How to Use ChatGPT to Write an Email (Even If You Hate Typing)

If typing a careful email feels like a chore, you can use ChatGPT to write an email for you in about two minutes. You tell it who the email is for, what you want to happen, and how you want to sound. It hands you a draft. You fix anything that isn't right, copy it, and send it from your own email account like always.

That's the whole idea. ChatGPT doesn't send anything for you unless you set it up to. It just writes. You stay in charge.

This guide walks through exactly what to say, a handful of prompts you can copy, and the few things you should never paste into a chat.

Why use ChatGPT to write an email at all

Most of us don't struggle with what we want to say. We struggle with how to say it. A note to a landlord about a leaky faucet. A polite "no" to a volunteer request. A follow-up to a doctor's office that hasn't called back. Those emails sit in our heads for days because getting the tone right takes effort.

ChatGPT is good at tone. You give it the facts, and it gives you a clear, polite version you can adjust. It's also patient. You can ask for a shorter version, a warmer one, or a firmer one as many times as you like.

And it keeps getting easier. In October, OpenAI updated its Chrome add-on so ChatGPT can look across the tabs you have open. The Verge's write-up lists one of OpenAI's own examples: compare the contractor services in your open tabs, then draft an email to the one that fits your home renovation. You don't need that feature to write an email, but it shows where this is heading.

The 3 things to tell ChatGPT every time

A good email request has three parts. If you give it these, the first draft is usually close.

1. Who it's going to. "My landlord." "My grandson's teacher." "Customer service at my phone company."
2. What you want to happen. "I want the faucet fixed this week." "I want a refund for a double charge." "I want to say thank you."
3. How you want to sound. "Friendly but firm." "Short and polite." "Warm, like a note to an old friend."

Here's what that looks like put together:

Write a short, polite email to my landlord. The kitchen faucet has been leaking for a week. I'd like it fixed by Friday. Keep it friendly but firm.

That's it. No special words. Talk to it the way you'd explain the situation to a helpful neighbor.

Prompts you can copy

Swap in your own details and paste these right into ChatGPT.

A complaint that gets results:

Write a firm but polite email to customer service. I was charged twice for my October bill, $64 each time. I want the extra charge refunded. Ask them to confirm by email.

A thank-you note:

Write a warm thank-you email to my neighbor Linda for bringing soup when I was sick. Keep it under 100 words and make it sound like me, not like a greeting card.

Saying no without guilt:

Help me write a kind email saying I can't chair the church bake sale this year. I'm happy to bake two pies. Keep it short.

Following up when nobody called back:

Write a polite follow-up email to my doctor's office. I asked for my test results on October 8 and haven't heard back. Ask when I can expect them.

Reconnecting with an old friend:

Help me write an email to a college friend I haven't talked to in 20 years. I saw her name in our alumni newsletter. Keep it light and not too long.

If the draft is too stiff, just say so: "Make it sound more casual." "Cut it in half." "Take out the exclamation points." ChatGPT will rewrite it.

How to make it sound like you

The fastest way to stop an email from sounding like a robot is to give ChatGPT a sample of your writing. Paste in an email you wrote yourself and say:

Here's an email I wrote last month. Write the new email in the same style.

You can also tell it your quirks. "I always sign off with 'Best, Carol.'" "I don't use fancy words." "I like short sentences."

Then read the draft out loud. If a sentence makes you wince, change it or ask ChatGPT to. You know your voice better than any computer does.

If you'd rather talk than type, you can speak your request instead. Our guide to ChatGPT voice mode for beginners shows you how to start a spoken conversation. You can describe the email out loud and then ask ChatGPT to write it.

Letters vs. emails: what's different

If you've read our guide on how to use ChatGPT to write a letter, most of this will feel familiar. The difference is length and speed. Emails should be shorter. Try adding "under 150 words" to your request. Most people skim email on a phone, so put the main point in the first sentence.

Ask ChatGPT for a subject line too:

Give me three short subject lines for this email.

A clear subject line like "Double charge on October bill" gets read faster than "Question."

What never to paste into ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a helpful writing partner, but treat it like a postcard, not a sealed envelope. Leave these out of your requests:

• Your Social Security number or Medicare number
• Bank account, credit card, or routing numbers
• Passwords or PINs
• Full medical records or test results
• Anything you'd be upset to see on a billboard

You don't need any of that to get a good draft. Use placeholders instead: "my account number [ACCOUNT]." Then type the real number into your own email program before you send.

One more safety habit. If an email you received asks you to "verify your account" or click a link, don't ask ChatGPT to write a reply. That's often a scam, and the right move is to delete it or call the company using a number you already trust.

A simple routine for your first try

1. Open ChatGPT on your phone, tablet, or computer.
2. Type who the email is for, what you want, and how you want to sound.
3. Read the draft. Ask for changes until it sounds right.
4. Copy the text. On a phone, press and hold the text and tap "Copy." On a computer, highlight it and press Ctrl+C (or Command+C on a Mac).
5. Open your own email, start a new message, paste it in, and add the real details.
6. Read it one more time and hit send.

Do this three or four times and it becomes second nature.

Common questions

Can ChatGPT send the email for me? In the regular chat, no. It writes the draft and you send it from your own email. Some newer features can take actions in your browser, but you don't need them, and I'd learn the basics first.

Is it free to use ChatGPT to write an email? Yes. The free version of ChatGPT can write emails. You don't need a paid plan for this.

Will people know ChatGPT wrote it? Not if you add your own details and read it over. The more you personalize it, the more it sounds like you.

What if the draft gets a fact wrong? ChatGPT only knows what you tell it. If it adds a detail you didn't give it, delete that part. Always check names, dates, and dollar amounts before you send.

Want more step-by-step guides like this?

Writing emails is one of the first things I teach people because it pays off right away. If you want a full, friendly walkthrough of ChatGPT and other AI tools, written in large print with no jargon, take a look at our book, AI for Boomers. It covers everyday tasks like this one, plus how to stay safe from AI scams.