Nobody sends them. A 2018 study in Psychological Science found that people consistently overestimate how awkward a thank you note will feel and underestimate how much the recipient values it. Senders worried about coming across as weird. Recipients were genuinely moved.
The gap between "I should write something" and "I don't know what to say" is where most thank you notes die. These 15 thank you note examples close that gap. Each one is copy-ready: swap the names, adjust one detail, send it. If you want something that sounds less like a template and more like you, drop your specifics into the Thank You Note prompt. It generates a version matched to your situation, your tone, and your relationship with the person in seconds.
The Quick Pick
| Situation | Section | Tone | Send Within |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gift | #1 | Warm, specific | 1 week |
| Hosted you | #2 | Warm, one detail | 48 hours |
| Hard times | #3 | Honest, short | When ready |
| Wedding | #4 | Brief, name the gift | 3 months (aim for 1) |
| Baby shower | #5 | Brief, real | When sleep allows |
| Post-interview | #6 | Professional, specific | 24 hours |
| Coworker | #7 | Direct, brief | Same week |
| Boss | #8 | Focused on their action | Same week |
| Referral | #9 | Update + gratitude | After the outcome |
| Retirement | #10 | One specific memory | Last day or week |
| Teacher | #11 | Name the moment | End of year or anytime |
| Doctor | #12 | Outcome + process | After recovery |
| Service provider | #13 | Specific detail | 1 week |
| Holiday | #14 | Short, seasonal | 1 week |
| After a loss | #15 | Simple, honest | When ready |
Personal Thank You Notes
1. For a Gift
Name the gift. Name what you did with it. That is the entire difference between a generic thank you card message and one that actually lands. Vague gratitude reads as obligatory. Specifics read as human.
Dani, the cast iron skillet is already getting a workout. I made cornbread in it last night and thought of you. Thank you for knowing exactly what my kitchen was missing.
Not thrilled about the gift itself? Shift the focus to the thoughtfulness behind the choice rather than the object. The person chose it for a reason. Acknowledge that reason.
2. After Someone Hosted You
One specific detail is the entire strategy. A dish, a room, a conversation. "Thanks for having us" sounds like a voicemail transcript. "That risotto" sounds like you were paying attention.
Bruno and Leah, I am still thinking about that mushroom risotto. Thank you for having us over last weekend. The guest room was so comfortable that Mia didn't want to leave. Honestly, neither did I. Next time, our place.
3. When Someone Helped During a Hard Time
This is the note people put off the longest because the feelings are too big and the words feel too small. Do not try to capture everything. Pick one thing they did. Tell them what it meant.
I do not know what I would have done without your meals last month. On the worst days, knowing dinner was handled let me focus on getting through the next hour. You did not just feed us. You gave me permission to fall apart a little. Thank you.
4. Wedding Thank You
150 notes. They all blur after twenty. That is the real problem with wedding thank you notes. The format is simple: name the gift, mention the day briefly, keep it under five sentences.
Carlos and Sophia, the stand mixer has already survived two batches of cookie dough and one bread experiment that went sideways. Thank you for being there on our day and for the gift that will outlast our kitchen renovation.
If you are writing dozens, the Thank You Note prompt generates a unique version for each guest. Drop in the gift and your relationship to the person. Nobody gets the same note, and you are done in a fraction of the time.
5. Baby Shower
Same structure as wedding notes, except you are writing with a newborn in the house. Three sentences is plenty. Nobody expects a poem from someone running on four hours of sleep.
Aitana, the diaper bag is gorgeous and already packed for our first pediatrician visit. You somehow knew we needed something with a million pockets. Thank you for being the kind of friend who picks the gift nobody thinks of but everybody needs.
Professional Thank You Notes
80% of hiring managers consider a thank you note when making their decision, per a 2023 Robert Half survey. Fewer than 1 in 4 candidates send one. A professional thank you letter is a competitive advantage hiding in plain sight.
6. Post-Interview
24 hours. That is your window. The thank you note after interview is the easiest edge in any job search, and most candidates skip it entirely.
Ms. Rivera, thank you for taking the time to meet with me yesterday about the product manager role. Your point about cross-functional ownership stuck with me, and it lines up with how I handled the Nextera project at my previous company. I am excited about the direction the team is heading. Looking forward to next steps.
Reference something specific from the conversation. Not "I enjoyed learning about the company." The Follow-Up Email Writer generates interview follow-ups that hit these marks automatically. Give it the role, the interviewer name, and one conversation detail.
