In an email, please be advised means “please take notice of this information” or “please be informed.” It introduces something the sender wants the recipient to know, such as a change, a requirement, a warning, or an update. The expression is standard English, especially in formal and business communication. It is not slang or a nonstandard phrase, although it can sound stiff, impersonal, or overly official in an everyday message. Its tone depends on the context: it may be a neutral notice, or it may signal that the information is important.
The meaning of please be advised
The phrase is a polite-sounding way to draw attention to information. In a sentence such as “Please be advised that the office will be closed on Monday,” the sender is telling the recipient to take the closure into account. The phrase does not, by itself, mean that the recipient is being blamed, threatened, or given professional advice. It simply marks the following statement as something the reader should know.
In many emails, the words can be removed without changing the main fact: “The office will be closed on Monday.” Adding please be advised makes the announcement more formal and foregrounds its importance. It can also make the sentence feel more distant, because it describes the act of informing rather than addressing the reader in a direct, conversational way.
The phrase often introduces a clause beginning with that, but the word that is sometimes omitted. Both forms are grammatical: “Please be advised that your appointment has changed” and “Please be advised, your appointment has changed.” In careful business writing, including that can make the relationship between the notice and its explanation easier to follow.
Is it standard English, formal, or slang?
Please be advised is standard English. It is a conventional formal expression found in workplace messages, customer-service notices, administrative correspondence, and other situations where a sender wants to make an announcement sound official. It is not an internet abbreviation, a regional slang term, or a grammatical error.
Calling it “formal” does not mean it is always the best choice. Some readers hear it as bureaucratic or abrupt, particularly when it appears in a routine message that could be expressed more plainly. The word please gives the sentence a courteous marker, but the passive construction can still feel impersonal. A phrase can be grammatically standard while sounding unnatural for a particular relationship or occasion.
It is also not automatically a warning. “Please be advised that the meeting room has changed” is a simple logistical update. “Please be advised that access will be suspended if payment is not received” communicates a consequence. The meaning comes chiefly from the information that follows, not from the opening phrase alone.
How the phrase is formed and where it comes from
The expression combines please, a word used to make a request more courteous, with be advised. Here, advised is the past participle of the verb advise, meaning to inform or notify. The construction is passive: the reader is the person being informed, even though the sentence does not name who is doing the informing. The implied sense is “please be informed by us” or “please take notice.”
Advise is an established English verb with a history reaching back through French forms to Latin roots associated with seeing or considering. Its meanings developed to include giving counsel and informing someone. The email formula uses the informing sense, not necessarily the sense of recommending what someone should do. The words belong to a long-standing vocabulary; the exact first use of the full phrase in email or business correspondence is not established by the phrase itself, so it is better not to assign it a specific inventor or date.
The phrase can be understood as an imperative in passive form: the sender is asking the recipient to be informed. That grammatical structure helps explain why it sounds more official than a direct statement such as “I’m writing to let you know.”
How it is used in an email
Writers generally place the phrase immediately before the information that matters. It may appear at the beginning of a sentence, often followed by that, or before a short notice. The information should be specific enough to stand on its own. A vague opening such as “Please be advised of the matter” leaves the reader wondering what the matter is.
Common uses include:
- Schedule changes: “Please be advised that the review has moved to the afternoon.”
- Policies or requirements: “Please be advised that visitors must check in at reception.”
- Service updates: “Please be advised that replies may take longer during the holiday period.”
- Warnings or consequences: “Please be advised that incomplete forms cannot be processed.”
- Corrections or clarifications: “Please be advised that the attached version replaces the earlier draft.”
These examples show why context matters. A neutral schedule change does not become a threat merely because the phrase introduces it. In a sentence about a penalty, restriction, or deadline, however, the formula can make the notice sound more serious. If the recipient needs to take action, state that action plainly rather than expecting the introductory phrase to communicate it.
What tone does it create?
