5 Great System Outage Email Templates To Copy & Paste

System outages happen. While they're never ideal, how you communicate them can make all the difference for your brand's reputation.

That's where having a few go-to templates comes in handy. They help you communicate quickly and clearly, keeping your audience in the loop without the stress of writing from scratch during a crisis.

Tips for Writing System Outage Emails

• Nail the subject line. Be direct. A subject like, "[Service Name] Is Currently Down" or "Update on Service Interruption" works well. It cuts through the noise and sets clear expectations from the get-go.
• Explain what’s broken and for whom. Avoid vague statements like "we're having issues." Get specific. Tell users exactly which parts of your service are affected and which are still working. For example, "Login and account access are currently unavailable, but all scheduled automations are running normally." This helps people understand the direct impact on their work.
• Provide an ETA and a place for updates. Even if you don't have a firm timeline, give a window for your next update, such as, "We'll post another update in 30 minutes." This manages expectations. Crucially, direct everyone to a single place for these updates, like a dedicated status page. This stops your support inbox from overflowing and keeps everyone on the same page.
• Keep it simple and scannable. An outage email is functional, not promotional. Use short sentences and bold text to highlight the most important information. People are likely stressed, so make it easy for them to scan the email in five seconds and understand what they need to know.

Types of System Outage Email Templates We Will Cover

1. Scheduled Maintenance Email Template
2. Unplanned Outage Email Template
3. Service Restoration Email Template
4. Performance Degradation Email Template
5. System Upgrade Email Template

5 System Outage Email Templates

1) Scheduled Maintenance Email Template

<template>

Subject: Heads up: Planned maintenance for [Service Name] on [Date]

Hi [First Name],

We’re writing to let you know about some scheduled maintenance that will help us improve [Service Name]. To make these updates, we'll need to take the platform offline for a short time.

The maintenance is scheduled for [Date] between [Start Time] and [End Time] [Timezone]. During this period, you won’t be able to access your account or [other specific features]. Don't worry—any emails you have scheduled to go out during this time will be sent as planned.

We've scheduled this during a time we expect to have the least impact on our users. For live updates during the maintenance window, please visit our status page: [Link to Status Page].

We appreciate your patience as we work to make our platform even better for you.

All the best,

The [Your Company Name] Team

</template>

2) Unplanned Outage Email Template

<template>

Subject: [Service Name] is currently unavailable

Hi [First Name],

We’re writing to let you know that [Service Name] is currently experiencing an unexpected outage. This means you may not be able to [describe specific impact, e.g., log in, access your account, or send emails] at the moment.

Our engineering team is working to resolve this with the highest priority. We’ll be posting real-time updates on our status page, which you can find here: [Link to Status Page]. We expect to have another update for you within [e.g., 30 minutes].

We sincerely apologize for the disruption this is causing to your workflow and appreciate your patience as we work to get things back up and running.

All the best,

The [Your Company Name] Team

</template>

3) Service Restoration Email Template

<template>

Subject: Good news: [Service Name] is back online

Hi [First Name],

We’re happy to let you know that the issues affecting [Service Name] have been resolved. All services, including [mention specific features that were down], are now fully operational.

The outage was caused by [brief, non-technical explanation of the cause]. Our team has implemented a fix and will continue to monitor the system to ensure everything remains stable.

We sincerely apologize for the disruption this caused to your workflow. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we worked to resolve it.

All the best,

The [Your Company Name] Team

</template>

4) Performance Degradation Email Template

<template>

Subject: Update on [Service Name] performance issues

Hi [First Name],

We're reaching out to let you know that we're currently seeing degraded performance in some areas of [Service Name]. You might be experiencing slowness or errors when [describe specific impact, e.g., loading your workflows or saving a design].

Our team is actively investigating the root cause and working to restore normal performance as quickly as possible. While the platform remains available, we understand this isn't the seamless experience you expect from us.

We’ll be posting real-time updates on our status page, which you can find here: [Link to Status Page]. We expect to have another update for you within [e.g., 30 minutes].

We apologize for any inconvenience this is causing and appreciate your patience.

All the best,

The [Your Company Name] Team

</template>

5) System Upgrade Email Template

<template>

Subject: Exciting updates are coming to [Service Name]

Hi [First Name],

We’re excited to announce that we’re rolling out a significant upgrade to [Service Name] on [Date]. This update introduces [briefly describe new features or improvements, e.g., a redesigned dashboard, faster loading times, and new design tools] to help you create with even more ease and impact.

To make this happen, we've scheduled a maintenance window on [Date] from [Start Time] to [End Time] [Timezone]. During this period, [Service Name] will be temporarily unavailable. Once the upgrade is complete, you’ll be able to log in and explore all the new enhancements. All your existing data and designs will be right where you left them.

For live updates during the upgrade process, you can follow along on our status page: [Link to Status Page].

We can’t wait for you to experience the new and improved [Service Name].

Best,

The [Your Company Name] Team

</template>

What About Using Flodesk?

Now that you have these system outage templates ready, you need an effective way to send them. Flodesk provides intuitive email marketing tools designed for small businesses, allowing you to manage and grow your email list. We make it simple to create, send, and automate your communications, so you can keep your audience informed and engaged without needing any coding or design experience.

Our platform is built around an intuitive email builder, powerful automations, and beautifully designed forms. These tools give you everything required for effective email marketing, minus the usual complexity. We empower both beginners and experts to send emails that not only look good but also convert, helping you build your business in a refreshingly simple way.

Wrapping Up

Having clear, ready-to-go templates for system outages is a fundamental part of managing customer communications. It ensures you can respond quickly and maintain trust, even when things go wrong.

When you need to send these important updates, Flodesk provides the tools to do so with clarity and impact. Sign up to start sending emails that build your business.