← Ideas · 💼 Work · Last checked: November 10, 2026

Draft and review a work email

You can do this after: Basics

In one line

Work emails, from draft to review
The habit of checking polite wording and accurate facts separately.

The big picture

Illustration (may look a little different from the real screen)

An email draft with recipient and subject set apart
Click the picture to see it larger.

Follow along

Start with the recipient, the purpose, and the confirmed facts

This example is “asking a client to reschedule a meeting.” Practice with made-up details before putting in real names and business information.

Made-up situation
Current meeting: November 18, 2 p.m.
Proposed new time: November 19, 3 p.m.
Recipient: [Name]
Reason: internal schedule change
The new time hasn’t been agreed with the other person yet.

Follow along from writing it to revising it

1. Open a new chat and say what the email is for

On ChatGPT on the web, go to New chat and paste the first prompt below. If you don’t know the recipient’s title, use something neutral like their name in brackets.

2. Ask it to keep a request apart from a decision

If the new date is just what you’d like, ask it not to write something like “The meeting has been moved.” Asking for the subject and body separately makes them easier to copy.

3. Adjust the tone and length once more

If it’s too long, ask: “Keep the body to 5 sentences or fewer, polite but without over-apologizing.” Also say not to change the dates and times.

Check before pasting it into your email

What you made here is an email draft. Nothing is sent to your email service automatically. Copy the body, paste it into your email’s compose window, and check the following.

Illustration (may look a little different from the real screen)

Before sending, check it yourself in the compose window
Click the picture to see it larger.

Check the email address, attachments, and CC yourself. Don’t assume the AI checked the content for you.

Prompts you can copy

Change the parts in square brackets to fit your situation, then paste it into the real ChatGPT or Codex screen.

Email asking to reschedule

Write a draft email to a client asking to reschedule, using the made-up situation below. Current meeting: November 18, 2 p.m. Proposed new time: November 19, 3 p.m. Recipient: [Name] Reason: internal schedule change The new time isn't confirmed. It's a request asking if they can make it. Separate the subject and body, and keep the body polite and under 6 sentences. Don't guess the year, the day of the week, or the sender's name. Leave square brackets where needed. Don't send any actual email. Just write the draft.

Check the draft before sending

Review the draft above against these points. Check that the dates and times match the original details, and that the request didn't turn into an announcement. Flag any promises or facts that weren't in the original. Tell me which square brackets still need filling and any mentions of attachments. Even if you reword sentences, don't add facts.

Where people get stuck

Lots of people get stuck here. Find the one that matches your situation!

A quick check

Quick check: The other person hasn’t agreed to the new time. Can I write “The meeting has been moved”?

Answer: “No, rewrite it as a request asking if it works”
A preferred time and a confirmed time are different. Reword it to ask whether the other person is available.

Official sources

I'm stuck here

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