Skill: raunaksingwi/ravi-email-writing (version 2.1.1)

--- name: ravi-email-writing description: Best practices for writing high-quality emails that look professional and avoid spam filters. Reference this before composing, replying, or forwarding emails with ravi-email-send. --- # Email Writing Guide Write emails that look like they came from a real person — not an AI. Good email hygiene improves deliverability, avoids spam filters, and gets responses. ## Subject Lines - **40-60 characters** — long subjects get truncated on mobile - **Be specific** — "Q3 metrics review for Acme project" beats "Update" - **No ALL CAPS** — spam filters penalize this heavily - **Avoid spam triggers** — "free", "act now", "limited time", "click here", "urgent", "guaranteed", "no obligation" - **Match the tone** — casual for teammates, professional for external contacts ## HTML Body Structure The `--body` argument in `ravi email compose` accepts HTML. Always use semantic tags — never pass plain text. **Note:** `--subject` is only used with the compose command. Reply and forward commands auto-derive the subject from the original message (prepending `Re:` or `Fwd:`). **Do this:** ```html <p>Opening line that states the purpose.</p> <p>Supporting details in a second paragraph.</p> <ul> <li>Key point one</li> <li>Key point two</li> </ul> <p>Closing with a clear next step or ask.</p> <p>Best,<br>IDENTITY_NAME</p> ``` **Don't do this:** ```html Plain text with no tags at all Or this:<br><br>Using br chains<br><br>instead of paragraphs ``` **Rules:** - Always wrap text in `<p>` tags - Use `<h2>` for section headers (not `<h1>`) - Use `<ul>`/`<li>` for lists, not dashes or asterisks - Use `<a href="...">descriptive text</a>` for links — never bare URLs - No `<html>`, `<head>`, or `<body>` wrapper tags — the email system adds these - No `<br>` chains — use separate `<p>` tags instead - Get the identity name with: `ravi auth status` ## Recommended Template Copy-paste starting point for most emails: ```bash ravi email compose \ --to "[REDACTED_SECRET]" \ --subject "Specific subject under 60 chars" \ --body "<p>Hi Alex,</p><p>I'm reaching out about [specific topic]. [One sentence of context.]</p><p>[Core message — what you need, what you're sharing, or what you're asking.]</p><ul><li>[Key point or action item]</li><li>[Key point or action item]</li></ul><p>[Clear next step — what should the recipient do?]</p><p>Best,<br>YOUR_NAME</p>" ``` ## Tone and Style - **First person, active voice** — "I'll send the report Monday" not "The report will be sent" - **Short paragraphs** — 2-3 sentences max per `<p>` tag - **Get to the point** — state your purpose in the first sentence - **End with an action item** — "Can you review by Friday?" not "Let me know your thoughts" - **No filler phrases** — cut "I hope this email finds you well", "Just wanted to touch base", "Per our previous conversation" - **No robotic language** — cut "I am writing to inform you", "Please be advised", "Kindly note" - **Match the thread tone** — if they're casual, be casual. If they're formal, be formal. ## Anti-Spam Essentials These rules help your emails land in the inbox, not spam: - **High text-to-HTML ratio** — more words, fewer tags. Don't over-format. - **No link shorteners** — use full URLs. Spam filters distrust bit.ly, t.co, etc. - **Max 2-3 links per email** — more links = higher spam score - **No ALL CAPS** — not even for emphasis. Use `<strong>` instead. - **No image-only emails** — always include text content - **One topic per email** — don't cram multiple requests into one message - **Don't repeat yourself** — saying the same thing in different words triggers spam heuristics ## Common Mistakes | Mistake | Why it's bad | Do this instead | |---------|-------------|-----------------| | Plain text in `--body` | Renders as one blob, no formatting | Wrap everything in `<p>` tags | | `<br><br>` chains | Looks spammy, inconsistent spacing | Use separate `<p>` tags | | "Dear Sir/Madam" | Outdated, signals mass email | Use the recipient's name or "Hi there" | | Wall of text | Nobody reads long emails | Break into 2-3 short paragraphs | | "Click here" links | Spam trigger, bad accessibility | `<a href="...">descriptive text</a>` | | Empty or vague subject | Low open rates, looks like spam | Be specific: "Invoice #1234 for January" | | Excessive HTML styling | High tag-to-text ratio triggers filters | Keep formatting minimal | | No signature | Looks impersonal, unprofessional | Sign with identity name | | "Sent by AI" disclaimers | Undermines trust, unnecessary | Just write naturally | ## Related Skills - **ravi-email-send** — CLI commands for compose, reply, reply-all, and forward - **ravi-inbox** — Read incoming email to understand what you're replying to - **ravi-identity** — Get your identity name for email signatures - **ravi-feedback** — Tell the Ravi team if email deliverability could be better


Security scan verdicts — ClawScan: clean | static analysis: clean | VirusTotal: clean | SkillSpector: suspicious (MEDIUM)