8 free email templates for freelancers

Ask any experienced freelancer, and they’ll tell you that communication is one of the most important things with freelancing. Strong communication will lead you to more success than the quality of your work.

Clients hate when freelancers go silent, don’t share updates, and keep them second-guessing where the project is up to. And I can relate — most of my problematic projects can be put down to bad communication.

Save time by systematising your freelance communication. Likely you’ll be sending the same types of emails to clients over again. Why start from scratch every time?

Here are 8 free email templates — that I've tried and tested. I have tweaked, added to, and built out these templates over the years with my freelance business.

These templates are made to save you time so you can focus on your business. Copy and paste, fill in the blanks, tweak the wording and you’re good to go.

Response to a client inquiry: Interested

A potential client has reached out to you about a project. Great! What next? If you’re interested in the project use this template.

Being clear up front is important. Jumping on a call before you know if the budget and timeline is a match wastes everyone’s time.

Share your rates and current availability up front. This works as a great qualifying step — and then when you get on a call you know the budget and timeline could be a match.

Hey [FIRST NAME],

Thanks a lot for reaching out. Sounds like an exciting project already and I [AM AVAILABLE NOW / HAVE AVAILABILITY FROM DATE].

[PROJECTS LIKE THIS USUALLY COST AROUND X / MY DAY RATE IS X / PROJECTS START AT X]. If that works with your budget feel free to book a slot on my cal to talk more about the project.

Best,
[YOUR NAME]

Cold email outreach

Trying to get more freelance work? Use this email template to reach out to people or companies that could be a good match for your services. A well crafted outreach email can open many doors.

Keep it short and sweet. Don’t talk too much about yourself — focus on how you can help them. And spend time to personalise the message for the person you’re emailing. A few great outreach emails are much better than loads of bad outreach emails.

Hey [FIRST NAME],

I’m a big fan of what you’re up to at [COMPANY NAME].

I’m [YOUR NAME], a [JOB TITLE]. For [X YEARS] I’ve been helping [CLIENT TYPE ACHIEVE SPECIFIC GOAL].

You can see my work here: [PORTFOLIO LINK].

Would love to talk through how I can help you [ACHIEVE SPECIFIC GOAL].

Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]

Handling scope creep

Scope creep is a common challenge for freelancers. It’s important to manage it effectively. And make sure you’re being compensated fairly for work outside of what was agreed.

Clear communication at the right time can help solve these challenges. And it comes back to having a clearly defined scope or requirements at the start of the work. Use this template when your client is asking for things outside of the scope you agreed.

Hey [FIRST NAME],

I can absolutely help you with that.

Just a heads up it falls outside of the scope we budgeted for. So there will be budget and time implications.

Let me know if you want to move forward with these changes and I’ll update the scope accordingly.

Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]

Overdue invoice: First follow up

Unfortunately, chasing invoices is part of being a freelancer. You will have overdue invoices.

Usually, it’s not intentional — but just that things get forgotten. Follow up soon after the invoice is overdue to stay on top of the situation and get it resolved promptly.

Hi [FIRST NAME],

Gentle nudge on this — I’ve not received payment for invoice [NUMBER X]. The payment was due on [DATE].

Please can you let me know when I should expect it?

Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]

Out of office: Not contactable

Proactively letting active clients know of any time off you’re taking is important. Especially if your time off could affect project timelines. Set clear expectations about whether you will still be contactable or not, and if not — when you will be responding.

Hey [FIRST NAME],

Just a heads up I’ll be out of office from [DATE–DATE]. I’ll respond to any emails or messages as soon as I’m back.

Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]

Proposal: Follow up

Make it part of your process to follow up on all sent proposals after a certain time. This can be a good nudge if you haven’t heard back — it doesn’t always mean you’ve been unsuccessful. Again, sometimes things just get forgotten,

And even if you do end up being unsuccessful your follow up can lead to some helpful feedback. Which can help you improve your process or offering for the next time.

Hey [FIRST NAME],

Checking in to see if you had a chance to go through the proposal?

Just let me know if you have any questions.

[YOUR NAME]

Ask for a testimonial

Testimonials are very powerful for social proof. Getting new clients is all about building trust that you can deliver what the client needs. And what better way to prove that, than real people saying how you did just that.

Bake it into your working process to ask for testimonials after you finish every project. Bonus points: think about how you can make it really easy for your client to do. It could be that you share a draft that they can start with, or you share specific questions to prompt their thoughts.

Hey [FIRST NAME],

Would you mind giving me a short testimonial for working together?

Should take less than 5 mins and would be very much appreciated!
[LINK TO LEAVE A TESTIMONIAL]

Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]

Announcing a new service

The best route to new work is through people you’ve already worked with. You’ve already proved yourself and earned trust from the client.

Use this email template to announce your new services to past clients.

Hey [FIRST NAME],

Just wanted to let you know I am now offering [SERVICE NAME].

[DESCRIBE SERVICE / SHARE EXAMPLES / SHARE CASE STUDY LINKS]

Let me know if this is something you’re interested in.

Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]

Wrapping up

Clear communication is critical for freelancing success. With these templates you can systematise your communication and save precious time.

Use them as-is or tweak them to fit your writing style.

Found this useful? Get all 23 email scripts

This is just a sample of the full collection.

Spend less time writing the same email over and over, and more time time on delivering great work. Handle client enquiries, win more work, manage tough situations, and get paid on time.

→ Get all 23 email scripts