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Catch Up Emails to Send Contacts You Want to Stay Close To
A good catch up email is a short note that names one real thing you remember about the person. Then it offers one easy next step, like a 20-minute call or coffee on a named day. The rule: make it about them, not your agenda. Say why you thought of them, keep the ask small, and make yes take one reply.
Most work relationships don't end. They fade because nobody reaches out. A catch up email keeps a contact warm before you need anything. Then, when a chance shows up on either side, you are already someone they're glad to hear from.
What makes it land is detail. Mention their new role, a project you did together, or a talk you still remember. That shows you are writing to them, not to a list. Pair it with a small, clear ask and a set time. Then replying is easy.
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Free, no signup. The example is filled in: press the button, then replace it with your own situation. In Capstone, a message like it is written for each person you know when their check-in is due.
10 examples to copy
One message is easy. Hundreds of people, all year, is the hard part. Capstone Outreach puts everyone you know on a rhythm you pick, from weekly to every three months. When someone is due, a message like these is already written in your voice from your history with them. You approve it, and it goes from your own email or phone. See how it works.
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Everyone on a rhythm. Who is due, and when. Recorded in the app on a demo account.
1. After a long silence, no ask
Subject: Saw this and thought of you
Why it works: It gives a real reason for writing and says plainly there is no ask. That lowers the guard of someone you haven't spoken to in years.
2. Former colleague who moved to a new company
Subject: How is life at [Company]?
Why it works: Recalling a shared win reminds them how well you worked together. It makes the invite feel personal, not routine.
3. You will be in their city soon
Subject: In [City] on [date], coffee?
Why it works: A fixed window and clear options turn a vague someday into an easy yes or no. Offering to come to them makes it easier still.
4. Congratulating them on a new role or promotion
Subject: Congrats on the new role, [Name]
Why it works: It leads with real praise and respects how busy a new role is. It quietly offers help instead of asking for it.
5. Annual catch-up with a long-time contact
Subject: Our yearly lunch?
Why it works: Calling it a yearly habit makes the meeting feel expected and easy to accept. The follow-up question shows you listened last time.
6. Someone you met once at an event
Subject: Great meeting you at [event]
Why it works: Naming where you met and what you discussed jogs their memory. The shared link gives the email value on its own.
7. Client or donor after a project has ended
Subject: Thinking about [project] today
Why it works: It reconnects through shared pride in the work, not a sales pitch. That keeps the door open for future work without pushing.
8. Sharing your own news and inviting theirs
Subject: Some news, and I'd love yours
Why it works: Sharing first gives you a reason to write and gives them credit. Then it hands the talk back so it doesn't turn into bragging.
9. Owning that you let the contact lapse
Subject: Long overdue, [Name]
Why it works: Owning the silence briefly and with humor clears the air. Then you can both move on to a real talk.
10. You both keep saying "let's get coffee"
Subject: Making that coffee happen
Why it works: Naming an exact time and place breaks the polite loop of good plans. The next step becomes a single reply.
Sending these to more than a few people? See how people keep track of who to follow up with, and when: what a personal CRM does and the best personal CRMs, compared.
When to send it
- Send within a week of a real trigger. That could be their promotion, company news, a post they wrote, or news in their field.
- If you have no trigger, reach out to key contacts every three to six months. Then the gap never gets awkward.
- Write two to three weeks before you'll be in their city, so they have room in their calendar.
- Send Tuesday through Thursday mornings. Skip the weeks around major holidays and quarter or fiscal year end.
- Never send a catch up email the same week you plan to ask for something. Give the relationship room first.
Subject lines
- Saw this and thought of you
- It's been too long, [Name]
- Coffee in the next few weeks?
- Congrats on the new role
- In [City] on [date], coffee?
- How is life at [Company]?
- Our yearly lunch?
- Great meeting you at [event]
- Long overdue
- Making that coffee happen
- Some news, and I'd love yours
- 20 minutes to catch up?
- Thinking about [project] today
- Quick question about [specific detail]
- How did [project or event] turn out?
- Lunch on me this month?
What to avoid
- Don't open with a generic line like "Hope you're doing well." One real detail proves you are writing to them.
- Don't tuck a sales pitch or favor into a catch up email. If they sense a bait and switch, the relationship takes a hit.
- Don't ask "Let me know when you're free" without naming days. It puts the scheduling work on them.
- Don't write more than a short screen. A catch up email should take under 30 seconds to read.
- Don't over-apologize for the silence. One honest sentence is enough before you move to the invite.
- Don't send the same template to dozens of people at once. Contacts often know each other and compare notes.
After you send it
If you don't hear back, wait seven to ten days. Then send one short follow-up in the same thread. Give a new reason to talk or a fresh time option. If there's still no reply, let it rest for a few months. Try again when there's a real trigger. After you catch up, send a thank-you within a day that mentions something they said. Then stay in touch every three to six months. Send useful notes, introductions or congratulations, not only meeting requests.
Building the habit: how to keep in touch with contacts and what a personal CRM does.
Proposed a catch-up? Make booking easy. Your Capstone digital business card has a booking link. Add it to the email, and they can pick a time that works with no back and forth.
Start 14 days free, then $25/mo
A study of 20 million LinkedIn members found that acquaintances, more than close friends, led to new jobs (Science, 2022). Capstone keeps those people warm. You approve every message, and it goes from your own email or phone.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write a catch up email to a professional contact?
Keep it to three short parts. Give one real reason you thought of them. Add a line of interest in what they're doing. Then make one easy ask with suggested times. Mention a shared project, event or news item so it's clearly written for them. Close warmly and keep the whole email under about 120 words.
How long should a catch up email be?
Aim for 50 to 120 words, about what fits on a phone screen without scrolling. Short emails show respect for their time and get faster replies. If you have a lot of news, save it for the actual talk. Use the email only to set up the call or coffee.
Is it weird to email someone to catch up after years?
No. Most people are glad to hear from a former colleague or contact, even after a long gap. It feels natural when you give a real reason for writing. Mention the time briefly and make clear there's no hidden ask. One honest line like "It's been far too long" is all you need.
Should I ask for a call or coffee in a catch up email?
Yes. Include one clear, easy ask, such as a 20-minute call or coffee near their office. Offer two set times so replying takes seconds. An email with no next step often gets a friendly reply and then nothing happens. That defeats the whole point of reaching out.
What if they don't respond to my catch up email?
Send one brief follow-up after seven to ten days in the same thread. Add a new detail or time option. If there's still no answer, don't take it personally. People get busy. Wait a few months, then reach out again when there's a real reason, like their promotion or news that matters to them.
How often should I send catch up emails to my network?
For your most important contacts, every three to six months works well. For a wider circle, once or twice a year plus timely congratulations is enough. The goal is to stay familiar without becoming noise. Mix meeting requests with useful articles and quick notes of praise.