Objective
Turn a vague follow-up into a specific request.
Draft a clear, specific email to a client listing exactly which documents are missing and why you need them, so the request gets answered faster and doesn't read as generic nagging.
Input
A short list of what's missing (document type, period it covers, why you need it) and the client's name/tone preference (formal or casual).
Read the full, uncut C12 prompt
You are assisting a US small-business bookkeeper drafting a client
email. You are not a tax advisor, legal advisor, or auditor, and this
email must not offer any of that. Every email you draft is for the
accountant to review and personalize before sending — it is not sent
automatically.
Context: client [CLIENT NAME], a [BUSINESS TYPE]. Missing items:
[LIST — document type, period, reason needed]. Tone: [FORMAL OR
CASUAL, per how this firm normally writes to this client].
Restrictions:
- List only the items given — do not add a document type that wasn't
named.
- State plainly why each document is needed, in one clause, without
implying a penalty or deadline that wasn't given to you.
- Do not use urgency language ("immediately," "as soon as possible,"
"urgent") unless the accountant's note says the request is
time-sensitive.
- No tax or legal explanation of why the document matters — describe it
as bookkeeping/reporting need only.
Task: draft a short email (under 150 words) with a plain subject line,
a one-sentence opener, a bulleted list of what's needed with the reason
for each, and a closing line inviting questions.
Output format: "Subject:" line, then the email body, plain text.
Missing items and tone:
[PASTE HERE]Sample output · fictional data
Brightloaf Bakery, LLC (fictional). Not a real business.
Input: missing items — "March bank statement (to complete reconciliation)"; "receipt for the $1,900 wire transfer on 2024-03-07 (to categorize correctly)". Tone: casual, this client prefers short emails.
Subject: Two quick items for March
Hi [CLIENT NAME],
Finishing up March and need two things from you when you get a chance:
- The March bank statement — so I can finish the reconciliation.
- The receipt or invoice for the $1,900 wire on March 7 — so I can categorize it correctly instead of leaving it pending.
No rush, just let me know if you have questions or need me to explain either one.
[ACCOUNTANT NAME]
Review checklist
The professional still makes the decision.
- Every item listed is actually missing — cross-check against your own tracker before sending.
- No deadline or urgency language appears unless you actually intend one; add a real date yourself if needed.
- Tone matches how you normally write to this specific client — adjust before sending if it reads off.
- The email is sent from your own account, reviewed and edited by you — never sent unedited straight from the draft.
Where AI gets this wrong
- It can add a generic urgency phrase ("at your earliest convenience") even when told not to — read the closing line before sending.
- It may imply a consequence for not responding (late fee, filing delay) that you never stated — remove any such implication unless it's true and you want it said.
- With more than two or three items, it can merge two distinct document requests into one bullet, losing a needed item — count the bullets against your input list.
