Sending professional, effective reminder emails is an important skill. Whether you need to jog a colleague’s memory or encourage a customer to take action—to renew a subscription, finalize a sale, or use a discount before it expires—a polite reminder email can make the difference between them completing the task or forgetting it.
Here, learn actionable tips for sending reminders that drive action. Plus, review reminder email templates you can use to strike the right tone in your business and professional life.
What is a reminder email?
A reminder email is a brief, polite digital reminder message. In short, it’s an email that reminds the reader about something.
You can send reminder emails to colleagues to reinforce project deadlines, note upcoming meetings or follow up on past ones, prompt actions, and more.
Businesses may email customers to remind them about abandoned carts, subscription renewals, sales or discount deadlines, or items they’ve recently browsed.
Personal reminder emails: Examples and templates
Reminder emails can preempt, correct, or document.
Here are some common personal and professional occasions for sending reminders, with examples and templates to help you write.
Meeting recaps
You might recap a meeting to document it or to get ahead of follow-up tasks. Recap emails often include discussion notes, a summary of decisions and upcoming deadlines, and action items for individuals or teams.
Meeting recap example:
Meeting recap template:
Dear [Recipient name(s)],
[Provide a greeting, thank attendees, and emphasize excitement about the meeting topics.]
[Provide a general outline of the topics covered in the meeting, and present an update on how the discussion helps the team reach their goals.]
Today we discussed:
- [Include a bulleted list of decisions made or topics discussed.]
Here are the action items from today’s meeting:
- [Bulleted list of action items with specific tasks, deadlines, and assigned responsibilities.]
[Thank recipients for their time and provide details on the next meeting, including how they can ask questions about the project.]
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Follow-ups
Follow-up emails are for checking in. You might follow up with a contact before a big deadline or after a missed one or to restart a dropped conversation.
Follow-up emails can help you check the status of a job application, remind colleagues of due dates, and keep connections fresh. If you’re a salesperson, you can also use them to touch base with potential customers after a presentation or product demo.
Follow-up example:
Follow-up template:
Dear [Recipient name],
[Greeting.]
[Summarize what you previously discussed.]
[Describe action items, next steps, or assigned responsibilities.]
[State your availability to assist or answer questions.]
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Event, meeting, and appointment reminders
Event reminder emails confirm details for upcoming meetings and events, such as office parties, customer webinars, or pop-up shops.
Regardless of the occasion, include all the details, such as location, time, schedule, and preparation requirements.
Event reminder example:
Event reminder template:
Dear [recipient name],
[Greeting that thanks recipients or expresses excitement for upcoming event.]
[Provide the date, time, and location of the event. Provide logistic information like transportation details, login information (for virtual events), and suggested arrival time. Indicate where readers can ask questions or find additional information.]
[Thank recipients or express your excitement for the event.]
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Payment reminder emails
If a client misses a payment, it’s time to send a polite reminder email that includes the invoice number and the payment due date. If the client does not respond to the initial payment reminder, you may need to adopt a firmer tone. Remain calm and professional while requesting that they pay the invoice immediately.
Payment reminder example:
Payment reminder template:
Dear [recipient name],
[Greeting]
I’m contacting you from [Company name] regarding [Product or service provided].
We have yet to receive payment for [Product or service provided]. I’ve attached the invoice, dated [Date of invoice], which totals [Total amount owed].
[Provide payment instructions.]
Could you please let me know when we can expect payment?
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Ecommerce reminder emails, with examples
Ecommerce merchants use automated emails to remind customers about products they looked at but didn’t purchase, to promote sales, prompt subscription renewals, and more.
You can use the following templates to guide you, but for best results, use Shopify Email to customize your reminders with your company’s unique branding.
Abandoned cart reminders
In 2025, online shoppers will abandon roughly 70% of their carts. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve lost interest.
“You can automatically email them to try to bring them back by showing them specifically what they left in their cart in the email,” says Desirae Odjick, a product marketing lead at Shopify who works on Shopify Email and Shopify Forms. Platforms like Shopify Email automate abandoned cart remindersquickly and easily.
