How to chase a late reply without sounding pushy
KeepReap Editorial
Give the reader an easy way to be not-at-fault, then restate exactly what you need and by when. Most follow-ups fail because they only repeat the original ask; the reader still has to reconstruct the context. Re-state the one decision you are waiting on in a single line, and the reply gets easier to write than to postpone.
Ways to say it
Just floating this back to the top of your inbox
CasualB2Friendly and blame-free, and common in day-to-day team email. Too light for a first contact or a formal external thread.
ExampleJust floating this back to the top of your inbox — still need a yes or no on the vendor by Friday.
Following up on my note from Tuesday
FormalB1Neutral and dateable. Naming the day quietly signals how long it has been without you having to say so.
ExampleFollowing up on my note from Tuesday about the license renewal — do you need anything else from me to sign it off?
Checking whether this is still on your radar
NeutralB2Offers the reader a face-saving exit — that priorities changed — which often produces an honest answer rather than another silence.
ExampleChecking whether this is still on your radar, or whether it's been overtaken by the migration work.
When not to use this
Do not use a soft chaser when a deadline has genuinely passed and something will now break. Cheerful wording next to a real consequence reads as though the consequence is negotiable. State the effect plainly instead: "we lose the booking at 17:00 today if this isn't approved." Save the light phrasing for the follow-ups that come before that point.