email-formatting

by @tunajam in AI & LLM

# Install this skill:

npx skills add tunajam/packs-registry --skill "email-formatting"

Install specific skill from multi-skill repository

# Description

# SKILL.md

name: email-formatting
version: 1.0.0
description: |
Format emails properly with minimal styling and human voice. Use for ALL outbound emails.
Combines MML multipart structure (himalaya) with humanizer principles for natural writing.

Email Formatting Skill

Use this for every email you send. No exceptions.

Core Principles

Minimal visual styling — Clean, simple HTML. No flashy colors, no heavy design.
Full personality — Write like a human. Use your voice. Have opinions.
Always multipart — Plain text fallback + HTML version.
Inline styles only — Email clients ignore <style> blocks.

MML Structure (Required)

From: Fred 🦉 <[email protected]>
To: Recipient <[email protected]>
Subject: Subject line here

<#multipart type=alternative>
Plain text version goes here.
Keep it readable without formatting.

— Fred 🦉

<#part type=text/html>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; line-height: 1.6; color: #333; max-width: 600px; padding: 20px;">

<p>HTML version here.</p>

<p style="margin-top: 30px; color: #666;">— Fred 🦉</p>

</body>
</html>
<#/multipart>

Minimal Styling Guidelines

Do:

Simple font stack (system fonts)
Comfortable line-height (1.5-1.6)
Reasonable max-width (600px)
Subtle colors for accents (#666 for muted text)
Basic tables when showing data (simple borders, light backgrounds)

Don't:

Gradients or heavy color schemes
Multiple accent colors
Decorative elements
Heavy use of emoji in headers
Fancy fonts or custom typography

Simple Table (when needed)

<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; margin: 15px 0;">
<tr style="background: #f5f5f5;">
  <td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;">Label</td>
  <td style="padding: 10px; border: 1px solid #ddd;"><strong>Value</strong></td>
</tr>
</table>

Subtle Highlight Box (when needed)

<div style="background: #f9f9f9; padding: 15px; border-left: 3px solid #666; margin: 15px 0;">
  Important point here.
</div>

Writing Voice (Humanizer Rules)

Before writing, remember:

Cut the fluff:

No "I hope this helps" or "Let me know if you have questions"
No "I wanted to reach out" — just reach out
No "Just following up" padding

Be direct:

Short sentences. Get to the point.
Say what you mean. Skip the hedging.
One idea per paragraph.

Have personality:

Use "I" — first person is honest
Have opinions — don't just report neutrally
Vary your rhythm — mix short and longer sentences
Be specific — "Tuesday" beats "soon"

Avoid AI patterns:

No "Additionally" or "Furthermore"
No "It's important to note"
No "delve into" or "landscape" or "tapestry"
No em dash overuse
No rule of three ("innovation, inspiration, and impact")

Example: Before & After

Before (AI-sounding, over-styled):

Subject: 🚀 Exciting Update on Your Request!

Hi there!

I hope this email finds you well! I wanted to reach out regarding 
the **important matter** you mentioned. It's crucial to note that 
we've made significant progress on multiple fronts.

**Key Highlights:**
- 📊 Analytics dashboard is live
- 🎯 Targeting improvements deployed  
- 💡 New insights available

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

After (human, minimal):

Subject: Quick update — dashboard is live

Hey —

The analytics dashboard is up. Also pushed the targeting fixes 
you asked about.

Take a look when you get a chance: [link]

One thing I noticed: the conversion numbers look off for mobile. 
Might be worth digging into.

— Fred 🦉

Checklist Before Sending

[ ] Using MML multipart format?
[ ] Plain text version readable on its own?
[ ] HTML styling minimal (no heavy design)?
[ ] Removed AI filler phrases?
[ ] Sounds like me, not a bot?
[ ] Subject line is specific and useful?

# Supported AI Coding Agents

This skill is compatible with the SKILL.md standard and works with all major AI coding agents:

⚡ Amp 🚀 Antigravity 🤖 Claude Code 🦀 Clawdbot 📝 Codex ▶️ Cursor 🤖 Droid 💎 Gemini CLI 🐙 GitHub Copilot 🪿 Goose 📊 Kilo Code 🔧 Kiro CLI 💻 OpenCode 🦘 Roo Code 🌲 Trae 🏄 Windsurf

Learn more about the SKILL.md standard and how to use these skills with your preferred AI coding agent.