In this example, ecommerce toilet paper company brand Who Gives a Crap makes it easy for customers to complete their purchase with a call to action (CTA) button directing readers to their abandoned cart.
Browsing reminders
Browsing reminders can jog a customer’s memory about products they browsed but didn’t buy and encourage them to finalize the purchase.
Browsing reminders often include a product image and a CTA linked to the product page. Yoseka Stationery’s automated email does just that for an item its reader viewed but didn’t select.
Reengagement reminders
Email reminders can be an effective tactic for customer win-back campaigns.
Desirae outlines two use cases for reengaging previous customers; both hinge on the customer’s last purchase.
The first use case encourages buyers to repurchase an item. This email from Briogeo invites readers who are “down to the last drop” to avoid an “I stepped into the shower and realized I ran out of everything” moment by reordering shampoo:
The second use case involves winning back consumers with additional products, a tactic that can be helpful for businesses selling items with long buying cycles. For example, if a customer buys a crib mattress for their baby, you could email them three years later suggesting a toddler mattress or single bed for their three-year-old.
Promotions
You can use email reminders to announce promotions, discounts, or sales expiry dates. Expiry notifications frequently feature CTAs directing readers to the sale and reiterating discount codes or instructions.
Here’s an example from fitness apparel company Gymshark, with the reminder email subject line “It’s the final countdown” and a CTA directed to Gymshark’s website.
Subscription renewals
Emails are an effective medium for subscription businesses to remind customers about an upcoming shipment. A well-timed reminder email gives subscribers the chance to pause or modify their subscription, and can help avoid the problem of surprise charges.
In this example from personal hygiene company Manscaped, subscribers are invited to choose the items in their next shipment. There’s also a link to a video explaining how the process works.
Elements of a good reminder email, with examples
Successful reminder emails are clear, polite, and professional. Here are some common elements to include:
Descriptive subject line
Start a new thread with a short, clear reminder email subject line communicating your purpose. Be informative and direct, even if the email is sensitive.
Essentially, the reader should know what’s in your email before they open it. Avoid non-contextual subject lines that are easy to ignore, like “Hi” or “Checking in.”
See how ecommerce makeup brand Glossier uses a straightforward subject line (“Last chance for 20% off…”) to convey email content.
Polite tone
Whether you’re reminding a colleague about an upcoming Zoom meeting or inquiring about a missed deadline, assume that the recipient has good intentions and be friendly.
Phrases like “just a reminder” or “just a friendly reminder” convey warmth and compassion.
For customer emails, consider using politeness and urgency to encourage immediate action.
Generative AI tools like Shopify Magic can help you draft reminder emails quickly. If you do use an AI tool, make sure to edit its output thoroughly.
Here’s an example of a polite yet urgent email from jewelry brand Camillette. The phrase “Don’t forget” expresses urgency while being gentler than alternatives like “Act now” or “Last chance.”
Concise content
Include everything the reader needs to know in the body of the email, whether that’s event details, deadline information, or payment instructions. Keep emails on-topic and avoid adding extraneous details.
Look at this event reminder, which provides time, location, transportation details, and a tip to arrive early.
Call to action
If your email requires a specific response, make sure it’s clear. You can use the subject line to include phrases like“action required” or “additional information needed.” Marketing emails should also include a clear CTA so customers know what to do next.
Reminder email FAQ
How can you prevent reminder emails from being marked as spam?
Follow email deliverability guidelines to reduce the risk of being marked as spam. Use a trusted email service provider and a recognizable sender name, and avoid writing subject lines with all-caps or excessive punctuation, as these can both trigger spam filters.
Should you follow up on a reminder email?
Whether or not to follow up on a reminder email depends on your relationship with the recipient and the subject matter of the previous email. You can always follow up on overdue payments or missed deadlines. However, sending too many reminder messages about sales or special offerings can annoy customers and increase the risk that they’ll unsubscribe.
Can I automate reminder emails?
Automated reminder emails are great for driving sales, and you can find automation tools in platforms like Shopify Email. You can automate all your reminder emails, including abandoned cart, browsing, and repurchase reminders.