The phrase usually creates a formal, businesslike tone. It can be useful when writing to a group, documenting an administrative notice, or communicating a rule that needs to be unmistakable. It may also suit a message where the sender wants to emphasize that a detail should not be overlooked.
In a friendly exchange, the same wording can sound cold or unnecessarily grand. For example, “Please be advised that I’ll be five minutes late” may seem stiffer than “Just letting you know I’m running a little late.” The first version is not wrong; it simply signals a more formal relationship than the situation may call for.
Tone can also be affected by what comes next. A concise factual update is often read as neutral. A sentence in capital letters, a string of demands, or a consequence stated without explanation can feel severe, regardless of whether it begins with please be advised. To keep a notice courteous, give relevant context, use a calm sentence, and make any requested next step clear.
Common confusion: advised, advice, and please advise
Advise is a verb. Advice is a noun. So a writer may say, “Please advise me about the next step,” because the writer is asking someone to respond or recommend a course of action. By contrast, “Please be advised that the deadline has changed” tells the reader about a change. These expressions look similar but do different jobs.
A useful distinction is who needs to provide information. With please be advised, the sender is supplying information to the recipient. With please advise, the sender is asking the recipient to supply information or guidance. In practice, please advise can sound terse if the writer does not explain what kind of reply is needed. A clearer request might be: “Please let me know whether you can attend.”
Neither phrase is a substitute for a complete message. If the recipient must act, specify the action and any relevant deadline in ordinary language. “Please be advised that the form is incomplete” tells the reader about a problem; “Please complete the missing section and return the form” tells the reader what to do.
Choosing a clearer alternative
Use please be advised when a formal notice genuinely suits the message. If plain language would be warmer or easier to understand, choose wording that states the purpose directly. Alternatives include:
- For a simple update: “Please note that the room has changed.”
- For a personal announcement: “I’m writing to let you know that the room has changed.”
- For an important reminder: “Remember that the form is due before the appointment.”
- For a direct request: “Please confirm that you received the revised schedule.”
- For a correction: “The attached file is the current version; please disregard the earlier copy.”
These alternatives are not identical in tone. Please note is also formal, but often sounds less bureaucratic. I’m writing to let you know is more personal. Remember can sound direct, and may seem demanding if used without care. Pick wording based on the relationship, the seriousness of the information, and whether you are notifying the reader or asking for a response.
Writing the sentence well
A good notice puts the useful information close to the opening. Avoid using please be advised as a substitute for a subject line or a clear explanation. If a message concerns a delayed delivery, for example, say what is delayed and what the recipient can expect next. If it concerns a rule, name the rule and explain whom it affects.
Keep the sentence proportionate to the situation. Repeating the phrase throughout a single email can make the message sound rigid; one clear notice is usually enough. Avoid pairing it with language that obscures responsibility, such as an unexplained “it has been decided.” Where appropriate, identify the relevant team or person, and distinguish confirmed information from what is still uncertain.
In punctuation, a comma may follow the introductory phrase when the writer uses it as a short lead-in: “Please be advised, the entrance is on the side street.” Many writers prefer the smoother construction “Please be advised that the entrance is on the side street.” The second version clearly connects the opening to a complete clause. Either way, the message should remain easy to read aloud and understand on a first pass.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does please be advised mean the sender is warning me?
Not necessarily. It means the sender wants you to take notice of information. The content may be a routine update or a warning; read the statement that follows to tell which.
Is please be advised rude?
It is not inherently rude, but it can sound stiff, impersonal, or stern in a casual email. For a warmer tone, use a direct alternative such as “I wanted to let you know” or “Please note.”
What is the difference between please be advised and please advise?
Please be advised introduces information the sender is giving you. Please advise asks you to provide information, an answer, or guidance.
Should I use that after please be advised?
Using that is often the clearest choice: “Please be advised that the schedule has changed.” It is also possible to omit it, but the sentence should still read smoothly and make the notice clear.
Is please be advised correct grammar?
Yes. It is a standard passive construction using the verb advise. Its formal tone may not fit every email, but the phrase itself is grammatically accepted.