How to Write a Memo: Format, Three Examples and a Fill-In Template

A memo is a short, internal document that opens with a header block (To, From, Date, Subject), states its purpose in the first lines, gives only the supporting detail the reader needs and ends with the action required. Keep it to one page where possible, use a neutral professional tone, and choose a memo over an email when the message is formal, needs a record or goes to many people.

The short answer

To write a memo, put a header block at the top (To, From, Date, Subject), state the purpose and any request in the first paragraph, support it with the facts the reader needs, and close with what happens next and who does it. Aim for one page. The reader should be able to act after reading only the first paragraph.

A memo (short for memorandum, "a thing to be remembered") is an internal message sent within an organisation: a company, a government office, a school or university. It is more formal than a chat message and more structured than most emails, and it often serves as a record of an announcement, a decision or a request.

The memo format at a glance

Two conventions vary by workplace, so follow your organisation's template if there is one. Dates appear as November 3, 2026 in American practice and 3 November 2026 in British practice. Many memos carry the sender's initials instead of a signature.

Step by step

1. Decide the one thing the memo must achieve

Finish this sentence: "After reading this, the reader should ___." It might be "know the office closes on 24 December" or "send me their availability by Monday". If you cannot finish it, you are not ready to write.

2. Fill in the header block

Check names and titles, because an error in the To line looks careless. For groups, name the group (All Department Heads) rather than listing twenty people. Write the Subject line as a precise label, not a topic word:

• Weak: "Meeting"
• Better: "Change of date: quarterly review moves to Friday 20 November"

3. Open with the purpose

The first paragraph says why you are writing and what you want. If the message is a decision, start with the decision. If it is a request, start with the request. Background comes after.

• "Effective 1 December, urgent tickets will be escalated through the on-call lead instead of the shared inbox."
• "I am asking for approval to extend the pilot by six weeks."

4. Give the detail in short blocks

Use short paragraphs, headings if the memo runs past a page, and bullets or numbered steps for lists and procedures. Include the reason for a change, because people accept a change more readily when they see why. Leave out history the reader does not need.

5. Close with the action

End by saying who does what by when, and how to ask a question. A closing such as "Please let me know if you have questions" is weaker than "Questions to Dana Whitfield, extension 214, before Wednesday."

6. Proofread and trim

Read it once as the recipient and cut every sentence that does not help them understand or act. Check names, dates and figures against the source, because a memo is often filed and quoted later.

Memo or email?

In many modern workplaces, a memo is sent as an email attachment or as the body of an email with the memo header at the top, so the choice is often about format and formality rather than the delivery channel. See how to write a professional email for the email side.

Three annotated examples

Example 1: a company announcement

MEMORANDUM

To: All Customer Support Staff From: Dana Whitfield, Support Manager Date: 3 November 2026 Subject: New escalation process from 1 December

Starting 1 December, urgent tickets will be escalated to the on-call lead instead of the shared inbox. This memo explains the change and what you need to do before the start date.

Why we are changing. Urgent tickets in the shared inbox have sometimes waited because nobody was sure who owned them. The on-call lead gives each urgent ticket a named owner.

What changes

1. Mark urgent tickets with the "Urgent" label as you do now.
2. Message the on-call lead from the rota instead of replying in the shared inbox.
3. Record the hand-off in the ticket notes.

What you need to do. Read the two-page guide attached and confirm by message to me by Friday 20 November. Questions to me directly before Wednesday 18 November.

Attachment: Escalation guide (2 pages)

Why it works: the first sentence gives the change and the date; the reason sits in its own labelled paragraph; the steps are numbered; the closing states a deadline.

Example 2: a request to a manager

To: Priya Raman, Director of Operations From: Tom Okafor, Warehouse Supervisor Date: 3 November 2026 Subject: Request to extend the shift-scanner pilot by six weeks

I am asking for approval to extend the shift-scanner pilot in Bay 2 by six weeks, to 15 January, so that we can include the peak holiday period in the trial.

Background. The pilot began on 6 October with one team. It currently covers only normal-volume weeks, so the results cannot tell us how the scanners perform at peak volume.

Request. Approval to continue with the same team and equipment. No new spending is required.

Next step. If you approve by Friday 13 November, I will confirm the schedule with the shift leads the following Monday.

Why it works: the request and the new date come first; the background is limited to what justifies the request; the decision date is explicit.

Example 3: a school or university notice

To: All Teaching Staff, Year 10 and Year 11 From: Maria Santos, Head of Assessment Date: 3 November 2026 Subject: Deadline for mock exam marks: Friday 11 December

Please submit mock exam marks for all Year 10 and Year 11 classes through the school's assessment system by Friday 11 December. Late entries delay the reports that go to families before the winter break.

Before you submit

• Moderate one script in every class with a colleague.
• Record any access arrangements used.
• Flag students who were absent so that make-up papers can be arranged.

Help. Contact the assessment office on extension 305 if you cannot access the system.

Why it works: the deadline is in the subject line and the first sentence, so a teacher who reads only that much still knows what to do.

A fill-in memo template

Copy this and replace the bracketed prompts.

MEMORANDUM

To: (name and title, or group) From: (your name and title) Date: (full date) Subject: (specific topic and, if relevant, the deadline or decision)

(purpose in one or two sentences: what this memo is about and what you need from the reader.)

Background. (only what the reader needs to understand the purpose, in two or three sentences.)

Details. (facts, steps or options, in short paragraphs, bullets or numbers.)

Action required. (who does what, by when.)

Contact. (name, extension or email for questions.)

(attachment or cc line, if any.)

How conventions differ between workplaces

The structure above is common, but the details change with the type of organisation. Treat this table as a guide to what to check, not as a rule: always ask for the local template or look at a recent memo from your own office.

Titles, ranks and the order of the header lines differ most in government and military settings, where style manuals are specific. If you write for one of these, follow the manual rather than a general guide like this one.

Tone check

A memo is professional and neutral, but it should still sound like a person. Run these checks:

• Direct, not blunt. "Please submit by Friday" is clear and courteous. "You must submit by Friday" can sound like a reprimand unless the rule is mandatory.
• Active voice. "We will close the office on 24 December" is clearer than "The office will be closed."
• Fair to the reader. Explain bad news plainly and give the reason, without apologising at length or blaming.
• Contractions. Many offices accept them in friendly internal notes; formal or policy memos usually do not use them. See contractions for the guideline.
• Consistent with the audience. A memo to the whole company is more formal than one to your own team.

For a wider treatment of register, see tone in writing.

Common mistakes

A pre-send checklist

1. Is the purpose clear in the first two sentences?
2. Does the Subject line say what the memo is about?
3. Are To, From, Date and cc correct?
4. Are facts, dates and figures checked against the source?
5. Is every paragraph needed by the reader?
6. Is the action, owner and deadline stated?
7. Is it one page, or have I used headings so a longer memo can be scanned?
8. Is the tone right for this audience?
9. Have I proofread for spelling and grammar?

Using AdeptWrite to prepare a memo

Write the facts first, then let the tools help with the finish. The Email & Letter Writer can produce a first draft in its Formal letter, Job application and Follow-up modes; it is not a memo-specific tool, so treat the output as raw material and reshape it into the header-and-body structure above. Add the names, dates and figures yourself, because a generated draft cannot know them.

Paste the finished text into the Grammar Checker and the Spell Checker to catch errors, and use the Tone Changer (Formal, Office and Casual modes) if a draft sounds too stiff or too relaxed. Review every suggestion yourself before you send.

Related guides: how to write a report when you need more depth than a memo allows, and email etiquette for the message that carries your memo.

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