WritoraStart with the ask
The most reliable way to shorten an email is to change the structure. Most long emails bury the main request at the end, after extensive context and explanation. The reader has to get through all of it before they know what you want from them.
BLUF — Bottom Line Up Front — is a simple principle: lead with the ask or conclusion, then provide supporting context if needed. Applied to email:
“As you may know, we have been reviewing the Q4 budget since last month. After speaking with the finance team and reviewing the contractor line items... I was wondering if you could approve the revised figures?”
“Could you approve the revised Q4 budget by Thursday? I’ve adjusted the contractor line after speaking with finance — happy to walk you through the changes if useful.”
Starting with the ask lets a busy reader reply immediately if they have all the context they need. It also forces you to be clear about what you actually want before you start writing.
What to cut
Context that serves the writer, not the reader
“As you may know, we have been working on this project since Q2, when we first identified the need to...” — if the recipient does not need this context to answer your question, cut it. You may have included it to show your work, but the recipient just needs to know what you need and when.
Passive voice
Passive voice inflates word count and obscures responsibility. “It has been decided that changes will be made to the reporting process” is 14 words. “We’re changing the reporting process” is 5. The second is also clearer about who is acting.
Filler phrases
These add length without meaning and are almost always safe to delete:
- “I hope this email finds you well”
- “Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions”
- “In order to” → “to”
- “At this point in time” → “now”
- “Due to the fact that” → “because”
Hedging that weakens the message
“I was just wondering if perhaps we might be able to look at potentially revisiting the timeline” is eleven words to say “Could we revisit the timeline?” Hedging reads as uncertain and makes a reader work harder than they need to.
Before and after
“Hi Sarah, I hope you’re well. I wanted to follow up on the conversation we had last week about the Q4 budget review. As you may remember, we talked through the proposed changes to the headcount line and I mentioned that there might be some flexibility in the external contractor spend. I’ve had a chance to look at the numbers and I think we could potentially make this work if we adjust a couple of line items. Would it be possible to find some time this week or next to go through this together? I think it would be helpful to look at the spreadsheet at the same time.”
“Hi Sarah, could we book 20 minutes this week to go through the Q4 budget numbers? I’ve looked at the headcount and contractor lines and think there’s room to make it work — easier to show you in the spreadsheet. What times suit you?”
Both emails make the same request. Only the second is easy to act on.
The one-email, one-ask rule
Emails that contain multiple asks often get a response to one of them — usually the easiest one — and the rest gets ignored. If you genuinely need several things, number them clearly so the recipient knows how many items require a response. Or consider whether a brief meeting would handle it more efficiently than three rounds of email.
When long emails are justified
Not all long emails are wrong. A briefing document, a comprehensive update to multiple stakeholders, or a carefully reasoned position paper can legitimately run long. The question is whether the length serves the reader or the writer. If the subject demands it, leave it in. If it is there because writing shorter is harder, cut it.
Try it
Shorten your email now
Paste your draft and choose how much to cut — slightly shorter, much shorter, or down to a single sentence. The tool keeps everything that matters and removes the rest.