100 Best Email Opening Lines To Boost Response Rates [2025]

Email • Email DesignEkta Swarnkar • Published: April 22, 2025 • Updated: May 20, 2025 • 9 minutes READ

“Hi there, I hope you’re doing well!” and “I hope this email finds you well!” are well-known examples of email opening lines. These also work well, but the only problem is that they’ve been used so many times that they’ve lost their touch. When you read an email that starts with email openers like these, you don’t feel anything. You just know it’s ‘yet another’ email.

A good email opening line makes you feel something. It encourages you to keep reading the rest of the email. You might even feel tempted to engage.

Email opening lines should be a part of your email marketing strategy. Just like you spent time writing subject lines, give enough time to email openers. To help you, we’ve compiled a list of the best email opening lines that boost response rates. You can use this list for inspiration to create your own versions.

Why and How Does an Effective Email Opening Line Help?

An email opening line might not look as important as the subject line, but it certainly helps set the stage right for the rest of your email content. The subject line promises (something that intrigues the subscriber), and the opener lives up to that promise (or at least gives a clue that it’s an email worth reading). 

Suppose you’re making a big ask. The prospect who opened your email after reading your subject line will have some expectations. A witty email opening line can help you live up to them. They will be more eager to read (and engage) the rest of your email.

How you present your offer is more important than the offer itself. The same is true for email, only now you’re also competing against many other brands to get your readers’ attention. If you can make them smile, feel, or relate to your email content, you’re already in their good books.

Let’s see how a typical subscriber finds your email:

1. They’re scrolling through their inbox (uninterested and possibly overwhelmed with so many emails)
2. They read your subject line (something piqued their interest, doubtful but curious to know more)
3. They click to read the rest of the email to find out more (a little worried if this is yet another email wasting their time)
4. Your email opening line makes them feel something (smile, agree, disagree) and they continue to read more.

Now, imagine if the opposite happens. If they open the email after reading the subject line but the opening line is boring or unrelatable, they might decide the email isn’t worth their time and move on to others.

GIF source: Tenor

An effective email opening line is important to capture and keep the reader’s attention.

100 Best Email Opening Lines That Will Make People Want to Read More

I’ve read thousands of emails throughout my career, and many caught my attention. Here’s the list of my favorite email opening lines that, if you plug into your campaigns, can help increase engagement.

You’ll see some subject line and opening line combinations too. Opening lines will come after subject lines for a logical flow, but I’ll highlight as well so you know which is which.

10 Witty Email Opening Lines

1. I could’ve sent a boring template. But I like you too much.
2. Subject line: Don’t open this unless you like good ideas. Opening line: Oh wait, too late.
3. I promise this isn’t a sales pitch in disguise. It’s a bribe. With value.
4. This email isn’t urgent, but it is unusually good.
5. Let’s pretend we bumped into each other in your inbox by accident.
6. Don’t worry. I’ll keep this brief. (Would work while sending a cold email to a busy person.)
7. I thought about starting with a joke, but this tip is already punchy enough.
8. This one’s worth the click: no emotional manipulation required.
9. The subject line pulled you in. Now let’s see if I can earn your trust.
10. Look, I won’t say this email will change your life. But it might nudge it a little 😉

GIF source: Tenor

10 Professional Email Opening Lines

1. We know your time is valuable, so we’ll keep this sharp and actionable.
2. Let’s make your inbox a little smarter today.
3. Straight from our brain to your workflow: here’s something worth knowing.
4. We’ve been thinking about what could make your day 5% better. This might be it.
5. You’ve got goals. We’ve got something that might help. (The key to making this type of click-bait sentences work is to immediately deliver the big offer. If you take too much time, the subscribers can get irritated.)
6. No tricks, just a small strategy boost from people who’ve been there.
7. We have a smart little insight to keep your momentum going.
8. We thought this might help streamline your next steps.
9. We’re sharing one proven strategy to help you [problem]
10. Sharing something today that’s simple, actionable, and proven.

Also read: What is an email sequence?

10 Polite Email Opening Lines

1. I understand you’re busy, so I’ll get straight to the point.
2. Hope you’re having a productive day. I wanted to pass along…
3. I hope your week is going smoothly. Here’s something…
4. Just a short note that I believe could be valuable for you.
5. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I’ll keep it brief.
6. I appreciate the opportunity to connect.
7. With your schedule in mind, I’ve kept this as brief as possible.
8. Hope all is well on your end and that this may be a helpful read.
9. I wanted to seek your advice regarding…
10. I wanted to update you on the progress of…

10 Follow-Up Email Opening Lines

1. Just floating this back to the top of your inbox like a loyal paper boat.
2. Imagine me tapping you on the shoulder with a digital post-it.
3. This message got zero likes, so I’m reposting it.
4. This one’s doing a dramatic second entrance. Thought it deserved it.
5. I wanted to ask if you had any feedback or thoughts on our proposal.
6. Thank you for your time last week. I wanted to follow up and provide some additional information on…
7. You seemed busy last time (or maybe the email just wasn’t cute enough?).
8. Did you get a chance to review my last email?
9. I thought of sending a quick follow-up to my email in case it got buried in your inbox.
10. Just wanted to give this another chance I believe it deserves.

Also read: How to design an email?

