How to Write Confirmation Emails: Common Mistakes and Proven Solutions

An example of a conformation email with a Sign In button

Why Confirmation Emails Are Important

In email marketing, confirmation messages serve several functions at once. First, they act as an immediate notification that informs the user about the results of their action (e.g., "Your order has been accepted" or "Registration complete"). This reduces customer anxiety by providing reassurance that their action was successful. Additionally, such emails may assist the support service: there’s no need to call or manually send a message to clarify details when a customer receives an automatic confirmation.

Email address confirmation example

In addition to informing the user, confirmation messages also guide them further. These emails usually specify what the next step is: for example, wait for a shipping notification or follow a link to activate the account.

A confirmation email may also gently suggest additional products or services (but, of course, only after the main information).

Types of Confirmation Emails

• Order confirmation. Includes key information about the order: date, list of products or services, total amount, chosen payment method. Contact details are usually provided as well.

• Payment confirmation. Sent to the client after successful payment. An electronic receipt or invoice may be attached to the email.
  
  
• Reservation confirmation. Confirms all kinds of reservations: a flight, a vacation package, a table at a restaurant, etc. The message provides the details about booking, including the address or venue, date and time, the participant’s name, and other relevant details.
  
  
• Registration confirmation. May include the login and password for entry or a link to set the password. If this is an email about some kind of event, it confirms successful registration and includes key event details (such as where and when it will be held).
  
  
• Subscription confirmation. This email confirms the subscription to email newsletters. It serves as a double opt-in and asks the user to take an additional action: click a button to confirm their decision and agree to receive future emails.

• Cancellation confirmation. If the client cancels a subscription, booking, order, etc., they receive an email stating that the cancellation request has been fulfilled. This message also includes such details as the cancellation date and what exactly has been canceled.
  
  
• Application receipt confirmation. When a client submits a request through a form on the site (such as support request or callback request), the system sends an automatic response, e.g., “Your request #X has been received”. It is important not only to confirm the application receipt but also to inform when to expect a response.

What to Include in a Confirmation Email

A confirmation email must fulfill its functions and align with the brand at the same time. A typical email of this kind includes several essential elements:

• Email subject line. The subject line should be as clear and specific as possible. It is recommended to directly state what exactly the email is about, for instance, “Confirm your subscription” or “You succesfully booked a flight”. For additional clarity, it may also contain a personalization element (e.g., name: “John, confirm your email”).
  
  
• Greetings and salutations. The opening part of the email usually greets the recipient. If technically possible, it is better to use a personalized greeting. You may also add a short "thank you" as a sign of appreciation for the recipient’s efforts, such as "Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter".
  
  
• Email body. This is the main part of the confirmation email. Here, it is necessary to clearly state the key information, keeping it specific and useful. For example, in an order confirmation email you may list the ordered items and their price, or in a subscription email you may remind which newsletter the client has subscribed to. Avoid lengthy explanations or unnecessary details. If additional steps are required (e.g., payment for a reservation or account activation), be sure to inform the reader what to do next. Examples of a concise email body include “Your account has been registered. Please confirm your registration by clicking the button below” or “Order #123 confirmed. Expected delivery date is July 5.”
  
  
• Call-to-action (CTA). These may vary depending on the specific scenario: for example, a “Proceed to Payment” button (if the order has not yet been paid), a “Track My Order” link, or a “Confirm Email Address” button.
  
  
• Visual design and branding elements. It is recommended to use a logo in the email header, corporate colors, possibly background images, and icons in a unified style. Visuals should not overload the email but help with brand recognition and make the email visually pleasant. Test your email templates in advance to see how they look on different devices and in email clients.
  
  
• Contact information and signature. A good practice is to provide the company's contact details in the email footer. Usually, these include the support service email, phone number, links to messengers or social media, and legal address.

How to Use Confirmation Emails Effectively

Best Practices

• Send the email immediately. If the email arrives with a delay, this may cause anxiety. Imagine that someone has just made a purchase and closed the website, but the confirmation email never arrives. The first thought is “Did that go OK?”, and the next minute they're reaching out to support. The email should be sent almost instantly, within approximately 1-2 minutes. And if extra time is needed, for example, to moderate a request or confirm the user's identity, immediately send a short signal: “We have received your request. It will take around 1 hour to process. We will contact you shortly”.
  
  
• Keep emails short. Since the user will spend only a few seconds on reading your email, include only useful information and keep everything unnecessary out. Use short, straightforward paragraphs and highlight key facts. If you need to convey a lot of data (for example, a list of 5-6 ordered items), structure that using a table, bullet points, or numbered lists.
  
  
• Maintain a friendly yet professional tone. The style of a confirmation email should be formal but not cold. Stick to natural, conversational language and try to avoid bureaucratic and overly formal phrases (like “We bring to your attention…”).
  
  
• Personalize where appropriate. Consumers respond better to personalized content. Showcase their data, such as first name, last name, order details (if applicable) and more in the confirmation email for stronger effect: “Anna, your order #17665 has been confirmed”. Don't forget to test variable substitutions to avoid mishaps like “Hello, ${fname}!”.

• Include a call-to-action. Make sure your email features a CTA when further action is required from the user, such as to confirm the email, pay for the order, or verify the account. If no additional actions are necessary, you may include a CTA to increase engagement, for example, “View similar products” or “Share your opinion”. This prolongs the interaction lifecycle. Yet in any case, use only one main CTA and don’t overload the email with multiple buttons.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Too much advertising in the confirmation email. The main purpose of this message is strictly service-related. If the email intended to confirm action consists almost entirely of advertising banners and promotions, it risks annoying the user.
  
  
• Lack of important details. Conversely, an email that is too sparse and lacks the required details may frustrate users. For example, an order confirmation without the order number or item list means forcing the user to search for this information in their personal account.
  
  
• Confusing subject line. Either it's too general, like “Confirmation” or "Subscription" (and the user may not understand what the email is about) or overloaded with excessive details / marketing (“Congratulations on purchasing the product! Your order #… is confirmed, click now!!!”). The first option does not attract attention, while the second may look spammy or bloated. Another mistake is writing the subject line in ALL CAPS or adding many special symbols (!!!, $$$).
  
  
• One email template for all cases. Sometimes companies send the same email for different triggers. For example, they combine order and payment confirmations or use a welcome email for subscription confirmation. This is not a good practice. Each event has its own specifics, and the email should be tailored accordingly.

Conclusion

A confirmation email is an important element of communication, whether in e-commerce, B2B SaaS, or another sector. In email marketing services, it serves an important function of recording the user’s action, such as subscribing to a newsletter.

Email remains a significant channel of interaction, and if approached strategically, it can not only help confirm registration or another action but also increase retention and conversion.