Cold email templates: 16 original templates grouped by goal
16 short cold email templates for B2B sales, partnerships, link building, PR, agency new business, recruiting and re-engagement, with subject lines and notes.
A cold email template is a structure you start from, not an email you send as it stands. The 16 templates below are short (most under 110 words), each is built for one goal, and each leaves one slot you fill by hand: the reason you’re writing to this particular person. Pick the one that matches what you want, swap the merge tags for real details, write that one line yourself, and send it from your own mailbox.
We wrote every template on this page for it. They’re grouped by goal: B2B sales, partnerships, link building and guest posts, PR pitches, agency new business, recruiting and re-engagement. Each comes with when to use it, a subject line and a note on why it’s built the way it is. After the library there’s a section on cold email subject lines and one on personalising a template so it doesn’t read like one. If you want the reasoning behind each part of a cold email, with weak emails rewritten line by line, read our guide on how to write a cold email.
Characters–
How to read these templates
Merge tags look like {{first_name}} or {{company}}. Any cold email tool, and most mail merge add-ons, will fill them from the columns of your list. Two tags are special:
{{reason}}is the one line you write for each recipient. It’s why you’re emailing them and not someone else. If you leave it as a merge tag filled from a spreadsheet column of generic phrases, the template stops working.{{your_name}}and the signature should include who you are and where you are. In the US, CAN-SPAM expects your identity, a physical postal address and a way to opt out in commercial email.
Every template ends in one question that can be answered in a sentence. That’s deliberate. A cold email competes with everything else in someone’s inbox, and “Worth a quick look?” is easier to answer than “Let me know your availability for a 30-minute call next week.”
| Feature | Use it when | The ask | Follow-ups |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2B sales intro (1-3) | You can name a problem or event at their company | A short call or a yes/no on fit | 2-3, a few days apart |
| Partnership (4-5) | Your customers overlap with theirs | A call with the right person | 1-2 |
| Link building (6-8) | You have a page that improves theirs | Add a link or accept a guest post | 1-2 |
| PR / expert pitch (9-10) | You have a quote, data or a story for their beat | Use the quote or reply for more | 0-1, sooner for deadlines |
| Agency new business (11-12) | You spotted something fixable on their site or ads | Permission to send a short audit | 2-3 |
| Recruiting (13-14) | A specific person fits a specific role | A 15-minute chat | 1-2 |
| Re-engagement (15-16) | Something changed since you last spoke | Reopen the conversation | 1 |
B2B sales intro templates
These are the classic cold sales email templates: you sell something, they might need it, and they’ve never heard of you. The structure is the same in all three. Open with something about them, say what you do in one sentence, and ask a small question.
Template 1: the problem you can see
When to use it: you can point to a problem the prospect probably has, from their job ads, their site, their reviews or their industry.
Subject: {{company}}’s {{problem_area}}
Hi {{first_name}},
{{reason}}
We help {{customer_type}} teams cut the time they spend on {{problem_area}}. For a team like {{reference_customer}}, that meant {{result}}.
Is this something you’re working on this quarter, or is it handled?
{{your_name}}
Why it’s built this way: the closing question offers an easy “it’s handled”, which is still a reply and still tells you something. {{result}} must be a real result from a real customer you’re allowed to name; if you don’t have one yet, drop that sentence rather than inventing one.
Template 2: the trigger event
When to use it: something just changed at the company: a funding round, a new office, a new product line, a new person in the role you sell to.
Subject: congrats on {{event}}
Hi {{first_name}},
Saw that {{company}} {{event_detail}}. When {{customer_type}} companies go through that, {{common_problem}} usually follows within a few months.
We fix that with {{product_one_liner}}. Would it be useful if I sent over how {{reference_customer}} handled it?
{{your_name}}
Why it’s built this way: the event gives you a timely reason to write that isn’t about you. The ask is to send something, not to book a call, which is a smaller step for someone who doesn’t know you.
Template 3: asking for the right person
When to use it: you know the company fits but you’re not sure who owns the decision.
Subject: who handles {{problem_area}} at {{company}}?
Hi {{first_name}},
I’m trying to reach whoever looks after {{problem_area}} at {{company}}. We help {{customer_type}} teams with {{product_one_liner}}, and {{reason}}.
