10 Cold Email Subject Lines That Actually Get Opened

Writing a cold email is hard — but getting someone to open it? Even harder.
No matter how great your offer or pitch is, if your subject line doesn’t spark interest, it’s game over.

In this post, we’ll break down how to craft subject lines that work and share real examples you can swipe or adapt.

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Why Subject Lines Matter

Subject lines are the first impression of your message.
They determine whether you get a click or a delete — and in cold outreach, open rates are your first battle.

A good subject line:

• Creates curiosity
• Feels personal
• Avoids spam triggers
• Reflects the tone of the message
• Is short enough for mobile inboxes

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What Makes a Cold Email Subject Line Work?

Here’s what we’ve seen work well:

✅ Short and clear (under 50 characters)
✅ Uses lowercase (feels less robotic)
✅ Personalized with a name or company
✅ Mentions a common connection or context
✅ Creates just enough curiosity to get a click

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🧠 10 Cold Email Subject Line Examples

These are based on real-world open rate performance across sales, hiring, and networking use cases.

1. quick question about [company name]
2. saw this on your LinkedIn profile
3. worth a quick chat?
4. idea for [their company]
5. following up on [topic]
6. job opening: quick application follow-up
7. a thought about your latest blog post
8. can we collaborate?
9. custom strategy idea for [company]
10. next steps?

💡 Tip: A/B test 2–3 variations in your campaign to find your top performer.

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Tips for B2B Cold Email Subject Lines

If you're selling B2B, subject lines should be specific and problem-aware.
Try ones like:

• cutting churn by 20% at [company]
• scaling outbound without hiring SDRs
• saving 10 hrs/week for B2B teams like yours

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Subject Lines to Avoid

❌ “RE:” or fake reply chains
❌ ALL CAPS
❌ Over-promising clickbait
❌ Vague terms like “opportunity” or “partnership”

These feel impersonal or spammy and often hurt your sender reputation.

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Final Thoughts

The subject line is only the beginning — but it’s the gatekeeper of your entire cold outreach strategy.

Get it right, and you’re halfway there. Get ignored, and your perfect pitch may never be read.

Want to test different subject lines automatically?
Try Bridgely’s smart outreach engine — with built-in A/B testing and open-rate tracking.

👉 Start for free →

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