Make AI-written emails sound like you
An AI-drafted email doesn't fail a detector so much as it fails the reader: it sounds like a template. Most of the fix is cutting, not adding.
Updated October 1, 2026
What gives an AI email away
- An opener that says nothing: I hope this email finds you well.
- Restating the request before answering it.
- Three bullet points where one sentence would do.
- Stacked transitions: Additionally, Furthermore, Moreover.
- A tone that's the same warm, even level from the first line to the last.
- A closing paragraph that summarises the email you just read.
What's fine to keep
Not every common phrase is a tell. "Let me know if you have any questions" is how people actually end emails, so our checker flags it for a look rather than deleting it. "I hope this email finds you well" is removed only when it's a sentence of its own, and "I wanted to reach out" becomes "I'm writing". The test is whether you would have typed it yourself.
Before and after (illustration)
Written for this page, not taken from a test set. The dates are placeholders.
- Hi Sam, I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out regarding the project timeline we discussed.
- EditedHi Sam, the timeline: we can ship on the 14th if design signs off by Friday.
- Additionally, it's important to note that the budget may potentially need adjustment.
- EditedThe budget may need another week of contractor time.
- In summary, we're on track, pending the items above. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions!
- EditedCan you confirm Friday works?
| AI draft | Edited |
|---|---|
| Hi Sam, I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out regarding the project timeline we discussed. | Hi Sam, the timeline: we can ship on the 14th if design signs off by Friday. |
| Additionally, it's important to note that the budget may potentially need adjustment. | The budget may need another week of contractor time. |
| In summary, we're on track, pending the items above. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions! | Can you confirm Friday works? |
A quick pass
- 01Delete the first sentence unless it's the point.
- 02Put the ask or the answer in the first two lines.
- 03Cut every hedge you don't mean: may potentially, it's important to note.
- 04Turn bullet lists of one-liners into a sentence, unless the reader needs to tick them off.
- 05Cut the last paragraph if it repeats the email. End on the ask.
- 06Read it aloud. Anything you wouldn't say to the person, rewrite.
What we haven't measured
We haven't measured detection rates on email yet; the numbers on this site are for LinkedIn posts and general web writing. Emails are often short, and under about 40 words a detector's score is mostly noise anyway.
Questions
Do email providers detect AI-written emails?+
Not that they've said. The risk with an AI email is the reader, who recognises a template, not a filter.
Is "I hope this email finds you well" a sign of AI?+
It's a sign of a template, whoever wrote it. AI drafts reach for it constantly. Our checker removes it when it's a sentence of its own and leaves it alone mid-sentence.
Is it rude to skip the pleasantries?+
Rarely. A greeting and a thank-you are enough. Filler sentences before the point make the reader work to find it.
Can an AI detector tell if my email was written by AI?+
Not reliably for most emails. They're short, and under about 40 words a detector's score is mostly noise.
Should I tell people I used AI to write an email?+
That's up to you and your workplace. If the email says what you mean in your voice, most readers won't care how the first draft was made.
Can I check an email for AI phrases?+
Yes. Paste it into the free AI phrase checker on this site. It highlights the phrases and fixes the safe ones in your browser.