Meeting request email templates
People accept meetings when they know three things: why, how long, and what they'll get out of it. This template puts all three in the first two lines and offers two specific times, which gets a faster answer than "when works for you?". It's for internal and external meetings with people you already know; for cold outreach, see the sales pack.
;em-meet-ask;em-meet-ask in any app.Variations
The same message for a different channel or tone. Copy the one that fits.
When you'd rather they pick from your calendar. Copy the link first.
Shorter, with the decision up front and an offer to do it by email instead.
When to use it
- Asking a colleague, client or partner for a specific meeting.
- Booking a decision meeting with a busy stakeholder.
- Any time "can we hop on a call?" would leave the other person guessing.
What to avoid
- Don't ask for an hour if thirty minutes will do. Shorter requests get accepted faster.
- Don't offer only "any time next week". Two concrete options get a quicker reply.
- Don't send a calendar invite before they've agreed unless that's normal in your team.
The fields in this template
Retext fills these in when the snippet expands. In plain text they become [brackets] to replace by hand.
- Name
{fill:Name} - The person you're inviting.
- Length
{fill:Length} - How long, e.g. "20 minutes".
- Purpose
{fill:Purpose} - What the meeting is about, e.g. "the launch timeline".
- Outcome
{fill:Outcome} - The result you want, e.g. "agree the launch date".
- Option one
{fill:Option one} - A specific slot, e.g. "Tuesday at 2pm".
- Option two
{fill:Option two} - A second slot on a different day.
- Clipboard
{clipboard} - Pastes whatever you last copied, such as an order number or a link, into that spot.
Tips
- •Copy your booking link before typing the trigger and {clipboard} drops it in.
- •Write times in the reader's time zone when you're working across regions.
- •Pair with the email-signature-with-booking-link template so every email offers a way to book.
Works in Gmail, Outlook and every other app
Retext types the snippet wherever your cursor is. To use a different version in one app, give it the same trigger and limit it to that app with per-app snippets. They go by app, not website, so every tab in your browser counts as one app.
Questions
How do you ask for a meeting professionally by email?
State the purpose, how long you need and what you'd like to decide, then offer two specific times. Keep it to four or five lines.
Should I send a calendar invite or an email first?
For people outside your team or more senior than you, email first. Inside a team that uses shared calendars, a direct invite with a clear description is usually fine.
Related templates
Rescheduling a meeting
;em-reschedEmail & out of office
Hi [Name], I need to move our [Meeting] on [Original time]. Sorry for the change. Would [Option one] or [Option two] wor…
Declining a meeting
;em-declineEmail & out of office
Hi [Name], Thanks for the invite. I can't make [Meeting] this time, but I don't want to hold anything up, so here's my i…
Email signature with booking link
;sig-bookingEmail signatures
[Full name] [Job title], [Company] Grab [Meeting length] on my calendar: [Booking link]
Google Meet invite reply
;gm-meetGmail
Hi [Name], Here's the link for our call on [Day and time]: [clipboard] It's a Google Meet link, so on a computer it open…
Type ;em-meet-ask, get the whole reply
Retext expands your snippets in every Mac app and fills in names, dates and order numbers for you.
Free to start. No account required on the Mac.