Is that you, or could you point me to the right person?
Thanks, {{your_name}}
Why it’s built this way: people answer “who should I talk to” questions more readily than sales pitches, and a referral from inside the company makes your next email warmer. Keep it short; the recipient is doing you a favour.
Partnership templates
Partnership emails go to people who have their own customers and their own priorities. Lead with the overlap between your audiences and make the first step small.
Template 4: integration or co-marketing
When to use it: your product and theirs are used by the same people, and working together would help both customer bases.
Subject: {{your_company}} + {{company}}
Hi {{first_name}},
{{reason}} A lot of our customers use {{company}} alongside {{your_company}}, and {{customer_request}}.
I’d like to explore {{partnership_idea}}. Who on your side looks after partnerships, and would a 20-minute call make sense?
{{your_name}} {{your_title}}, {{your_company}}
Why it’s built this way: “our customers already use you” is the strongest reason a partner has to care, and it has to be true. The question combines finding the right person with a concrete next step, so either answer moves things forward.
Template 5: referral or affiliate offer
When to use it: you want a blogger, consultant or small agency to recommend your product to their audience.
Subject: a referral idea for {{site}}
Hi {{first_name}},
{{reason}} Your readers seem to be the same people who use {{your_company}}.
We pay {{commission}} for each customer you refer, and I’m happy to set you up with a free account first so you can judge it yourself. No pressure to write anything.
Interested?
{{your_name}}
Why it’s built this way: the free account comes before any request to promote, so the person can recommend it honestly. “No pressure to write anything” lowers the stakes of replying.
Link building and guest post templates
Link building outreach goes to editors and site owners who get pitches every week. The templates that work make the editor’s job easier: they show exactly which page, why it helps their reader and what you’d like them to do. For tools that help with this kind of outreach, see our link building outreach tools roundup.
Template 6: resource or broken link
When to use it: their page links to something outdated or broken, and you have a page that covers the same ground.
Subject: a dead link on your {{topic}} page
Hi {{first_name}},
I was reading your {{article_title}} and noticed the link to {{broken_resource}} now {{broken_state}}.
We have a page on the same topic that’s current as of this year: {{our_url}}. It might work as a replacement, or there may be a better one you’d rather use.
Either way, I thought you’d want to know about the dead link.
{{your_name}}
Why it’s built this way: the first value is the dead link report, which helps them whether or not they use your page. Offering “a better one you’d rather use” sounds odd in a pitch, but it reads as honest, and editors notice.
Template 7: guest post pitch
When to use it: the site accepts contributors and you have a topic their readers haven’t seen covered.
Subject: guest post idea: {{headline_idea}}
Hi {{first_name}},
{{reason}} I noticed {{site}} hasn’t covered {{gap}} yet, and it comes up a lot with {{audience}}.
Working title: “{{headline_idea}}”. It would cover {{point_one}} and {{point_two}}, with examples from {{experience_source}}.
A couple of things I’ve written: {{sample_url_1}}, {{sample_url_2}}.
Would that fit, or is there a topic you’d prefer?
{{your_name}}
Why it’s built this way: a specific working title and two points show the editor you’ve thought about their readers. Samples answer “can this person write” before they ask. The last line invites them to redirect you instead of saying no. Our blogger outreach tools guide covers finding and tracking these sites.
Template 8: unlinked mention
When to use it: they mentioned your brand, product or research without linking to it.
Subject: thanks for mentioning {{your_company}}
Hi {{first_name}},
Thanks for including {{your_company}} in {{article_title}}. Really appreciated.
Would you be open to linking the mention to {{our_url}}? It would help readers who want to check {{what_they_get}}.
{{your_name}}
Why it’s built this way: it’s the shortest template here because it’s the easiest ask. They already chose to mention you. Thank them first, make the request in one line, and give a reader-focused reason.
PR and expert pitch templates
Journalists and editors work to deadlines and get far more pitches than they can read. A PR pitch has to make the story obvious from the subject line and the first two sentences.
Template 9: expert source pitch
When to use it: a journalist covers a topic you or your client can speak to with real experience, or they’ve posted a request for sources.