7. Coworker Appreciation
Name what they did. Keep it brief enough to not read like an HR exercise. A strong appreciation message is specific about the action and honest about the impact. Four sentences. Done.
Marcus, thanks for covering the Vantage account while I was out. I came back to clean notes, a happy client, and zero fires. That does not happen by accident. I owe you one.
8. Thanking Your Boss
This feels strange if you overthink the power dynamic. Do not. Focus on a specific action they took. You are not being sycophantic. You are saying: I noticed what you did, and it mattered.
Sara, I wanted to thank you for pushing for the timeline extension on the Meridian project. That extra week made the difference between a rushed launch and one I am actually proud of. I know it was not an easy ask. I appreciate you making it.
9. Someone Who Referred You
A professional referral means someone put their credibility on the line. Acknowledge that, and give them the update. A referral thank you doubles as a status update. They want to know it worked.
Andres, I heard back from Latitude and I am moving to the final round. That would not have happened without your introduction. I will keep you posted, and I will pay this forward when I can. Thank you.
10. Retirement or Farewell
Part goodbye, part career highlight. One specific moment that defined their impact. That specificity is what separates a real note from a card with "Best Wishes" printed on the front.
Linda, thirteen years of watching you run that department taught me more than any course or certification. The way you handled the restructuring in 2019 is still the standard I measure myself against. Thank you for what you gave this team, and for what you gave me personally.
The Farewell Message prompt helps you find the right words when someone leaves. Give it the person's name, your shared history, and the tone you want.
Thank You Notes for Teachers, Doctors, and Caregivers
11. Teacher or Mentor
Teachers hear "thanks for everything" constantly. Tell them what "everything" actually was. Name the moment. Name the outcome. That is the thank you note a teacher keeps in their desk drawer for twenty years.
Mr. Torres, when I bombed that first calculus exam, you did not give me a motivational speech. You pulled out a whiteboard and spent 45 minutes after school showing me where my thinking broke down. I passed the class because of those sessions. You are the reason I am studying engineering. Thank you.
12. Doctor or Caregiver
Medical professionals rarely hear from patients after treatment ends. A short note stands out more than you would expect. Mention the outcome if it is good. If treatment is ongoing, thank them for how they handle the process, not the result.
Dr. Patel, the knee is holding up beautifully six months out. More than the surgery itself, I remember how you explained every option without rushing me into a decision. That made the entire process less frightening. Thank you for treating me like a person, not a chart number.
13. Service Provider
Caterers, contractors, photographers, movers. They make important days run smoothly, and most clients disappear the moment the event ends. A short thank you often turns into a referral opportunity. They remember the clients who followed up.
Jasmine, the photos are stunning. You captured moments I was too overwhelmed to notice, including the look on my father's face during the first dance. We will be looking at these for the rest of our lives. Thank you.
14. Holiday Thank You
The season does the emotional lifting. A holiday thank you card message can be shorter than most. Seasonal context lets you write something slightly warmer than you normally would.
Liam, the kids are still talking about the snow globe from your Christmas package. It has been on the mantel since December 26th and shows no signs of moving. Thank you for always remembering them.
15. After a Loss
People send flowers, meals, cards, their presence. Thanking them while grieving feels impossible. Two sentences is enough. Nobody expects eloquence here. The fact that you wrote anything at all says everything.
Emma, thank you for the flowers and for sitting with me that first afternoon. I do not remember much from that week, but I remember you being there. It mattered more than I can say right now.
How to Write a Thank You Note That Sounds Like You
These thank you note examples give you the structure. Here is how to write a thank you note that sounds personal every time.
Open with the specific thing. Not "Dear Name, I wanted to thank you for..." Jump straight in. "The risotto is still on my mind." "Six months later, the knee is perfect." That kind of opening sounds like a real conversation, not a thank you note template pulled off the internet.
One paragraph is enough. Three to five sentences. A short thank you message that gets sent beats a polished one sitting in your drafts for three weeks.
Send it within 48 hours. The longer you wait, the harder it gets. If the window has passed, send it anyway. Late beats absent every single time.
Match the medium to the moment. Handwritten for personal milestones: weddings, major gifts, condolences. Email for professional situations. Text only if that is genuinely how you communicate with this person. When in doubt, go one step more formal than you think you need.
Keep the focus on them. "I am so blessed to have friends like you" shifts attention to your feelings. "You showed up when it mattered" keeps it where it belongs.
Use AI to skip the blank page. Copy any example from this list, swap in your details, and send it. Or drop the situation, the recipient, and one specific detail into the Thank You Note prompt and get a version that matches your voice in seconds. The best appreciation message is the one that actually gets sent.