PromptivityImprove an email before you send it
The problem
You have a draft that is too long, unclear or not quite the right tone, and the email matters.
Recommended approach
Paste your draft into the AI you already have, tell it who the email is for and what must not change, and ask for a clearer version. Then check every fact yourself before sending.
Try this now
- Copy your draft. Remove anything confidential you aren't allowed to share.
- Say who it's for and why. Tell the AI the recipient, the purpose and the tone you want.
- List what must not change. Names, dates, amounts, deadlines and promises.
- Ask for one improved version. Ask it to keep your facts and not add new ones.
- Compare and check. Read both versions side by side and fix anything that changed meaning.
What you should get: A shorter, clearer email with the same facts, plus a list of anything the AI changed.
Improve this email. Recipient: a client I haven't met. Purpose: confirm next week's call and ask for the budget figure. Tone: friendly and professional, under 120 words. Do NOT change: Tuesday 14 Nov, 10:00, the £4,500 estimate. Do not add facts or promises that aren't in my draft. DRAFT: <paste your email>
Check the result
- Names, dates, amounts and deadlines are unchanged
- No new promise or commitment was added
- It sounds like you; edit any phrase you wouldn't say
- The ask is clear in the first two lines
Which tool to use
Use what you already have first. These options are not ranked.
If you already have it
Use the AI built into your work apps
Best when: You have Microsoft 365 Copilot or Google Workspace with Gemini at work
Tools: Microsoft 365 Copilot Business, Google Workspace with Gemini
Free option
Use one general assistant you already have (free tiers often enough)
Best when: You have no AI at work, or only a personal account
Specialist option
Specialist alternative: an in-place writing assistant
Best when: You rewrite text all day in many apps
Tools: Grammarly
More options: plans, costs and subscriptions
Moderate: documented workflow fit; no independent head-to-head testing of these tools for this job. Prices come from each tool's record, with the date checked; always confirm on the vendor's page.
If you already have it
Use the AI built into your work apps
- Best when
- You have Microsoft 365 Copilot or Google Workspace with Gemini at work
- Tools
- Microsoft 365 Copilot Business, Google Workspace with Gemini
- Why it fits
- Works inside Outlook or Gmail, so you don't copy text between apps, and your company's data protections apply.
- Subscription
- Only if your organization already licenses it. Don't buy it for this job alone.
- Cost (from tool records)
- Microsoft 365 Copilot Business: Promotional $18/user/month annual commitment; regular $21 shown at verification. (reported, not re-checked 2026-10-21 · source)
Google Workspace with Gemini: Workspace business pricing varies by plan; official page lists AI integrated across Workspace. (reported, not re-checked 2026-10-21 · source)
Free / already-owned option
Use one general assistant you already have (free tiers often enough)
- Best when
- You have no AI at work, or only a personal account
- Tools
- ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini
- Why it fits
- Copying in a non-confidential draft is enough for this job; documented rewriting ability is broadly similar across leading assistants.
- Subscription
- Not required: free tiers can be sufficient; usage limits vary by plan.
- Cost (from tool records)
- ChatGPT: Free; Go $8/month U.S.; Plus $20/month. (reported, not re-checked 2026-10-21 · source)
Claude: Free; Pro $20/month billed monthly ($17/month with annual billing); Max from $100/month (U.S.). (verified 2026-10-21 · source)
Gemini: Free access plus Google AI Plus $9.99 and Pro $19.99/month U.S. (reported, not re-checked 2026-10-21 · source)
Specialist alternative
Specialist alternative: an in-place writing assistant
- Best when
- You rewrite text all day in many apps
- Tools
- Grammarly
- Why it fits
- Suggests edits where you type, across apps. Useful for constant editing, not needed for this job alone.
- Subscription
- Free tier exists; paid plan for more. Only worth it for heavy daily use.
- Cost (from tool records)
- Grammarly: Free tier; paid Pro offering. (reported, not re-checked 2026-10-21 · source)
Assumptions
- You can use at least one general AI assistant (many have free tiers), or your employer already provides one.
- You are allowed to put this material into that tool. Check your workplace policy first.
Why this approach
Why it fits
- No new subscription: email rewriting is something every mainstream assistant can do.
- Telling the AI the audience, purpose and must-keep facts is what makes the result better, not the brand.
- You stay in control of what is sent.
When not to use it
- The email contains confidential information your workplace doesn't allow in AI tools.
- The message is legally or contractually sensitive: get a human review.
- You want it to sound exactly like you and it already does. Small edits by hand may be faster.
How we know
| Claim | Evidence | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Promptivity's own research synthesis (Research 1) lists this among its 10 launch use cases, drawing on published survey, behavioural and experimental studies of workplace AI use. Internal prioritization by Promptivity, not an independent evaluation and not a performance result. | Promptivity research synthesis | Source | 2026-10-21 |
| In a controlled experiment on ordinary professional writing tasks, ChatGPT access cut average completion time by about 40% and raised rated quality by about 18% (older model, narrow tasks; not a promise for your task). Noy & Zhang, Science, 2023, as summarized in Research 1. | Outside evaluation | Source | 2026-10-21 |
| Which tools fit, and on which plans, comes from Research 2: vendor documentation plus Promptivity editorial judgement. Its rankings are editorial, not measured. No product was hands-on tested. | Editorial | Source | 2026-10-21 |
| Microsoft Support documents drafting an email with Copilot in Outlook and adjusting its tone or length. Vendor documentation, checked 2026-10-21. Page fetched and read on 2026-10-21. Not hands-on tested by Promptivity. | Vendor-documented | Source | 2026-10-21 |
| Gmail Help documents "Help me write" with Gemini to draft or refine an email for tone and clarity (eligible Workspace/Google AI plans; personal accounts US only). Vendor documentation, checked 2026-10-21. Page fetched and read on 2026-10-21. Not hands-on tested by Promptivity. | Vendor-documented | Source | 2026-10-21 |
What we don't know yet
- No independent test compares assistants on send-ready email quality for beginners.
Evidence types: Vendor-documented (the vendor's own help pages) · Outside evaluation (independent published study) · Promptivity research synthesis (our own compilation of published studies) · Editorial (our judgement) · Unknown. Nothing on this page was hands-on tested by Promptivity. Revisit if credible independent testing shows one tool is materially better for beginners, or if a listed tool changes access or price.
How this guide was prepared
This guide is based on published sources. We have not independently tested this workflow hands-on.
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