Subject: source for your {{topic}} piece: {{expert_name}}, {{expert_title}}
Hi {{first_name}},
{{reason}}
{{expert_name}} has {{credential}} and can speak to {{angle}}. Here’s a quote you can use as it stands:
“{{quote}}”
Happy to set up a short call or answer questions by email, whichever suits your deadline.
{{your_name}}
Why it’s built this way: the quote goes in the email so the journalist can use it without a back-and-forth. Putting the expert’s name and title in the subject lets them decide from the inbox list whether to open.
Template 10: data or story pitch
When to use it: you have original data, a survey or a story that fits the reporter’s beat.
Subject: {{headline_finding}}
Hi {{first_name}},
You’ve covered {{related_story}}, so this may be useful: {{one_sentence_finding}}.
It comes from {{source_and_method}}. The full data is here: {{data_url}}. Not published anywhere else yet.
I can share the raw numbers or connect you with {{spokesperson}}.
{{your_name}}
Why it’s built this way: the subject line is the finding itself, not a teaser. Saying how the data was collected answers the first question a careful reporter has. Only send this if the data is real and you can share the method.
Agency new business templates
Agencies sell expertise, so the cold email should show some. The strongest move is a specific observation about the prospect’s own site, ads or content.
Template 11: the specific observation
When to use it: you’ve looked at their site or campaigns and found something concrete you could improve.
Subject: {{observation_short}} on {{site}}
Hi {{first_name}},
{{reason}} I noticed {{observation}}. On sites like yours, that usually means {{consequence}}.
It’s a fixable problem. I put together a short note on what we’d change first. Want me to send it over?
{{your_name}} {{your_agency}}
Why it’s built this way: asking permission to send the note gets a reply before you’ve spent time on a full audit, and a “yes” means they’re interested. The observation must be one you actually checked on their site.
Template 12: the niche specialist
When to use it: your agency works with one type of client, and the prospect is that type.
Subject: {{service}} for {{niche}} firms
Hi {{first_name}},
We only work with {{niche}} businesses, mostly on {{service}}. {{reason}}
One thing we see often in {{niche}}: {{common_problem}}. If that’s on your list, I’m happy to share how we’ve approached it for {{reference_client}}.
Is it on your list?
{{your_name}}
Why it’s built this way: specialisation answers “why you” before they ask. The closing question repeats the ask in four words so it’s easy to answer.
Recruiting templates
Recruiting cold emails go to people who already have jobs. Respect that by being specific about the role and honest about why you picked them.
Template 13: candidate outreach
When to use it: a specific person’s work fits a specific opening.
Subject: {{role}} at {{company}}
Hi {{first_name}},
{{reason}} We’re hiring a {{role}} to {{role_mission}}, and your work on {{their_work}} is close to what the job involves.
Pay range is {{salary_range}}, {{location_or_remote}}. Full description: {{job_url}}.
Would you be open to a 15-minute chat, even if you’re not looking right now?
{{your_name}}
Why it’s built this way: salary and location up front answer the two questions that decide most replies. “Even if you’re not looking” makes it fine to say yes without committing to a move.
Template 14: senior or passive candidate
When to use it: you’re approaching someone senior who’s unlikely to be job hunting.
Subject: a question about {{topic}}
Hi {{first_name}},
{{reason}} We’re building {{team_or_function}} at {{company}} and I’d value your view on {{specific_question}}.
There’s also a role that might interest you, but I’d be glad of the advice either way. Any chance of 20 minutes in the next couple of weeks?
{{your_name}}
Why it’s built this way: senior people get recruiter emails constantly. Asking for their view is a real request, and naming the role openly avoids the bait-and-switch feeling.
Re-engagement templates
Re-engagement emails go to people who once talked to you and went quiet. They’re not fully cold, but they behave like cold email: you need a new reason to write.
Template 15: closed-lost, something changed
When to use it: a deal fell through for a reason that may no longer apply, such as price, a missing feature or timing.
Subject: {{change}} at {{your_company}}
Hi {{first_name}},
When we last spoke in {{month}}, {{reason_it_stalled}} was the blocker. That’s changed: {{what_changed}}.
If it’s still relevant for {{company}}, I’m happy to pick it up. If not, no need to reply.
