How to Send a Report in an Email (With 16 Samples)

To send a report in an email, write a short cover note that names the report and the period it covers, summarizes the two or three findings that matter most, and tells the reader exactly what you need from them. Attach the file (or link to it), mention the attachment in the body, and use a subject line that includes the report name and date.

The email is not the report. Its job is to get the report opened, understood and acted on.

Quick template

Use this for most report emails, whether it goes to your boss, a client or a team.

Subject: [Report name]: [time period]

Hi [Name],

Attached is the [report name] for [time period].

Key takeaways:
- [Most important result, with the number]
- [Second result or trend]
- [Any problem or risk, plus what we're doing about it]

Next step: [what you need from them, e.g. "please approve the revised budget by Friday" or "no action needed, this is for your records"].

Happy to walk through it if that's helpful.

Best,
[Your name]
[Title]

What to include in an email when sending a report

A good report email answers five questions before the reader has to ask them.

1. What is this? Name the report and its purpose in the first sentence. For example: "The attached report covers our Q3 financial results and explains what drove the [X%] increase in profit."
2. What period or scope does it cover? Give the exact dates or project phase, such as "January 1 to March 31." This puts every number in context.
3. What are the main points? Write a short summary (sometimes called a précis) of the two to four findings that matter most. Many readers will only read this part.
4. Is anything unusual? Call out problems, irregularities, delays or unexpected wins. Explaining them up front prevents a string of follow-up questions.
5. What happens next? State the action you need: a decision, feedback by a date, a meeting, or nothing at all. If you want to discuss it live, propose a time or send a separate meeting request email.

Report email format

Most report emails follow the same structure as any business email: subject line, body, and closing.

Subject line

The subject line decides whether the report gets opened now or buried. Make it specific and scannable: report name, period, and a label if action is needed.

• Q3 financial report: key takeaways
• Weekly sales report: Oct 6 to Oct 10
• Marketing analysis (Jan to Mar): insights and recommendations
• Monthly health and safety audit results
• Project Alpha: post-implementation review
• Action needed: incident report for Sept 29 outage

For recurring reports, use the identical format every time so your recipient can search for and filter them.

Body

Match your tone to the relationship, but default to professional. If you are unsure how formal to be, our guide to writing a formal email covers greetings and phrasing.

• Greeting: "Hi [Name]," for colleagues and managers, "Dear [Name]," for formal or external recipients, "Hi team," for a group.
• Opening line: One sentence saying what the report is and that it's attached.
• Summary: Bullets with the key results, anomalies and risks.
• Ask: One clear request with a deadline, or a note that no action is needed.

Closing

Offer to answer questions, then sign off with your name and title. Add a P.S. only if it adds something useful, like where to find the source data.

Subject: Q3 marketing report: key results

Hi [Name],

[Body of your report email]

Thanks for taking the time to review this. If anything is unclear or you'd like more detail on a section, just let me know.

Best regards,
[Your name]
[Title], [Company]
[Phone]

P.S. The raw data is in the "Q3 Data" tab of the shared spreadsheet: [link]

For more sign-off options, see how to end an email.

Attachment or link: how to send the report file

Choose the delivery method based on how the report will be used.

A few practical rules:

• Name the file clearly, such as Sales-Report-2026-09.pdf, not final_v3_REAL.pdf.
• Test the share permissions on any link before you hit send.
• Mention the attachment in the body ("attached is") so the reader knows to look for it.
• Put the key numbers in the email itself. Many people read email on a phone, where attachments are a pain to open.

How to write a report email, step by step

1. Decide the one thing the reader must know. If your manager only reads one line, what should it be? Put that first.
2. Write the subject line. Report name plus period, and "Action needed" if that's true.
3. Write a one-sentence opener. "Attached is the [report] for [period]."
4. Summarize in bullets. Three to five lines, with real numbers.
5. Flag issues honestly. Problems hidden on page 12 of the report do more damage than problems stated in the email.
6. State the ask and the deadline. Or say "No action needed."
7. Check recipients. Decide who goes in To, CC and BCC. Our guide to CC and BCC in email explains when to use each.
8. Proofread and check the attachment. The most common report email mistake is forgetting the report.

Report email samples and templates

Each sample below is ready to copy. Replace everything in [square brackets].

1. Sample email to send a report to your boss

Use this when your manager asked for a report and you're submitting it.

Subject: [Report name] for [period]: ready for your review

Hi [Manager's name],

As requested, I've attached the [report name] covering [period].

