--- title: "Write an email context file so AI drafts sound like you" description: "Store your voice rules, recipient preferences, templates, and sign-off rules in one file, so AI email drafts need a review, not a rewrite." canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-memory-for-email-writing" date: "2026-01-28" modified: "2026-09-25" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Real estate - Real estate - [Real estate](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - Work - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Prepare your six-question brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prepare-your-six-question-brief) - Build - [Site build, content library with SEO, signal desk](https://scalewithsearch.com/work) - For your business - Trades and home services - [Auto body and collision shops](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/auto-body-and-collision-shops) - [Foundation and home repair contractors](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/foundation-and-home-repair) - 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You ask an AI assistant to draft a client email. It returns "I hope this email finds you well," three paragraphs of polite filler, and "Please feel free to reach out." You write in short, direct sentences. You never use that opening. The assistant does not know that. It does not know that one client wants a morning call and another wants everything in writing. It does not know that you end every client email with the next step. Each draft starts from the model's default register, and the minutes you save on the draft go into the edit. An email context file closes that gap. It is one Markdown file, `email-context.md`, that the assistant reads before it drafts. The sections below show what goes in it and how to test it. ## Put four sections in the file The file holds four sections: 1. **Voice rules:** contractions, sentence length, formality, and the phrases you never use. 2. **Recipient notes:** each regular recipient's communication style, time zone, and preferences. 3. **Templates:** your standard structure for each recurring email type. 4. **Sign-off rules:** how you close, for example with a next step and a calendar link. With the file in place, the request "draft a follow-up to the operations director about the Q2 deliverables" carries more meaning. The assistant knows that recipient wants short emails. It knows you list action items. It knows your tone. The draft needs a check, not a rewrite. In Claude Code, keep the file in the project folder and name it in the task. Other assistants need the file attached or pasted at the start of the session. Either way, the file stays the source; the chat is not. ## Write voice rules the assistant can check Describe how your writing differs from the model's default. Adjectives such as "friendly but professional" give the assistant nothing to test. Concrete rules do: ```markdown ## Voice - Use contractions (I'm, you're, we'll). - Keep paragraphs to two or three sentences. - Start with the reason for the email, not a greeting line. - Never write "I hope this email finds you well." - Never write "please feel free to reach out." - End with one clear next step or one question. - No exclamation points. No corporate jargon. ``` Each rule is a pass or fail check on the draft. A search for "finds you well" either finds the phrase or does not. For a longer treatment of voice rules and the difference between voice and facts, see [AI brand memory for content creation](/articles/ai-brand-memory-content-creation). ## Record what each recipient prefers Recipient notes are where the file saves the most time. You stop repeating "this client likes short emails" in every session. ```markdown ## Recipients - Operations director, client A: direct. Morning calls only. Dislikes long emails. - Finance lead, client B: wants every decision documented. Prefers async replies. - Founder, client C: thinks visually. Send a mockup, not a wall of text. ``` Keep these notes to communication preferences. Do not copy contract terms, personal details, or account data into an email file. [What client data belongs in AI agent memory](/articles/client-data-in-ai-agent-memory) helps you draw that line. If several people share the file, agree on who may edit recipient notes. ## Store a template for each recurring email Most of your email falls into a few types: introduction, follow-up, proposal, project update, and internal note. Give each type a template with placeholders. ```markdown ## Templates ### Project update Subject: [Project]: [Status] as of [Date] Quick update: Done this week: - [Item] - [Item] In progress: - [Item] Blockers: - [Item or "None"] Next: - [Action] by [Date] Tell me if you need detail on any item. ### Follow-up after a call Subject: [Topic]: what we agreed [One sentence on the decision.] Next steps: - [Owner]: [Action] by [Date] [One question, or the calendar link.] ``` The assistant fills the placeholders from your request and keeps the structure. The