{{your_name}}
Why it’s built this way: it names the old objection, which shows you listened, and gives a concrete change. “No need to reply” takes the pressure off and often gets a reply anyway.
Template 16: old lead, new reason
When to use it: someone signed up, downloaded something or asked a question months ago and never went further.
Subject: your question about {{topic}}
Hi {{first_name}},
Back in {{month}} you asked us about {{topic}}. {{reason}}
We’ve since {{new_thing}}, which covers what you were asking. Is it still on your plate?
{{your_name}}
Why it’s built this way: reminding them of their own question gives context without making them search their memory. Check your local rules before emailing old leads in the EU or UK, especially if they never agreed to marketing.
Subject lines for cold emails
The subject line decides whether the email gets opened, and in a cold email it also signals whether the message is meant for this person. Good cold email subject lines are usually:
- Short. Three to six words. Many mail apps cut long subjects on phones.
- Specific to them. Their company, their article, their role, the topic.
{{company}}'s onboardingbeats “Quick question”. - Lowercase or sentence case. Title Case Subject Lines Look Like Newsletters.
- Honest. The subject has to match the email. Fake “Re:” or “Fwd:” prefixes trick people, and CAN-SPAM prohibits misleading subject lines in commercial email in the US.
Here are subject line patterns by goal, all original:
| Goal | Subject line patterns |
|---|---|
| B2B sales | {{company}}'s {{problem_area}} · idea for {{team}} at {{company}} · {{event}} at {{company}} |
| Partnership | {{your_company}} + {{company}} · shared customers · partnership idea for {{company}} |
| Link building | dead link on your {{topic}} page · guest post idea: {{headline}} · thanks for the mention |
| PR | the finding itself · source for your {{topic}} piece · {{expert_title}} on {{topic}} |
| Agency | {{observation_short}} on {{site}} · {{service}} for {{niche}} firms |
| Recruiting | {{role}} at {{company}} · a question about {{topic}} |
| Re-engagement | {{change}} at {{your_company}} · your question about {{topic}} |
What to avoid: urgency you don’t mean (“Last chance”), clickbait (“You won’t believe this”), all caps, several exclamation marks, and words that read as a sales blast, such as “free”, “guaranteed” or “limited offer”. None of these are banned by spam filters on their own, but together they make an email look like marketing to both the filter and the person. For subject lines on the second and third email in a sequence, see our guide to follow-up email subject lines.
How to personalise a template without it reading like one
Most people can tell a template from the first line. Usually it’s not the template’s fault. It’s a merge tag doing a job only a person can do. “I loved your recent post on {{topic}}” tells the reader you didn’t read it.
- Pick a reasonFind one true, specific thing about this person or company that explains why you're writing.
- Write the first lineTurn that reason into one sentence in your own words. This line can't be a merge tag.
- Cut what doesn't fitDelete any template sentence that doesn't apply to this recipient, even if the email gets shorter.
- Read it as themWould this email make sense if they knew 200 others got the same one? If not, fix the parts that give it away.
What merge tags can and can’t do
Merge tags are good for facts: names, company names, URLs, the title of their article, the role you’re hiring for. They are bad at judgment: why this person, what you noticed, why now. Keep that for {{reason}} and write it yourself.
A useful test: if a column in your spreadsheet holds the same phrase for more than a handful of rows, it isn’t personalisation. “Saw you’re growing fast” pasted into 300 rows is still a template.
Writing the {{reason}} line
A good reason line is specific, true and short. Some patterns:
- Something they made: “Your guide to {{topic}} is the one I send to new hires.”
- Something that happened: “Saw you opened a second warehouse in {{city}}.”
- Something you checked: “Your pricing page loads a 4 MB hero image on mobile.” (Check before you write it.)
- A shared context: “We’re both in the {{community}} Slack, and your answer about {{topic}} was helpful.”
Don’t flatter. “Huge fan of your work” with nothing behind it reads as filler. And don’t fake familiarity: if you haven’t read the article, don’t say you loved it.
Cutting the template down
Templates have slots for the general case. If a sentence doesn’t apply to this recipient, delete it. A 60-word email that is all relevant does better than a 110-word email with one sentence that obviously doesn’t fit.
