Descriptive Email Subject Lines

Using descriptive email subject lines is a simple but effective way to improve email management and communication.

The Problem with Vague Subject Lines

• Time Wasted: Vague or outdated subject lines force recipients to open emails to understand their content, wasting time.
• Difficult to Search: Makes it difficult to find specific information in your inbox later.
• Encourages Tangents: Can lead to email threads that drift off-topic while retaining the original, irrelevant subject line.

Best Practices

• Be Specific: The subject line should accurately reflect the content of the email.
• Update the Subject Line: If the topic of an email conversation changes, the subject line should be updated to reflect the new topic.
• Company-Wide Policy: For maximum effectiveness, this should be a company-wide policy.

This practice supports the Touch It Once principle by allowing people to decide whether to open an email based on its subject line.