If you've not been using an email disclaimer in the foot of your signature, now is the time to change that. Read our guide and find out everything you need to know. đ
Letâs be honest. When most of us click âsendâ, we donât always think twice about email disclaimers.
Which is weird, considering itâs one of the most important components of the email signature. That is, if you want to safely handle sensitive information and comply with the GDPR - say, a conversation between a lawyer and a client about an important case.
But itâs hard to know where to start with an email disclaimer. For example::
This guide will answer these questions and many more.
Keep scrolling đ and youâll know everything about email disclaimers. All the information you need is in one place.
An email disclaimer is a block of text attached to the bottom of emails. If youâve got an email signature, itâll usually appear at the very bottom.
It warns recipients about lots of different things related to the contents of an email.
Email disclaimers are important whether youâre working for yourself or for a company.
Thatâs because disclaimers protect you from malpractice accusations.
As a result, you wonât get in trouble if something happened on your email chains that wasnât in your control.
Letâs say you accidentally sent some personal information to the wrong person.
If you have a confidentiality disclaimer, youâve got an extra bubble of protection around you and your company.
The outcome? You wonât be accused of breaching confidentiality agreements.
Thereâs more on this in the industry-specific disclaimer section. But if youâre handling sensitive information everyday, the confidentiality disclaimer is ideal.
Computer viruses happen. But when they do, itâs not ideal to get the blame
Thatâs why a virus transmission disclaimer at the bottom of your emails is a useful precaution to take. Because ultimately, itâll be up to the recipient to scan emails for viruses.
Itâs virtually impossible to track every single email thatâs sent in a company.
This is what makes a non-binding email disclaimer handy. With it, managers aren't accountable for the contents of sent emails.
So, if an employee hasnât behaved themselves, you, the manager wonât be held responsible.
This is similar to the non-binding disclaimer. It isolates the personal opinion of an employee from the company.
The company wonât be liable for opinions expressed by employees.
Weâve all been there at some point. The dreaded: âwhoops Iâve sent an email to the wrong personâ scenario.
But, the correct recipient email disclaimer means you wonât get caught out for it.
Itâs up to the recipient to get in touch to say theyâve been sent the email by mistake.
IF ONLY disclaimers could get us out of the times weâve accidentally sent texts to the wrong people...
GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation which is a requirement within the EU and EEC.
But even if youâre not based in these areas, itâs still probably going to apply to you. Because, even if you arenât based in these areas, your recipients might well be.
The bottom line is, the GDPR email disclaimer is so important, because it does three things at once.
The wording of your disclaimer phrase should be simple and easy to follow. And it should also start off with one of the following:
Itâs important to open with one of these words, because theyâre powerful. Itâll immediately draw in recipientsâ attention.
In some jobs, disclaimers are essential. Weâve given some examples below. In these jobs private information is being handled daily.
If youâre a lawyer, youâre dealing with highly personal cases.
And if information gets leaked because of something that wasnât in your control, you donât want to be accused of malpractice.
Even if itâs just setting a meeting with a client, always remember a legal disclaimer. Put it at the bottom of your lawyer-friendly email signature.
As a realtor, forgetting a disclaimer could mean kissing a sale goodbye.
After all, huge transactions and sensitive personal info are a dangerous mix..
To avoid a disaster, just copy and paste it at the bottom of your email signature and hit save. Then itâll automatically pop up when you sign off your emails.
As patients, we expect that our information is always going to be protected.
And when data leaks happen, your reputation as a doctor might be tainted, especially if you havenât included a disclaimer in your email template. Thisâll warn people that if theyâre not the intended recipient of the email, itâs up to them to notify you immediately.
We know, weâve given you a lot of information. You mightâve got a bit lost, so letâs wrap up and recap the key takeaways from this guide on email disclaimers.
Is a disclaimer a warning?
Yes - it notifies someone about risk. In the case of emails, the disclaimers warn recipients that if conversations get leaked, itâs not a companyâs fault.
How do you put a disclaimer in an email?
Itâs best to put a disclaimer at the bottom of an email, below where youâd sign off usually.
When you create an email signature, copy and paste the disclaimer below where youâd usually sign off.
You can also add a disclaimer through the generator. Youâll be able to add it as an option in the generator.
How do I write an external email disclaimer?
External email disclaimers warn recipients that the emailâs come from outside the company. It means that itâs the recipientâs responsibility to check the email is safe.
Hereâs how you could phrase it:
âAttention: this email originated from outside the company/organisation. Unless you know it is completely safe to do so, do not click on links or open attachments unless you can validate the sender and the contents are safe.â
Can you copy and paste an email disclaimer?
The basic language of email disclaimers doesnât really change. So in theory, yes. But thereâs something very important to bear in mind when youâre copying and pasting. If youâve taken the disclaimer from another company, you need to read it very carefully to make sure company information isnât in there.
You can easily avoid this stress altogether, and just write your own. That way you wonât open yourself to a host of problems. One small mistake and you could be liable.
Does a disclaimer protect you?
Yes. Having a disclaimer means the company isnât liable if something goes wrong, related to emails. This is because the email disclaimer has briefed the recipient about risk.
How do you put an email disclaimer in Gmail?
Aim for an order like this:
Best,
Your Name.
Email Disclaimer
Change the sign off phrase as you want obviously.
How do you put an email disclaimer in Outlook?
This is the general order to follow. Read it so you can get the gist of what weâre talking about. Once again, itâs up to you how you sign off.
Best,
Your Name.
Email Disclaimer.
Now you get why disclaimers are so important, don't wait around any more. Don't get in trouble, and secure your emails with a relevant disclaimer.