The complete guide

Email sign-offs — 80+ ways to close an email, ranked by when to use them.

The sign-off is a two-word decision that quietly frames everything above it. "Best regards" is a completely different message than "cheers", and both are different from no sign-off at all. This is the honest guide — six categories, when each works, when each backfires, and how the sign-off relates to the signature block underneath.

Formal & safe

First contact with someone senior, external clients, legal or finance context. Boring is the point — you're being read for competence, not personality.

Best regards,

The universal default. Works everywhere, offends no one.

Kind regards,

Slightly warmer than 'Best regards'. More common in UK / EU business than US.

Sincerely,

Formal letters, cover letters, official correspondence. Rare in day-to-day email.

Yours sincerely,

UK convention when you know the recipient's name. Very formal.

Yours faithfully,

UK convention when you don't know the recipient's name ('Dear Sir/Madam').

Respectfully,

US military, legal, or when writing to elected officials.

Regards,

Shorter than 'Best regards'. Neutral, unremarkable — which is often exactly right.

With appreciation,

When the recipient did something for you and you want it acknowledged.

Warm professional

Internal team, ongoing client relationships, colleagues you've met. Adds a touch of humanity without crossing into casual.

Thanks,

The workhorse of internal email. Signals appreciation without ceremony.

Thank you,

Slightly warmer than 'Thanks'. Use when they genuinely helped.

Thanks so much,

When they went out of their way. Overuse dilutes it.

Appreciate it,

US casual-professional. Acknowledges help without a full 'thank you'.

Much appreciated,

UK/AU variant of 'Appreciate it'.

All the best,

Warm but professional. Works when 'Best regards' feels too stiff.

Take care,

For people you know reasonably well. Ends the thread gracefully.

Talk soon,

When you actually will be in touch again. Don't use if you won't.

Speak soon,

UK variant of 'Talk soon'.

Looking forward,

Great after scheduling a meeting or agreeing next steps.

Casual & friendly

Colleagues you know, informal team chats, follow-ups on already-warm threads. Skip these on cold outreach.

Cheers,

UK/AU casual. In the US it can read as trying too hard.

Best,

The Silicon Valley default. Slightly abrupt, but everyone uses it.

Warmly,

Genuinely warm, verges on affectionate. Right for long-term clients.

Ciao,

Playful, works if it matches your voice. Don't force it.

Later,

Very casual. Only inside a team that already talks like this.

Have a good one,

US casual. Ends the thread without demanding a reply.

Enjoy your weekend,

On Fridays only. Otherwise it lands strangely.

Context-specific

The sign-off that names the reason for writing. Often more effective than a generic one.

Thanks in advance,

When you're asking for something and it's not urgent. Signals you expect them to say yes.

Thanks for your time,

After they've read a longer message or agreed to meet.

Thanks for your patience,

When you took too long to respond or delivered late.

Congratulations,

Announcements, promotions, wins. Not for routine work.

Welcome aboard,

First reply to a new hire or new client.

Safe travels,

Before someone flies or drives long distance.

Get well soon,

Colleague out sick. Only if the sick email context is clear.

Gen Z / very online

Internal team where humour lands, community DMs, Discord-adjacent professional contexts. Wrong to strangers and wrong to leadership.

Sent from my toaster,

Absurdist. Works exactly once per relationship.

Reply if you dare,

Playful challenge. Follow-up nudges only.

Yours in productivity,

Deadpan corporate. Inside jokes with your team.

Slay,

Only if you can pull it off with a straight face.

Bestie,

For actual besties. Never to a stranger.

Peace and blessings,

Ironic wholesome. Read the room first.

Signing off,

TV-newscaster energy. Genuinely funny in the right team.

Not sent from my iPhone,

Anti-signature signature. Chef's kiss for a certain audience.

Sign-offs to avoid

These make you look sloppy, passive-aggressive, or oblivious. Don't.

Thanks!,

Two exclamation marks or none. 'Thanks!' with the wrong tone reads sarcastic.

Yours truly,

Reads dated. Skip unless writing a cover letter in 1994.

Cordially,

Reads passive-aggressive in modern English. Nobody says this warmly.

-name (initials only)

Reads curt on all but the shortest internal replies.

(no sign-off)

In one-line replies to a peer, fine. In first contact, cold.

Peace out,

Reads immature outside a very specific team culture.

TTYL,

Abbreviations belong in text messages, not email.

Xoxo,

Between friends only. Never at work, ever, no matter how friendly.

Frequently asked

›Is 'Best regards' still the best default sign-off?

For any first contact, external message, or context you're unsure about — yes. It's the closest thing to a universally-safe choice in professional English. Nobody has ever been fired for using 'Best regards'. That's not a bug, it's the whole point.

›What's a good alternative to 'Best regards' that isn't stuffy?

'Thanks,' for anything with a request in it; 'All the best,' for warm-but-professional; 'Regards,' if you want to shorten without switching tone. All three are safe in almost any US or UK business context.

›Should I always sign off, or can I skip it in casual replies?

On any thread that's already been going, a one-line reply without a sign-off is fine — you already established the relationship. On any first message, a sign-off is expected. Skipping it in a first email reads as either curt or careless.

›Do email sign-offs even matter anymore?

They matter more than the copy of them suggests. A study by Boomerang (analysing 350K email threads) found emails ending in 'thanks in advance' got a 65.7% response rate vs 51% for 'best'. The sign-off frames the ask. Choose intentionally.

›What's the difference between 'Best' and 'Best regards'?

'Best' is the abbreviated Silicon Valley variant — faster, less formal, common in tech. 'Best regards' is the fuller, more traditional form. Same intent, different register. Match your team's convention.

›How does the sign-off relate to my email signature?

They're separate. The sign-off is the closing phrase you type ('Best regards,'); the signature is the block below it (name, title, contact, banner). A good signature makes the sign-off feel finished — no signature and 'Best regards,' looks abrupt on longer messages.