The ideal cold email is about 120 words long.
Why? Research shows that cold emails with around 120 words have the best booking rates—about 50%.
But there’s a little flexibility. Emails between 75–125 words get 5–15% higher reply rates compared to shorter or longer messages.
Why Length Matters
Your recipient is likely skimming their inbox. Long paragraphs make it hard to read quickly, even if your word count is perfect.
If reading your email feels like work, they probably won’t reply.
Measure Readability by Lines
Another study found the best click-through rates come from emails with 20 lines or fewer (including line breaks).
💡 Research Insight: Emails that look good on small screens—like mobile phones—are more likely to be read and acted on.
What Does This Look Like?
Example 1: A Bad Cold Email
This email is too long and written as one big block of text:
Subject: Congrats on your growth!
Hi, I noticed your company has been growing rapidly over the past year. I wanted to reach out because I specialize in helping businesses like yours optimize processes and scale faster. My solution focuses on automation, streamlining sales outreach, and improving client retention. If this sounds interesting, let’s schedule a quick call to discuss more.
This message is likely heading straight to the trash.
Example 2: A Good Cold Email
Here’s the same email, optimized for readability and structure:
Subject: Congrats on your growth!
Hi [Name],
I saw that [Company Name] has been growing rapidly—congrats!
I specialize in helping businesses like yours scale faster by automating sales outreach and improving client retention.
Would you be open to a 15-minute call next week? I’d love to share how my clients have seen results like a 30% boost in sales efficiency within 3 months.
Best,
Dominik Mytych
This version uses short paragraphs and gets to the point, making it easier to skim and respond.