What does “per my last email” mean?
“A raised eyebrow, delivered in Arial.” — Arthur
“Per my last email, the document was due yesterday.”
“As I said in my previous email, the document was due yesterday.”
What the wording leaves out
It means “as I said in my previous email”. It can sound irritated, even when the writer only wants to point you to earlier information.
What to check
If you need to repeat a request, include the important detail again. People should not have to search an old thread to act.
Try Arthur’s translator →More from work emails
Is “per my last email” rude?
Not automatically. Its literal meaning is “as I said in my previous email”. But it can draw attention to the fact that the reader missed something, so it may sound irritated. Your relationship, the rest of the message and the situation all affect how it lands.
You cannot reliably read someone’s mood from this phrase alone. If you receive it, answer the actual question before deciding that you have been told off by a spreadsheet.
Five clearer alternatives
To repeat a useful detail:
“The delivery date is Thursday. I’ve included the details below.”
To resend a document:
“I’ve attached the revised quote again so you have it to hand.”
To check a decision:
“Could you confirm whether you prefer option A or option B?”
To explain a dependency:
“I need your approval before I can book the work. Could you reply by Wednesday?”
To keep an accurate record:
“In my email of 3 October, I confirmed that the delivery date was Thursday.”
The final example is deliberately more formal. Sometimes the date and record matter. Being clear does not mean pretending you have never mentioned something before.
Before and after: firm without the sting
“Per my last email, the document was due yesterday.”
“The document was due yesterday and I haven’t received it. When can you send it?”
The second version keeps the missed deadline and asks for the next step. A polite rewrite should not remove the important fact just to sound softer.
How to reply if someone sends it to you
If you missed the detail, a brief acknowledgement is enough: “Thanks, I missed that date. I can send the document by 2pm today.” If the earlier message did not contain the information, keep your reply factual: “I can see the attachment, but I can’t find the delivery date. Could you confirm it here?”
Avoid replying with a more elaborate version of the same irritation. The aim is to get the work moving, not to win the email thread.