10 Cold Email Opening Lines

1. Subject line: What do Dropbox, Slack, and Notion have in common? Opening line: Hint: it’s not luck. It’s a strategy that I’ll share with you today.
2. This is either a brilliant idea or a slightly too confident email.
3. Let’s be honest, your inbox didn’t need one more email. But maybe it needed this one.
4. If I were you, I’d ignore most cold emails. But not this one.
5. Still spending hours on [task] that could be done in minutes?
6. If [insert frustration] sounds familiar, this might help.
7. You might not need this today—but next week? Maybe.
8. We all know doing [one boring task] on your own is boring. I have something that could make it interesting.
9. We tried something that shouldn’t have worked… but it did.
10. We’ve helped teams reduce [cost/pain] by 40% in 3 months. Want in?

10 Welcome Email Opening Lines

1. Welcome to the [business name] family!
2. Hey there, Welcome to our [newsletter] edition #94!
3. We’re so glad you’re here. Let’s make this worth your time.
4. Subject line: You subscribed. Opening line: We noticed and we’re flattered ☺️
5. Nice to meet you digitally, but still counts, right?
6. Hi, I’m [Name], and this newsletter is my favorite thing to write.
7. This is the part where we say hi and try not to be awkward.
8. Subject line: Hi, let’s make a deal. Opening line: You gave us your email. We give you our best ideas 😎
9. Let’s skip the boring stuff. Here’s why you’ll want to stick around. (This is a great way to subtly show that you’ll only send high-quality content.)
10. This is where we officially welcome you to the family and the good stuff begins.

10 Sales Email Opening Lines

1. I noticed your team’s doing [X]. Here’s how others are simplifying that.
2. Here’s one way we’ve helped companies like yours hit Q2 goals early.
3. Would saving 5–10 hours a week on [task] be worth a quick look?
4. I thought you’d find this case study useful: [Well-known brand] solved [X] using [solution].
5. Saw your recent [company product news] Congrats 🎉 I had a quick idea for you.
6. What if [common industry issue] wasn’t your team’s problem anymore?
7. If you’ve got 30 seconds, I’ll make this worth the scroll.
8. This isn’t your average outreach email, and that’s intentional.
9. Your team’s doing great things in [industry] I thought this might add value.
10. We recently worked with [credible brand] in your space. The results were surprising.

Also read: B2B email marketing guide

10 Formal Email Opening Lines

1. Thank you for taking the time to consider my request.
2. I am excited to share some positive updates with you.
3. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss [topic] with you.
4. I trust this message aligns with your schedule to discuss [subject].
5. I’m writing to introduce myself and share a brief update.
6. Allow me to formally follow up regarding our recent conversation.
7. I’m reaching out to share a solution that may align with your current goals.
8. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us, please see the recap below.
9. Please let me know your availability for a follow-up discussion.
10. As per our earlier communication, I would like to provide an update.

10 Informal Email Opening Lines

1. Just popping in with something quick (and hopefully useful).
2. Writing this one felt different. Hope it reads that way too.
3. This one’s been sitting in my drafts too long, I guess it’s time to share.
4. You ever have a thought you need to share? This is mine.
5. Okay, so here’s what’s on my mind today.
6. Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get enough airtime.
7. We kept this short so you don’t have to pretend you’ll read it later.
8. This isn’t just another update. It’s something that matters to us.
9. Wrote this with you in mind.
10. Hope this brightens your inbox.

10 Friendly Email Opening Lines

1. Hi there! Hope you’re having a great day so far.
2. It’s always a pleasure reaching out, I hope this note finds you well.
3. Hope all’s been well on your end!
4. Let’s brighten up your inbox a bit, shall we?
5. Sending some good energy your way (plus a quick update)
6. This email feels a bit more personal, hope that’s okay 🥹
7. Here’s a small idea that could go a long way.
8. Wishing you a peaceful moment in a busy day.
9. Just a quick note to say you’re doing great 🫶🏻
10. This one’s meant to help, inspire, or at least make you smile.

How to Write an Effective Email Opening Line

From the above list, I’m sure you can find plenty of ideas for your email opening lines. Even though these are good enough to use as standalone opening lines, I would recommend you use them to get inspiration and come up with unique versions for your emails. Here are some more ideas on how to start an email greeting:

1. Connect It With Your Subject Line

To provide a seamless reading experience, write your email opening lines as an extension of subject lines. When a reader reads your subject line, they’re curious to know more—you would want to answer their curiosity in the opening line. A good combination is a question (in subject line) and its answer (in the opening line.) Here’s an example:

It’s answer is in the opening line: With lots of EGG-sercise.

2. Make It Relatable

Your email opening line will keep the reader reading (and even engage) if its relatable. Make your email opening line all about your readers. If they’re vegan, connect with a line like Still hunting for plant-based snacks better than hummus?

If they’re a social media marketer, target the struggle of finding a budget-friendly tool:

3. Use AI to Get Inspiration

If you’re stuck, use AI tools to build on your initial ideas. For example, you can ask it to create opening lines that connect with your subject line.

You can keep asking it to create more relevant ideas (for instance, all the above ideas build on curiosity and encourage readers to keep reading) until you find one.

You can also use Postcards’ (an intuitive email builder that helps you create beautiful, responsive emails without coding) AI assistant that suggests email opening lines directly inside your template—no need to switch tools or explain context. Just write, tweak, and send.

Note that Postcards’ AI is available on pro plans only. However, you can use the email builder for free to design stunning emails.

Try Postcards for Free

4. Test and Optimize

Just like your subject lines, A/B test different opening lines to see what clicks. Focus on one test at a time, for example, tweaking one or two words, to see which one resonates with your audience. Track results, learn what works, and refine for better engagement over time.

Plan Your Email Opening Lines Strategically

It’s easy to convince yourself that you’ve done good enough after writing a great subject line. But your opening lines are equally important to maintain a seamless reading experience. A “hi there” works well but add variety every once in a while to keep your readers excited to open and read your newsletters.