It can be quite embarrassing when you send an important email only to find out later that you neglected to include an important attachment.
You feel embarrassed for making this simple mistake but you have no choice but to send another email, hopefully with the attachment this time.
It’s not common to make the same mistake twice in an email to someone but it happens in a busy environment.
I once sent an apology email for not including an attachment only to find out later that I didn’t attach the file in the apology email.
If you need to send an apology email to submit a missing attachment, we’ve got you covered.
On the other hand, if you’d like to remind someone that they neglected to add an important attachment to their email, we’ve got you covered.
This article will provide some templates to simplify the job. You simply need to modify the templates as you see fit, to send to the appropriate recipient.
Tips For Emailing Your Boss/Recruiter
While tools like Slack and Teams are leveraged for easier communication across organizations worldwide, emails continue to be used in these organizations, especially when communicating with a supervisor over formal correspondence.
But unlike sending emails to coworkers where you can be informal and not worry about mistakes, you should be careful when writing to your Boss. Let’s look at a few things to keep in mind.
Clear Reasons
Let them know why you’re sending the second email. If you’re sending it to your boss or a recruiter, make sure they know who’s sending them the email and why.
Don’t just attach the file and write “please find the {{filename}} attached”. That’s simply annoying.
Double-Check
You most definitely don’t want to make the same mistake twice. Double-check the apology email to make sure the file was properly attached before you send it.
Recruiters don’t have time to be spending on one candidate when there’re hundreds of other candidates to consider. It’s always advisable to double-check your attachments before you click “send”.
Clear Subject Line
While you would not be able to include all relevant information in the subject line of the email, it should present the general purpose of the email within a few words.
This helps your boss or supervisor locate the email, understand the possible content even before reading the full message and finally ascertain the importance and urgency of the email.
After all, your boss would most likely have a busy schedule. A clear subject line would help them identify the urgency of the email especially when they have a boatload of work to get done.
Examples:
Apology for Missing Attachment in Previous Email
Use Proper Name
Coming down to the body of the email, you should identify the name your boss wishes for you or the general employee body to call them.
If they prefer to be addressed by their first names, you should address them as such. On the other hand, if you aren’t sure how they want to be addressed, you can either ask your colleagues or simply use your boss’ surname.
Keep in mind your workplace culture at this point. Some workplaces encourage informal communication between all members of the organization.
For informal workplaces, you start with:
Good {{morning/afternoon/evening}} {{Boss’ firstname}}
Hi {{Boss’ firstname}}
In the case of a very formal workplace where you aren’t sure of the best way to address your boss, you can simply start with:
Dear {{Mr. /Mrs /Ms. Surname}}
Hello {{Mr. /Mrs /Ms. Surname}}
Set Tone
Maybe something happened at the workplace that you didn’t like or there’s something you find annoying. You should always mind your tone in your professional emails.
It doesn’t matter whether the company’s doing something you’re unhappy with, you should always mind the tone of your communication. If you sound angry, your Boss is less likely to mind your request or even finish reading your email.
Use Work Email
Refrain from contacting your boss through your personal email. Most organizations implement some form of spam filter that may flag personal emails as spam.
The last thing anyone wants is to send an urgent message to their boss only to find out days later that they never got the email. Emails that come through the company emails are whitelisted ensuring that your boss receives them inside their inbox.
This is why most organizations provide their employees with company emails for communication within the company as well as correspondence with external companies.
Keep It Concise
Your boss probably receives loads of emails daily. The last thing they want to do is to spend precious time reading through a long email to determine its content.
No matter how important your email may be, your boss is not likely to spend 30 minutes trying to understand its content. It’s advisable to use short and clear wording to easily convey the content of your message.
Proofread
No one likes reading terrible grammar, especially in a professional setting. It’s advisable to proofread your email to identify any grammatical errors before sending it to your boss.
Tools like Grammarly are readily available to help identify errors in your writing. Keep in mind that these tools aren’t perfect. So manually proofreading your email can further enhance your message.
On the other hand, poor grammar could give your boss some laughs. But keep in mind that others are bound to join in.
Easy To Understand
Your boss most likely receives tens or even hundreds of emails daily, especially in the case of larger organizations. Ensure that your email is easy to understand within the shortest amount of time.
To determine this, you can ask a colleague or friend to skim through the email to test whether it’s easy to understand and adequately presents the necessary information.
End Formally
At this point, you can thank your boss for taking the time to review your request and then reiterate any relevant information before signing off.
Example:
Thank you for your understanding
Signature
Official emails to your boss should be signed off with your official signature which includes your full name, job title, department if applicable, and contact details when available.
This can be easy if you’ve already created your signature template for your company email. The system would automatically include your signature in every email.
If you haven’t created a signature template for your email, you should manually include this in your email to your boss.
It can be something like this:
Sincerely,
{{Fullname}}
{{Department if applicable}}
{{Job role/title}}
{{Contact details (optional)}}
Sample Apology Email For Missing Attachment
Template 1: Missing Attachment To Boss
Email Subject
Apology for Missing Attachment in Previous Email
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I realized that I forgot to attach the {{Document name}} to my previous email and would like to apologize. I hope it’s not too late but please find the file attached.
My sincerest apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to make up for the inconvenience.
Thank you for your understanding.
Best regards,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}
Template 2: Missing Attachment – Reminded By Boss
Email Subject
Apology for Missing Attachment in Previous Email
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
Thank you for drawing my attention to the missing attachment. Please accept my sincerest apologies for the mistake as well as any inconvenience it may have caused.
Attached is the missing {{Document name}}. Please let me know if there’s any problem.
Thank you for your understanding.
Best regards,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}
Template 3: Missing Attachment To Recruiter
Email Subject
Apology for Missing Attachment in Previous Email
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I realized that I forgot to attach the {{Document name}} to my previous email and would like to apologize. I hope it’s not too late but please find the {{Document name}} attached.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
{{Full name}}
Template 4: Missing Attachment – Reminded By Recruiter
Email Subject
Apology for Missing Attachment in Previous Email
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
Thank you for drawing my attention to the missing attachment. Please accept my sincerest apologies for the mistake as well as any inconvenience it may have caused.
I’ve attached the {{Document name}} for your reference. Please let me know if there’s any problem.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
{{Full name}}
Template 5: Missing Attachment To Client
Email Subject
Apology for Missing Attachment in Previous Email
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I would like to apologize for the oversight I made in my previous email. In my rush to send you the {{Kind of information you were sending}}, I forgot to attach the {{Document name}}.
I’ve attached it to this email and I hope this incident hasn’t resulted in any inconvenience for you. Please let me know if you have any challenges accessing the document.
Sincerely,
{{Full name}}
{{Company Details}}
Template 6: Missing Attachment – Reminded By Client
Email Subject
Apology for Missing Attachment in Previous Email
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
Thank you for drawing my attention to the missing attachment. Please accept my sincerest apologies for the mistake as well as any inconvenience it may have caused.
Attached is the missing {{Document name}}. Please let me know if there’s any problem.
Thank you again for your understanding and patience in this matter. I appreciate your time and attention.
Best regards,
{{Full name}}
{{Company Details}}