Checking before you send
Before a batch goes out, read three or four emails in full as they’ll arrive, with merge tags filled in. Look for empty tags (“Hi ,”), wrong capitalisation from your spreadsheet (“Hi JOHN”), company names with legal suffixes (“Acme Holdings GmbH & Co. KG’s team”) and reason lines that don’t fit the rest of the email. Set fallbacks for missing values: “Hi there” is better than “Hi ,”.
Follow-ups: the other half of every template
A first cold email is easy to miss. People are busy, read on their phones and mean to answer later. Every template above should come with two or three follow-ups sent in the same thread, a few days apart, each adding something small: a different angle, a useful link, an easier ask. Stop as soon as someone replies, and stop for good if they ask you to.
We cover timing and wording in our guide to cold email follow-ups, and there’s ready-made follow-up wording in sales follow-up email templates and the follow-up email after no response guide.
Sending templates at volume without hurting your domain
A template that works for 20 recipients can still hurt you at 2,000 if every email goes out at once. A few habits keep a mailbox healthy:
- Pace the sends. Space emails out across the working day and cap how many each mailbox sends per day. Google’s sending limits are about 500 a day for consumer Gmail and 2,000 for Google Workspace, but cold outreach should stay well below those.
- Verify the list. Bounces from dead addresses damage your sender reputation faster than almost anything else.
- Keep emails plain. No images, one link at most, no tracking pixel needed. Plain emails look like what they are: one person writing to another.
- Watch replies, not opens. Open tracking is unreliable because many mail apps preload images. Replies are the number that tells you whether a template works.
Use the calculator below to see how many days a list takes to work through, with follow-ups, at the daily cap you choose.
Emails per day, all mailboxes–
Follow-ups count as if nobody replies, and the days are sending capacity only: the wait between a first email and its follow-up adds to that. Mailbox providers have their own limits too: about 500 a day for personal Gmail and 2,000 for Google Workspace.
If you’re choosing software to send these, our cold email software guide compares 15 tools on price, follow-ups and sending limits. If you’re just getting started, our cold email guide covers the basics, and cold email outreach covers building the list and running a campaign end to end.
Is it legal to send these templates?
In the US, B2B cold email is legal under CAN-SPAM if you identify yourself, use honest subject lines, include a physical postal address and honour opt-out requests promptly. In the EU and UK, rules vary by country. Some allow B2B cold email to business addresses under legitimate interest, while others, Germany among them, generally require prior consent. Emailing consumers cold is far more restricted almost everywhere. Check the rules where your recipients are, keep your list relevant to what you offer, and make opting out as easy as replying “no thanks”.
Questions people ask
How long should a cold email template be?
Most good cold emails fit in 50 to 125 words: enough for one reason you're writing, one line on what you offer and one question. If a template needs more than that to make sense, it's usually trying to do two jobs at once.
How many cold email templates do I need?
One first email per goal and audience, plus two or three follow-ups for it. A small B2B team usually works with three to five sets. More than that is hard to keep good, and most of the difference in replies comes from the list and the personal line, not from the template.
Can I reuse the same cold email template for everyone?
You can reuse the structure, but each email should have at least one line written for that recipient. Identical emails read as mass mail to people and to spam filters, and they give the reader no reason to think the message is meant for them.
What is the best cold email template for B2B?
There isn't one winner. For B2B sales, a short email that names a specific situation at the prospect's company, says what you do about it in one sentence and asks one easy question tends to work across industries. Template 1 and Template 2 on this page follow that pattern.
Should a cold email template include a link or attachment?
Usually not in the first email. Attachments from strangers look risky, and several links make a message look more like marketing. One link is fine when it is the point of the email, such as the article you're pitching or the page you want linked.
Do I need to add an unsubscribe link to cold emails?
In the US, CAN-SPAM requires a working way to opt out, your identity and a physical postal address in commercial email. A plain line such as "Reply 'no thanks' and I won't email again" plus your address in the signature covers that for one-to-one outreach; rules in the EU and UK vary by country.
What should I put in a cold email subject line?
Something short and specific to the recipient: their company, their article, the topic you're writing about. Three to six words is plenty. Avoid fake "Re:" or "Fwd:" prefixes, which are misleading and, in the US, can break CAN-SPAM.