In our modern world of instant communication, it can be easy to miss important details amidst the constant flurry of emails we all send and receive.
We all have experience with the worry that we have missed some particularly crucial message.
For this reason, it is always comforting to receive confirmation that someone has understood what you have told them and taken note of it.
In the world of professional emailing, it is considered good practice to confirm that you have taken information on board, so that the person you are corresponding with knows without a shadow of a doubt that their message has in fact been delivered, read and understood.
Telling someone that their message, or a particular point within it, has been well noted, saves them from having to follow up with you later to double-check that you have in fact taken into account what they have said to you.
This kind of positive reassurance is particularly important in business correspondence, and in particular when the information in question has to do with scheduling or with the minutiae of a contract negotiation.
It is good to get in the habit of confirming the receipt and comprehension of information.
This will help this kind of confirmation of receipt to become second nature.
What is meant by “well noted”?
To say that something is “well noted” in business correspondence is to confirm that you have taken note of a particular piece of information. Derived from the literal act of taking a note, the “well” that has been added onto the word “noted,” emphasizes that the sender’s message has been carefully read and fully understood.
10 other ways to say “well noted” in Business Correspondence
While it is always good to confirm that you have received and understood the messages you are sent, it is particularly important to do so in a business context.
Business correspondence refers to written communication that takes place between organizations, within organizations or between customers and the organization.
It uses the formal or consultative language register.
Something that sets business correspondence apart from personal messaging is the fact that it is used to serve as a historical record of a business interaction and can have legal ramifications.
For this reason, it is essential to be as clear as possible and leave no room for misunderstandings.
1. Duly noted.
To say that something has been “duly noted” means that it has been recorded according to the proper procedure.
Duly is an adverb and is used in this phrase to mean “in the proper fashion”.
Traditionally, the expression means that a piece of information has been written down in the correct way, according to the usual custom.
It is often used to express that a contribution to a meeting or discussion has been taken down in the written record of the meeting.
For example, if a meeting attendee raises a concern about a proposal, the meeting’s facilitator might say, “Thank you, your objection has been duly noted,” meaning that the concern they raised had been recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
When used in email correspondence, this phrase has essentially the same meaning, namely that something that was communicated has been recorded according to the correct procedure.
2. I have taken note of this.
An alternative way to express that something has been read, understood and recorded is to say, “I have taken note of this.”
This phrase is a straightforward confirmation that the information provided has been written down in the relevant place and will be taken into account when decisions are being made about the matter at hand.
3. Noted with thanks.
A warmer way to communicate that something has been understood and recorded is to say, “noted with thanks.” This is a great way to acknowledge receipt of positive or helpful information.
4. This will be taken into consideration.
Another alternative to “well noted” that implies clear action, is to say, “this will be taken into consideration.”
Saying that something has been “well noted” only means that it has been recorded in the appropriate place.
You may find yourself looking for an alternative phrase to express the person you are communicating that you will actively be considering the information they have provided.
This can be especially useful when there is a decision to be made, and the person you are responding to has contributed information that will be of value while deliberations are ongoing.
5. I will take this on board.
An alternative to “well noted” that is used almost exclusively in a business setting, is the phrase “I will take this on board.”
To take something on board is defined by Oxford Languages as to “fully consider or assimilate a new idea or situation.”
It is essentially a way to tell the person you are communicating with that you will now consider the information they have provided as part of the greater context in which you make specific decisions.
Unlike many of the other alternatives to “well noted” included in this list, “take something on board” is informal language. However, it is perfectly appropriate to use it in professional communication.
6. Kindly noted.
A straightforward alternative to “well noted,” which can be used to maintain a feeling of goodwill between the sender and recipient, is “kindly noted.”
This phrase can also be reversed, if you suspect that someone has somehow missed an important communication, or if you simply want to draw their attention to something, while making clear that you wish them well.
For example, if you send someone a calendar with your availability but want to make sure that you clearly express when you are not free, you might say “Kindly note that I am not available on Friday, 10 September.”
7. Message received.
A short-hand way to confirm receipt of a message, is simply to say, “message received.”
While this can be a great, concise way to tell a colleague that you have gotten their email or that you understood what they mean, you should be careful not to use it in an inappropriate context, or it may come off sounding too short, and therefore rude.
The best way to use this phrase is informally, as a quick confirmation that you understand what has been communicated.
8. I will make a note of that.
This alternative to “well noted” should be used in contexts where someone has informed you of something that may be important for future decision-making.
For example, if you are discussing a project that is in the early planning stages and the person you are communicating with informs you of something that will be important to remember in the later stages of planning, you might say “thank you, I will make a note of that.”
The implication of this is that while you are not in a position to come to any conclusions or say anything definite about what someone has told you at the moment, you recognize its potential importance to the matter at hand and are going to make sure it is appropriately recorded.
9. Our records have been updated accordingly.
This alternative to “well noted” is formal and has a specific application.
Saying that something has been “well noted” is now almost as much an idiom, with the meaning something has been heard and understood, as it is a literal statement of fact that something has been noted down in writing.
However, there are quite a few situations in which what is actually needed is for information be recorded in the appropriate fashion.
Anything like medical records, flight bookings, or tax registrations, require regular updating as the circumstances of our lives change.
If you have moved, changed phone number, gotten married, renewed your credit card, had a baby, or made any number of other life changes, you may need to update the way your personal details are recorded in a number of settings.
In these cases, you are literally asking someone to record the changes you are informing them of.
10. This has been passed on to the relevant department.
Another alternative way to say, “well noted,” that has a particular application is “I will pass this on to the relevant department.”
This can be used when someone has contacted the company or organization that you work for with information that is relevant to a particular department.
While you may have seen it, read it, and understood it, it would hardly be helpful for you to make note of it, as it is not relevant to your work.
However, that does not mean you should leave the sender without confirmation that their email has been received or without a clear idea about the status of their message.
The best thing to do in this case is to let them know that their message, or the information it contains, is being passed on to the right people.