{"id":85172,"date":"2025-05-29T20:36:51","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T20:36:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/glossary\/email-structure\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T21:40:37","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T21:40:37","slug":"email-structure","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/email-structure\/","title":{"rendered":"Email structure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Email structure is the order in which the parts of an email are organized: the header, the message body, the signature and the attachments.<\/p>\n\n

Every email shares it, from a note to a coworker to a newsletter. Knowing the structure of an email helps you write clearer messages and makes your campaigns easier to read.<\/p>\n\n

Let’s look at each part with examples.<\/p>\n\n

What are the parts of an email?<\/h2>\n\n

An email has two main blocks. The header<\/strong> contains the sending details. The body<\/strong> contains the message itself.<\/p>\n\n

On top of these come the signature and, when needed, the attachments. This table sums up each part:<\/p>\n\n

Part<\/th>What it contains<\/th>Example<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Sender<\/a> (From)<\/td>Name and address of the person sending it<\/td>Laura G\u00f3mez, Tienda Verde<\/td><\/tr>
Recipient<\/a> (To)<\/td>Address of the person receiving the message<\/td>The customer or the coworker<\/td><\/tr>
CC and BCC<\/a><\/td>People copied, visibly or hidden<\/td>Your manager, in CC<\/td><\/tr>
Subject line<\/a><\/td>The topic summed up in one line<\/td>\u201cWebsite quote\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
Greeting<\/td>Opening of the message<\/td>\u201cHi Marta,\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
Body<\/a><\/td>Explanation and request<\/td>The quote and its timelines<\/td><\/tr>
Sign-off<\/td>Friendly closing<\/td>\u201cBest regards\u201d<\/td><\/tr>
Signature<\/a><\/td>Name, job title and contact details<\/td>Laura G\u00f3mez \u00b7 Design<\/td><\/tr>
Attachments<\/a><\/td>Files sent with the message<\/td>Quote as a PDF<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n
\"Parts<\/figure>\n\n

As you can see, each part of an email has a specific purpose. If one is missing, the message becomes less clear.<\/p>\n\n

What goes in an email header?<\/h2>\n\n

The header is the top part of the email. It shows who sent it, who it’s addressed to, the date and the subject line.<\/p>\n\n

What the reader sees is only part of it. Underneath, there are technical headers<\/a> listing the servers the message has passed through and the authentication results.<\/p>\n\n

Every address in the header follows the same format. The username goes before the at sign<\/a>, and the domain goes after it. We explain it in detail in email address<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

How is the body of an email structured?<\/h2>\n\n

The body is where the message is. To make it easy to read, it’s best to organize it in five steps:<\/p>\n\n

    \n
  1. Greeting<\/strong>, with the person’s name if you know it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Introduction<\/strong>: one or two sentences explaining why you’re writing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Main content<\/strong>, with the details in short paragraphs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Closing<\/strong>: what you expect from the reader, such as replying, confirming or clicking.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Sign-off and signature<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

    The most important information should go at the top. Many people only read the first few lines, especially on mobile.<\/p>\n\n

    What about length? It depends on the case. But an email that can be read at a glance usually gets more replies than a long one.<\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Design well-structured emails without coding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With Mailrelay’s visual editor, you can lay out the header, text, images, buttons and footer in a few minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    Create a free account<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

    Example of a formal email structure<\/h2>\n\n

    Imagine you run an online store and want to ask a supplier for their fall catalog. This is what a well-structured formal email would look like:<\/p>\n\n

    Subject:<\/strong> Request for the fall 2026 catalog<\/p>\n\n

    Greeting:<\/strong> Dear Mr. P\u00e9rez,<\/p>\n\n

    Introduction:<\/strong> I’m writing from Tienda Verde to request your fall catalog.<\/p>\n\n

    Main content:<\/strong> We’d like to add new products in November. We’re particularly interested in volume pricing and delivery times.<\/p>\n\n

    Closing:<\/strong> Could you send it to us before Friday the 10th?<\/p>\n\n

    Sign-off:<\/strong> Thank you very much. Kind regards,<\/p>\n\n

    Signature:<\/strong> Laura G\u00f3mez \u00b7 Purchasing \u00b7 Tienda Verde \u00b7 910 000 000<\/p>\n\n

    If you want more examples, there’s a complete guide to writing a formal email<\/a> and another one with introduction email<\/a> examples.<\/p>\n\n

    What is the structure of a marketing email?<\/h2>\n\n

    A newsletter<\/a> shares the same foundation, but adds elements designed to sell or inform. From top to bottom, it usually follows this order:<\/p>\n\n