47% of email recipients open based on subject line alone. Here are the patterns that work.
The Question Hook
'Are you making this common mistake with [X]?' — questions create curiosity gaps. Keep them specific to your audience.
The Number List
'7 tools that saved me 10 hours this week' — numbers signal concrete value. Odd numbers perform slightly better than even.
The Personal Touch
'[Name], quick question about [their recent work]' — personalization increases open rates by 26%. But it has to be genuine, not template-y.
The Urgency Play
'Offer expires at midnight' works for sales. 'Your account needs attention' works for transactional. Don't fake urgency — readers learn to ignore it.
What NOT to Do
ALL CAPS. Excessive!!!!! punctuation. 'Re:' when it's not a reply. Clickbait that doesn't match the email content. Spam trigger words like 'FREE MONEY NOW'.
Generate email subject lines with our headline generator or draft the full email with our email writer.