# Usage > Usage guide for operational emails # Usage :::note All placeholders are shown with square brackets, e.g. [placeholder]. We have used [App name] as the standard placeholder for you to adapt individually to your product. ::: ## General rules Keep emails short, add relevant information and avoid complex and lengthy sentences. Renew your license before December 31, 2026. It is recommended by us that you renew your license before December 31 avoiding a possible delay in service. Use past tense for completed events. Payment was processed Tuesday, November 11, 2025. Payment is processing Tuesday, November 11, 2025. Use future tense for upcoming actions or scheduled events. We will deploy firmware Version 5.3 on November 22. We deploy firmware Version 5.3 on November 22. Use the present perfect passive tense (have been / done) for system-generated confirmations or assignments. You have been assigned the role of "Energy Analyst". The system assigned you the role of "Energy Analyst". Use the past active tense when someone manually assigns a task or role. John Smith assigned the following task to you: You have been assigned the following task by John Smith. Use sentence case in your emails (capitalize only the first word of a sentence or heading and any proper nouns). What's happening What's Happening Use typographic double quotation marks for opening quotes " (Unicode U+201C) and for closing quotes " (Unicode U+201D) instead of single marks for consistency. You have been assigned the role of "Energy Analyst". You have been assigned the role of 'Energy Analyst'. ## Subject lines Start the subject line with the application name. Use pipe separators to clearly structure the subject line, and separate the product name, action and topic. [App name] | Version 2.0 available New Version 2.0 available [App name]: Version 2.0 available Include purpose and theme, avoiding generic or vague subject lines. [App name] | Scheduled maintenance November 10, 2026, at 11:00 [App name] | Maintenance soon Use language that reflects the urgency of the email and mention if action is required. [App name] | Immediate action required | Security vulnerability fix [App name] | No action required | New events detected [App name] | Security issues Keep the subject line as short as possible. Additional information should be provided in the body text. [App name] | Immediate action required | Update [App name] | Immediate action required | Update from old Version 2.4 to new Version 2.5 due to security issues ## Body text Start with a polite salutation using "Dear" followed by a comma (American English). Do not use gendered titles or gendered forms of address. Use the recipient's name if available. If no name is available, use a neutral greeting. For German translations, Siemens AG employees and partners can follow the [German Brand Guide](https://brandville.siemens.com/en/design-elements/language/inklusive-und-gendergerechte-sprache) for inclusive language. Dear [App name] user, Dear John Schmidt, Hi Repeat key words from the subject line in the body text. Subject line: [App name] | Version 2.0 available Body text: We've released Version 2.0 of [App name]. Subject line: [App name] | One-time PIN for verification Body text: You requested a one-time PIN to verify your identity. Use clear headings for users to easily scan body text for important information (omit the question mark). Heading: What happened Heading: What's happening Heading: What you need to do Include a professional and polite closing with a descriptive signature. Kind regards, Your [App name] team Best wishes, Your friendly [App name] team ### Time-related information Include specific times, dates and time zones whenever relevant. The update will start automatically on November 10 between 02:00–04:00 CET (UTC+1). The update will be next week. Include duration and instructions when applicable. The registration link is valid for 24 hours. The PIN is valid for 15 minutes from the time you received this email. ### Actions and links Include a clear message when users don't have to do anything. What you need to do You don't need to do anything. We'll inform you when the data migration is complete. Provide a clear call-to-action when user actions are needed. What you need to do Restart your system after the update to ensure all changes take effect. Add minimal links, actions, or buttons in each email (we recommend one per email). [Open App name] event list If possible, provide call-to-actions in buttons instead of links. Button: Open dashboard Use inline text links for additional information. For additional information, see [webpage]. Use a full, live link when buttons are not possible in the email (see [External links and resources](../../menu-functions-and-ui-labels/external-links-and-resources.md)). Open your dashboard [App name].com/dashboard {'https://example.com/'}[App name] ### Responding options Include options for users to respond to or get support when possible. If you have questions or need support, contact us at [email address]. Clearly state when an email is automated and cannot be replied to. This email is automated: Do not reply. This is an automated email. Do not reply. ### Disclaimer and footer Check the correct legal text with your legal team and include a legal disclaimer, the company's legal footer, and any other required legal information. ### Formatting Highlight important information but avoid excessive and mixed text formatting. Review the attached maintenance report for details. Review the attached **Maintenance Report** for details. Do not use emojis. Welcome to [App name] – your energy management platform We love you for joining us!!!! Welcome to the team ❤️ ❤️ ## Related - [Time and time zones](../../formatting/timezones.mdx) - [Time-related messages](../../messaging/time-related-messages.mdx)