Food emoji. Textspeak. More exclamation points than the latest kitten meme. Business communications aren’t written “Dear Sirs” in full block on a typewriter anymore, but certain standards still apply when writing professional email. These six tips to better business email etiquette will start you on your way to more polished communication:

• If your messages read, “Your invited to the the reorganization metting at 2,” slow down! Check that your message says everything you mean in the way you mean to say it. Is the punctuation and capitalization correct? Has your smartphone autocorrected any words (particularly proper names) that are now incorrect? Giving your email one last look can help you catch the errors that make you look careless or ill read. Nothing ruins credibility faster than typos!
• Work the subject line. Which subject tells you more: “Tomorrow’s Meeting” or “Agenda for Feb. 1 Reorganization Meeting”? The subject line is every email’s most important sentence—it not only summarizes the message’s contents, but it helps recipients prioritize busy inboxes, and it is a useful tool to reference a message after it has been read or filed. And remember, the subject is only for summarizing and should never include an email’s entire message, even if it’s short.
• Copy sparingly. The Reply All button has tripped up many a savvy sender, whether including someone by accident or messaging 50 people to say “Thanks!” When replying to an email string, consider whether your message will be useful to everyone on the list, otherwise it’s better to Reply to Sender. And be careful with the BCC and CC field: sending a blind copy to someone’s boss can come across as underhanded, whereas sending a courtesy copy shows confidence in disclosure. Just don’t clutter inboxes with senseless copies—include only the people who should be directly involved with the message.
• Avoid emoticons and emoji. Emoticons like smiley faces are fine in an email to a friend or occasionally in an email to a friendly business associate. But your professional communications should avoid a line of the latest party-hat emoji. Not only can emoji take the focus off the message itself, but emoji’s different translations across devices can create confusion.
• Summarize or shorten long messages histories. If you’re including a new person in an email string, briefly summarizing the message history will save the newcomer from scrolling through pages of replies. On a related note, when exchanging email back and forth with the same person, pick up the phone after the third volley—this subject is probably best sorted out in real time.
• Mind your tone. Have you ever written a tongue-in-cheek remark that offended someone?  Sarcasm can be tricky in an email, because writing does not convey vocal inflections or body language. So unless you’re writing to someone you know very well, check your email for any verbiage that could be misinterpreted, even if it’s meant as a joke.

Remember that in some situations, even the most well-written email may not substitute for personal contact. Next time you need to convey a confusing, difficult, or sensitive message to a coworker, try an in-person visit. Not only will face-to-face delivery maximize understanding, but walking around the office allows you to be “seen” and to interact with your coworkers, if only with a smile!