more real examples you add, the closer the draft gets to your style. Label each example with the type it shows, so the assistant does not copy an old fact from it. ## Write your sign-off rules State how every email ends. For example: ```markdown ## Sign-off - Client email: end with the next step and the date. Offer the calendar link if a call helps. - Internal email: end with the owner of the next action. - No "Best regards" above the name. First name only. ``` A sign-off rule looks small. It is also the part of the draft that recipients act on. ## Compare a draft with and without the file The pair below is an illustration. Both drafts carry the same facts: research is done, content work has started, drafts and revisions have dates. Without the file: > **Subject:** Re: Q2 Deliverables > > Hi [First name], > > I hope this email finds you well. Thank you for your patience regarding the Q2 deliverables. I wanted to reach out to provide you with an update on our progress. > > We have successfully completed the initial research phase and are now moving forward with the content creation phase. Our team is working diligently to ensure everything meets your expectations. > > Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. I'm happy to schedule a call at your convenience to discuss this further. > > Best regards, > [Your name] With the file: > **Subject:** Q2 deliverables: on track > > [First name], > > Quick update: research phase done, we're into content creation now. > > **Done:** > > - Competitive analysis > - Keyword mapping > > **Next:** > > - First 3 drafts to you by Feb 5 > - Revisions by Feb 12 > > Want to sync Thursday morning? Grab a time here. > > [Your name] The second draft is about half the length. It contains none of the banned phrases; the first draft contains "finds you well" and "feel free to reach out." The second draft uses the project update structure, gives dates, and ends with a next step. ## Test the file on five real emails Run this check before you trust the file: 1. Pick five emails you sent last month, of at least three types. 2. For each one, give the assistant only the facts and the recipient. 3. Compare each draft with the email you sent. 4. Search each draft for every banned phrase. 5. Note each place where you still had to edit. 6. Add a rule or a recipient note for each repeated edit. 7. Run the five emails again. Step 6 is where the file improves. An edit you make twice is a missing rule. [How corrections become part of the system](/articles/corrections-become-system-memory) shows how to record each fix so that the next draft reflects it. ## Keep recipient notes factual and dated A recipient note describes a person, so write it the way you would want a colleague to describe you. Record what the person asked for and what worked, not your opinion of them. "Prefers async replies; answered the July proposal within a day when it had a summary on top" is a fact you can use. "Slow and picky" is not. Date each note. Preferences change when a person changes role, joins a new team, or gets a new manager. A note from two years ago about a contact who now runs the department can send the wrong tone. Put a `last_confirmed::` date next to each recipient. If you have not emailed someone in six months, treat the note as a guess until an exchange confirms it. ## Reuse the file in a chat product The file is plain text, so it works outside Claude Code. In ChatGPT or Claude, paste the four sections into the project instructions once. Each new chat in that project then starts with your voice rules and templates. The limits differ by product. Custom instruction fields are short, so put the voice and sign-off rules there and keep the recipient notes and templates in the project files. When you edit the file, update the project instructions the same day. Otherwise the two copies drift, and the chat product drafts from last month's rules. ## Know what the file does not fix The file controls style and structure. It does not decide what to say. If you do not know the message, the draft will not know it either. It does not make a sensitive email safe. Emails about money, disputes, legal matters, or bad news still need your full read. The assistant drafts; you send. [Who approves what an AI agent sends](/articles/who-approves-what-an-ai-agent-sends) covers how to set that approval rule for a team. It does not update itself. When a recipient's preference changes, edit the file on the same day. Put a `last_reviewed::` date at the top of the file, and review the recipient notes each quarter. ## Related: AI memory - [Stop Jasper drafts from drifting away from your brand voice](/articles/jasper-ai-memory-problems) - [Give AI your business context so it stops writing generic answers](/articles/why-ai-gives-generic-answers) - [AI Brand Memory for Content Creation: Keep Approved Voice Without Freezing Old Claims](/articles/ai-brand-memory-content-creation) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. 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