The short version:
- [Key result 1, e.g. "Revenue came in at $X, Y% above target"]
- [Key result 2]
- [Issue or risk, e.g. "Onboarding times slipped to X days; I've outlined a fix on page 4"]

Could you let me know by [date] if you'd like any changes before I share it with [team or stakeholders]?

Thanks,
[Your name]

2. Daily report email sample

Use this for an end-of-day update to a manager or team lead. Keep the format identical every day.

Subject: Daily report: [Date]

Hi [Manager's name],

Here's my update for today.

Completed:
- [Task 1]
- [Task 2]
- [Task 3]

In progress / planned for tomorrow:
- [Task 1]
- [Task 2]

Blockers:
- [Issue and what you need, or "None"]

Thanks,
[Your name]

3. Weekly report email sample

Use this for a weekly status update to your manager or team. A weekly report email should cover results, not just activity.

Subject: Weekly report: [Start date] to [End date]

Hi [Name],

Here's my weekly update for [start date] to [end date].

Highlights:
- [Result 1, with a number if possible]
- [Result 2]

Progress on priorities:
- [Priority 1]: [status, e.g. "on track, 70% complete"]
- [Priority 2]: [status]

Issues and risks:
- [Issue and proposed solution]

Next week's focus:
- [Goal 1]
- [Goal 2]

Full details are in the attached report. Let me know if you have any questions.

Best,
[Your name]

4. Sending monthly report email sample to a manager

Use this for a routine monthly report to your manager or department head.

Subject: Monthly [team/department] report: [Month Year]

Hi [Manager's name],

Attached is the [team/department] report for [Month Year].

Key results this month:
- [Metric 1]: [number] ([change vs. last month])
- [Metric 2]: [number] ([change vs. last month])
- [Notable win, e.g. "Closed the [Client] renewal"]

What needs attention:
- [Problem or underperforming area, plus planned fix]

I'd like 15 minutes in our next one-on-one to discuss [specific item]. Otherwise, no action is needed.

Best regards,
[Your name]

5. Formal sending report email sample

Use this when submitting a report to a senior executive, board, regulator or external organization.

Subject: Submission of [Report name]: [Period or reference number]

Dear [Mr./Ms./Dr. Last name],

Please find attached the [report name] for [period], prepared by [team or department] at [Company].

The report covers [scope, e.g. "operating results, compliance activities and the status of open audit items"]. The main findings are summarized in the executive summary on page [number].

Should you require any additional information or supporting documents, please do not hesitate to contact me at [phone] or [email].

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Title]
[Company]

6. Annual report email template

Use this to share an annual report with stakeholders, investors or the board.

Subject: [Company] Annual Report [Year]

Dear [Stakeholders / Name],

I'm pleased to share [Company]'s annual report for [Year], attached to this email.

The report covers our financial results, major milestones and the challenges we faced this year. A few highlights:
- [Highlight 1, e.g. "Annual revenue of $X"]
- [Highlight 2, e.g. "Launched in two new markets"]
- [Challenge and how it was addressed]

We'll review the report in detail at the [annual meeting / review] on [date]. Please send any questions or comments beforehand to [email].

Best regards,
[Your name]
[Title]

7. Client report email sample

Use this when an agency or consultant sends a monthly performance report to a client.

Subject: Your [service] report for [Month]: [one-line headline]

Hi [Client name],

Your [service, e.g. "SEO" or "lead generation"] report for [Month] is attached.

Here's what stood out:
- [Result 1 tied to their goal]
- [Result 2]
- [What didn't work and what we're changing]

For next month, we plan to [plan]. If you'd like to adjust priorities, reply here or bring it up on our call on [date].

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Company]

8. Email analytics report sample

Use this to share email marketing or campaign performance with your team or a client.

Subject: Email performance report: [Campaign or month]

Hi [Name],

Attached is the email analytics report for [campaign or period].

Topline numbers:
- Emails sent: [number]
- Open rate: [X%] ([change vs. previous])
- Click rate: [X%] ([change vs. previous])
- Conversions: [number]

What we learned:
- [Insight, e.g. "Shorter subject lines had higher open rates"]
- [Insight]

Recommended next step: [test or change to try next].

Best,
[Your name]

9. Inventory report email

Use this to send stock levels to a manager, purchasing team or supplier. Lead with anything that needs reordering.

Subject: Inventory report: [Location], week of [date]

Hi [Name],

Attached is the inventory report for [location] as of [date].

