Sign in

How to write order confirmation emails

Content guidelines for writing order confirmation emails for people, planet and profit.

By Charlotte Daniels

Contents

Why order confirmation emails matter

For people

Immediately after making a purchase, people could be experiencing a range of feelings and emotions, from excitement to anxiety.

Post purchase feelings

Matrix showing that people experience a range of emotions post purchase, both pleasant and unpleasant. In the high energy, unpleasant quadrant they might feel anxious and doubt. In the high energy pleasant quadrant they might feel excitement, anticipation and accomplished. In the low energy, unpleasant quadrant they might feel regret. In the low energy pleasant quadrant they might feel content.

Studies show that many people experience anxiety after making a purchase, especially in the period between making the purchase and waiting for the confirmation email.

But there could be positive emotions too:

  • a sense of accomplishment for completing the purchase
  • a feeling of positive anticipation for its arrival
  • contentment, when people feel confident in their choice and a high level of trust in the retailer and product.

For planet

Confirmation emails are sent every time you sell, so they can have a significant impact on carbon emissions. To help make them more planet-friendly:

  • Remove large images
  • Keep the text concise, make every word count.

For profit

Order confirmation emails are one of the most opened emails, with reported open rates over 60%.

This makes them a prime opportunity to make a good impression and build trust with customers.

Including the right information can also help reduce enquiries, cutting customer service time and costs.

Content guidelines

Subject line

Make your subject line clear and searchable.

  • Provide reassurance with a clear subject line confirming the order
  • Include your brand name, the word ‘order’ and the order number for maximum searchability in the inbox

Do

Focus on clarity and important information

Your [store name] order #123456

Don’t

Miss out crucial information in favour of enthusiasm. Save this for the opening section

Whoop It’s ordered! Get excited

Opening section

Use the opening section to validate their choice and build trust and connection.

This is where you can bring in your brand personality to celebrate their accomplishment and provide reassurance they’re made the right choice.

  • Validate their decision
  • Build trust and connection with personalisation and gratitude

Gratitude can be a good way to build trust and connection, but keep it brief and focus on them, not you.

Do

Focus on them. Use their name. Celebrate their accomplishment

Good choice, Robin.

Don’t

Focus on you. Over do it with gratitude.

Thank you for ordering from us, it makes a huge difference to us and we really appreciate it. Thank you again.

Who Gives a Crap does this really well in their order confirmation.

Who Gives a crap email confirmation. The title reads: "You just did a really good thing".

Subscribe or sign in

Subscribe for full access to all content resources, templates and examples from £7.50 a month. Start with a 7 day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Sign in

Real order confirmation email examples

See order confirmation email examples from purpose-driven brands.

View all examples

Start the week with good content

Sign up to circular for purposeful content resources and inspiration every Monday. Or read it first.