompts
Give the AI the context (who, relationship, goal) and paste the email you are answering. Ask for a short version first – most emails are better at half the length.
Reply to a difficult email
Help me reply to this email from my [boss/client/colleague]. My goal: [goal]. Stay calm and professional, acknowledge their point, state my position clearly and propose a next step. Max. 120 words. Their email: [paste]
Polite follow-up
Write a short follow-up email to [person] about [topic], first sent on [date]. Friendly, no guilt-tripping, make it easy to answer with one specific question.
Say no politely
Help me decline [request] from [person] politely. Reason (optional): [reason]. Offer [alternative] if possible. 3–5 sentences.
Ask for a raise (meeting request)
Write a short email asking my manager for a meeting to discuss my salary. Mention 2–3 results from the last year: [results]. Confident, not demanding, no figures in the email.
Summarise a long thread
Summarise this email thread in 5 bullet points: decisions, open questions, who does what by when. Then draft a short reply that confirms the next steps. [paste thread]
Fix the tone
Check the tone of my draft. Does it sound [rude/passive-aggressive/too long]? Rewrite it [friendlier and shorter] and show what you changed. [paste draft]
Out-of-office message
Write an out-of-office message in [German and English]: away from [date] to [date], urgent matters to [name, email], no promise to answer all emails afterwards. Short.
Tips for better results
- State the goal in one sentence: what should the reader do after reading?
- Ask for 2 versions (shorter / warmer) and combine.
- Remove confidential details before pasting.
Questions
Is it OK to write work emails with AI?
Usually yes, but follow your employer's rules and never paste confidential information into public AI tools.
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