Black Friday Subject Lines: 20 Ideas With Preview Text
20 Black Friday email subject lines with matching preview text, grouped from early access to Cyber Monday, plus how to make them fit on a phone.
The best Black Friday subject lines are short, put the offer first and say why it matters today. Pair each one with preview text that adds something new, like the deadline or free shipping, instead of repeating the subject. On a phone, people see only about the first 40 characters of the preview text, so put the important words at the start. Below are 20 subject lines with matching preview text you can adapt.
What people see before they open
In the inbox, your email is three short lines: who it’s from, the subject and the preview text. In Black Friday week those three lines compete with dozens of other offers, so each one needs a job.
20 Black Friday subject lines with preview text
Swap in your own numbers and dates. Keep the offer at the front of the subject, and use the preview text for the fact the subject left out.
Before the sale
| Subject | Preview text |
|---|---|
| Your Black Friday early access is open | Shop 24 hours before everyone else, from 9:00 today |
| Black Friday starts early for you | Subscribers get 25% off from Wednesday |
| Mark your calendar: Friday, 30% off | Here’s what’s in the sale, so you can plan your list |
| Our biggest sale is three days away | Join the list to get the link first |
On Black Friday
| Subject | Preview text |
|---|---|
| Black Friday starts now: 30% off everything | Free shipping and easy returns until Monday at midnight |
| 30% off sitewide, today only | Gift wrapping is free on every order |
| It’s on. Up to 50% off bestsellers | Sizes are going fast in the jackets |
| Black Friday: the one deal we only run once a year | 40% off, ends Sunday at midnight |
The last hours
| Subject | Preview text |
|---|---|
| Last day for 30% off | The sale ends at midnight, your cart is saved |
| 6 hours left on Black Friday prices | After that, prices go back to normal |
| Final call: free shipping ends tonight | Order by midnight to get it before the holidays |
| Still thinking about it? | Your 30% off ends at midnight |
Cyber Monday
| Subject | Preview text |
|---|---|
| Cyber Monday: one more day of 30% off | Everything you missed on Friday is still here |
| Cyber Monday deals, now live | New offers on the items people asked about most |
| Cyber Monday ends at midnight | Last chance for this year’s lowest prices |
| We extended the sale until tonight | Because Friday sold out faster than we planned |
Free shipping, gifts and bundles
| Subject | Preview text |
|---|---|
| Free shipping on everything this weekend | No minimum order, until Monday |
| Gift sets, 25% off | Ready to wrap, delivered before the holidays |
| Buy two, get the third free | Mix and match across the whole store |
| A free gift with every order today | While stock lasts, no code needed |
Check how it looks before you send
You can type your subject and preview text into our free preheader checker and see how the inbox row looks, including where a phone cuts the preview text.
In this example the phone shows “Free shipping and easy returns until Monday”, and the words “at midnight” disappear. If the deadline matters most, move it to the front: “Ends Monday at midnight: free shipping and returns”.
Tips that make the difference
- Lead with the offer. “30% off everything” in the first words beats a clever line that hides the discount.
- Don’t repeat the subject in the preview text. It’s the only second line you get. Use it for the date, the free shipping or the gift.
- Be specific. “Ends Sunday at midnight” works better than “Ends soon”.
- Watch first-name greetings. “Hi Anna, 30% off” is nice, “Hi , 30% off” is not. Give every name greeting a backup word.
- Write each language on its own. German and French subjects are often longer than English ones, so the phone cuts them earlier. Translate the preview text too.
When you send the same campaign in several languages, EmailStitch checks the subject and preview text of every version: missing preview text, preview text that’s too short or too long, and empty translations. If that sounds useful, try it free.
More on the preview line in the preheader guide, and the rest of the pre-send checks in the Black Friday email checklist.