“Best regards” is a polite email closing that expresses good wishes. Put it on its own line before your name, usually with a comma: “Best regards,”. It is a useful professional default, but not a signal of agreement or continued commercial interest. Choose a different closing when you have a specific reason to express thanks, match an established working tone, or keep a decision restrained.

What does “best regards” mean?

Best regards conveys polite good wishes to the person receiving your email. It closes the message courteously without requiring a personal relationship.

Cambridge Dictionary defines “regards” as “greetings” and identifies the relevant expression as plural and formal. Its American Dictionary entry describes regards as “greetings and expressions of affection.” In a business email, that does not mean you are declaring personal affection. The phrase functions as a conventional, courteous closing.

“Best” adds warmth, not a literal claim that your wishes are better than someone else’s. In B2B correspondence, the phrase can suit a first contact, a follow-up, or a message to an established contact. It does not tell the reader whether a proposal is accepted, a meeting is agreed, or an opportunity is still open. Those decisions belong in the body of the email.

The tone recommendations below are editorial guidance, not dictionary rules or claims about response rates. Workplace conventions and the relationship can change how a closing feels.

How to format “best regards” in an email

Leave a blank line after the body, put the closing on its own line, and write your name underneath:

Would you be the right person to discuss supplier onboarding?

Best regards,
Maya

For standard business formatting:

• Capitalize the first word: “Best regards,” rather than “Best Regards,”.

• Use the plural: “regards,” not “regard.”

• Usually include a comma: place it after “regards.”

• Put your name on the next line. If an automatic signature already includes it, avoid duplicating it.

A first-contact signature can include your role, company, and a useful contact detail. A brief reply in an active thread usually needs less.

Best regards vs. other professional email closings

Choose a closing for the relationship and the business situation, not a supposed ranking of professionalism.

A warmer sign-off does not soften a refusal into an invitation. Conversely, a short sign-off does not cancel an agreed next step. Read the decision in the message first, then choose a closing that fits its delivery.

Five illustrative B2B email endings

These are invented illustrations, not customer messages or evidence of sales results. Each shows an ending and the business judgment behind its closing.

1. First contact: be courteous without assuming cooperation

Are you the right person to ask about supplier onboarding?

Best regards,
Maya

Choice: Best regards keeps the unfamiliar exchange professional without thanking the recipient for a referral they have not offered. “Thanks for pointing me to the right person” would presume cooperation. If they later make that referral, “Thanks” becomes a grounded acknowledgment rather than an expectation.

2. Follow-up after a referral: acknowledge help already given

Thank you for introducing me to Priya. I will contact her directly, so no further action is needed from you.

Thanks,
Maya

Choice: Thanks recognizes the completed introduction and closes the loop for the referrer. Best regards would also be courteous, but would not carry the same explicit appreciation. The body releases the referrer from further coordination; the friendly ending is not a request to keep helping.

3. Introduction: do not use warmth to imply consent

Alex, meet Priya, who leads procurement operations. You both agreed to this introduction; I will leave you to arrange the conversation directly.

Best regards,
Maya

Choice: Best regards provides a neutral finish to a handoff involving two business contacts. “Thanks in advance for making time” would suggest a further obligation beyond accepting the introduction. Use this wording only if both people really agreed: no closing can supply missing permission to make the introduction.

4. Post-demo coordination: match the relationship, not the sales stage

As agreed, I will send the review agenda on Tuesday. No preparation is needed before then.

Best,
Maya

Choice: Best fits an established, conversational thread where the next step is already agreed. A demo alone does not establish that familiarity. For a formal buying committee or a contact who uses more formal language, keep “Best regards.” Neither ending turns a tentative discussion into a commitment, so use “As agreed” only when it is accurate.

5. Decline: separate courtesy from continued interest

Thank you for preparing the proposal. We have decided not to proceed, and we are closing this evaluation. No further materials or follow-up are needed.

Regards,
Maya

Choice: Regards gives this decision a restrained finish. The specific thanks in the body acknowledges work already done, not interest in another proposal. Best regards would also be valid if it better matches the relationship: its warmth would not reopen the opportunity. The explicit refusal is what settles the business meaning. Do not add “Looking forward to staying in touch” unless you genuinely want that contact.

When the problem is not the closing

If you are deciding whom to contact, why the message is relevant, or what to ask, changing the sign-off will not resolve it. Use the outbound sales email best-practices guide for those broader questions. For a closing choice, focus on whether you are expressing courtesy, acknowledging completed help, or matching the tone of an existing exchange.

Frequently asked questions

Is it “best regard” or “best regards”?

Use “best regards.” The conventional email closing uses the plural noun. Cambridge Dictionary also identifies “regards,” in this sense, as plural.

Should “best regards” have a comma?

Usually, yes. Write “Best regards,” followed by your name on the next line. Some email styles omit closing punctuation, but the comma is a straightforward choice for ordinary professional correspondence.

Should both words be capitalized?

In the usual sentence-style format, write “Best regards,” with a capital B and a lowercase r. Title-style capitalization is unnecessary for a standalone closing.

Is “best regards” formal or informal?

It is broadly professional. It can feel courteous without the traditional formality of “Sincerely,” but that comparison is editorial guidance, not a fixed ranking. Follow relevant organizational style guidance and consider the tone of the exchange.

Can you use “best regards” in a cold email?

Yes. It offers a courteous finish without assuming familiarity. It does not establish permission to contact someone or provide a reason to respond.

Does “best regards” after a rejection mean they are still interested?

Not by itself. It is a conventional courtesy, not an invitation to continue selling. Treat an explicit decline as a decline; do not reinterpret it because the sender chose a warm closing.

Do you need a sign-off in every reply?

Not necessarily. In a brief, active exchange, repeating a full closing and signature can be unnecessary. For a new conversation or a message that communicates a decision, a short closing can provide a clear finish.

Source: Cambridge Dictionary: “regards”, for the meaning and plural form. Tone comparisons and example recommendations are editorial guidance.