Needs attention:
- [Item]: [quantity] left, below reorder level of [number]
- [Item]: [quantity] damaged or expired

Overstocked:
- [Item]: [quantity] on hand vs. [typical need]

Please approve the attached reorder list by [date] so we can place the order before [deadline].

Thanks,
[Your name]

10. Urgent incident report email

Use this when something has gone wrong and you need immediate attention. State what happened in the first line.

Subject: URGENT: Incident report for [incident] on [date]

Dear [Name],

On [date] at [time], [what happened, e.g. "our customer portal was unavailable for three hours"].

Impact: [who or what was affected]
Cause: [known cause, or "under investigation"]
Status: [resolved / ongoing]

The attached report details the timeline and the steps taken to resolve the issue. To prevent a recurrence, we recommend [action]. Please review the report before the incident meeting on [date and time].

Best regards,
[Your name]
[Title]

11. Research findings report email

Use this to share the results of a study, analysis or customer research.

Subject: Research findings: [Study name]

Hi team,

Our [study name] is complete, and the full report is attached.

We set out to learn [objective]. The main findings:
- [Finding 1]
- [Finding 2]
- [Finding 3]

These findings matter most for [team or initiative]. Please review them before [meeting or planning session] on [date], where we'll decide how to act on them.

Best,
[Your name]

12. Project completion report email

Use this to close out a project and share results with sponsors and stakeholders.

Subject: [Project name]: completion report

Dear [Name],

I'm happy to share that [project name] is complete. The attached report covers what we set out to do, what we delivered, and what we learned.

Summary:
- Goal: [original objective]
- Result: [outcome, and whether it was on time and on budget]
- Main challenge: [obstacle and how it was handled]

I'd appreciate your feedback on the project by [date]. Thank you to everyone who contributed.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

13. Feedback or survey results report email

Use this to share what customers or employees told you in a survey. If you still need to collect responses, see our survey request email templates.

Subject: Customer feedback report: [Month or survey name]

Hi team,

Thanks to everyone who helped collect feedback this [month/quarter]. We received [number] responses, and the full report is attached.

Top themes:
- [Theme 1, e.g. "Customers want faster support replies"]
- [Theme 2]
- [Positive theme]

Please review the report before [date] and come to [meeting] with one change your team could make based on it.

Best,
[Your name]

14. Draft report for review email

Use this when you need feedback on a draft before it is final.

Subject: Draft for review: [Report name]

Hi [Name],

I've attached the first draft of the [report name]. I'd value your feedback before it goes to [audience].

In particular, could you look at:
- [Section or question 1]
- [Section or question 2]

Please send comments by [day and date]. Tracked changes or comments in the document are fine.

Thank you,
[Your name]

15. Confidential report email

Use this for reports with personal, financial or proprietary information. Mark it as confidential in the subject line and body.

Subject: CONFIDENTIAL: [Report name]

Dear [Name],

Attached is the [report name] for [period]. Because it contains [personal / financial / proprietary] information, it is confidential and intended only for [recipients or group].

Please do not forward or share it without approval from [name or role]. The file is password protected; I'll send the password separately.

If you have questions, please contact me directly.

Best regards,
[Your name]

16. Updated or corrected report email

Use this when you need to replace a report you already sent, either because data changed or because there was an error. Say what changed and which version to use.

Subject: UPDATED: [Report name] for [period] (replaces version sent [date])

Hi [Name / team],

Please use the attached version of the [report name] and disregard the one sent on [date].

What changed:
- [Section or figure]: [old value] is now [new value]
- Reason: [new data / calculation error / updated forecast]

The rest of the report is unchanged. Sorry for any confusion, and let me know if you have questions.

Best,
[Your name]

Mistakes to avoid when emailing a report

• Forgetting the attachment. Attach the file before you write the email.
• "See attached" and nothing else. The reader has no idea why they should open it or what you need.
• Burying bad news. If a number is down, say so in the email along with your plan.
• Vague subject lines. "Report" or "Update" is unsearchable a week later.
• Too many recipients. Send to the people who need to act; CC the ones who only need to know.
• No deadline. "Let me know your thoughts" often means no reply. Ask for feedback by a specific date. If you still hear nothing, a polite follow-up email is fine.

Report email checklist

• Subject line names the report and period
• First sentence says what the report is
• Two to five bullet takeaways with real numbers
• Problems and anomalies called out
• Clear next step and deadline (or "no action needed")
• Attachment added, or link permissions tested
• Right people in To and CC
• Proofread, including names and numbers