How to Start an Email to Multiple People

Best Greetings for Group Emails

The right greeting depends on the group size, your relationship, and the formality level. From our email openings guide:

Small Groups (2-4 People)

• Hi [Name], [Name], and [Name] — Personal and inclusive. The best option for small groups.
• Hello [Name] and [Name] — Works for two recipients.
• Dear [Name] and [Name] — More formal version for two recipients.

Medium Groups (5-15 People)

• Hi everyone — The most popular and inclusive group greeting.
• Hi all — Clean and direct. Widely used in professional settings.
• Hi team — When emailing your team or project group.
• Hello everyone — Slightly more formal than "Hi everyone."

Large Groups or Formal Settings

• Dear colleagues — Professional and appropriate for company-wide emails.
• Dear [Department] team — "Dear Marketing team" or "Dear Engineering team."
• Dear all — Formal group greeting. Common in traditional business settings.

Greetings to Avoid

• "Hey guys" — Not gender-inclusive. Use "everyone" or "team" instead.
• "Dear Sirs" — Outdated and gender-exclusive. Never use this.
• "To all concerned" — Impersonal and bureaucratic.
• No greeting — Even in group emails, always include a greeting.

Opening Lines for Group Emails

Setting Context

• "I wanted to update everyone on the status of [project/initiative]."
• "Following up from our meeting on [date], here are the action items."
• "I am writing to share important information about [topic]."

Making a Group Request

• "I need everyone's input on [topic] by [date]."
• "Could each of you please review [document] and share your feedback?"
• "I would like to schedule a meeting to discuss [topic]. Please share your availability."

Announcements

• "I am excited to announce [news]."
• "I wanted to let everyone know about [change/update]."
• "Please be aware of the following change to [process/policy]."

Group Email Etiquette Tips

• Use To, CC, and BCC correctly: "To" for primary recipients who need to act. "CC" for people who need to be informed. "BCC" for large distribution lists to protect privacy.
• Be clear about who needs to do what: In group emails, specify who is responsible for each action item. "@Sarah — please review the budget. @Mike — please update the timeline."
• Consider whether "Reply All" is needed: Mention this in your email if you want everyone to see responses, or if individual replies are preferred.
• Keep it concise: Group emails should be especially focused. Multiple readers means multiple interpretations of vague language.
• Use bullet points: Lists are easier to scan than paragraphs, especially for action items and updates.

Complete Group Email Opening Examples

Project Update

Hi team, Here is a quick update on the Henderson project. We hit our Q1 milestone ahead of schedule, and I want to outline our priorities for Q2.

Meeting Follow-Up

Hi everyone, Thank you for a productive meeting today. Below are the action items and deadlines we agreed on. Please review and let me know if I missed anything.

Cross-Team Collaboration

Hello Sarah, David, and Priya, I am bringing you all together to discuss the upcoming product launch. Each of you brings critical expertise, and I think a 30-minute alignment call would be valuable.

For ending group emails, see how to end an email and professional email endings.

Also explore professional email openings, emailing a company, and writing emails faster with AI tools.

Explore all guides in this series: how to start an email, start professionally, start to a professor, start to a teacher, start to a company.