Please Be Advised: Meaning, Tone, and Better Alternatives
The phrase “please be advised” appears in workplace emails, public notices, customer updates, and formal letters. Its basic meaning is simple: the reader should take notice of information that follows, often because the information affects what they should know or do.
Although the expression is grammatically correct, its tone can sound stiff, distant, or unnecessarily severe in everyday communication. The best wording depends on the situation, the relationship between the writers, and whether the message is merely informative or requires action.
This article explains the meaning of “please be advised,” shows how it differs from “please advise,” and compares alternatives for professional and casual messages. You’ll also find examples, punctuation guidance, tone tips, and answers to common questions about this frequently used phrase.
What “Please Be Advised” Means
“Please be advised” means “please take notice” or “please be aware.” It introduces information that the writer considers important, especially information about a change, requirement, deadline, decision, delay, or potential consequence.
For example, “Please be advised that the office will close at 3 p.m. on Friday” tells recipients to notice the closing time. It does not normally ask them to provide advice or answer a question.
The phrase contains a passive construction. The reader is being advised, rather than being directly told to read or do something, which gives the sentence a formal character.
In many contexts, the expression is neutral. A landlord might use it in a notice about maintenance, a school might use it in a calendar update, and a business might use it to announce a policy change. The wording itself does not automatically sound rude.
Still, tone depends heavily on what comes next. “Please be advised that your request has been approved” sounds routine and positive, while “Please be advised that further violations will result in termination” feels stern because the message contains a warning.
The phrase can also create ambiguity if the reader cannot tell what response is expected. If the recipient must submit a document, attend a meeting, or confirm receipt, the writer should state that action directly instead of relying on “please be advised.”
Common meanings include:
- Notice: drawing attention to information the reader should not miss.
- Warning: alerting someone to a possible consequence or restriction.
- Announcement: communicating a change in schedule, policy, service, or procedure.
- Formal notification: recording that information has been provided to an individual or group.
- Professional courtesy: introducing an update without using a blunt command.
The clearest interpretation is usually “please note.” That alternative is shorter, more direct, and often more natural in modern business communication.
Is “Please Be Advised” Correct English?
Yes. “Please be advised” is grammatically correct English, and established dictionaries recognize advised as meaning informed or aware. The expression has been used for many years in formal correspondence, notices, legal writing, and institutional communication.
Some readers dislike the phrase because it sounds bureaucratic or impersonal. That criticism concerns style, not grammar. A sentence can be correct and still be less effective than a simpler alternative.
The word “advised” in this expression does not mean “given an opinion about what to do.” It means informed or notified. That distinction causes much of the confusion surrounding the phrase.
| Expression | Meaning | Typical purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Please be advised | Please take notice or be informed | Giving formal information or a warning |
| Please advise | Please provide information or guidance | Requesting a reply, decision, or recommendation |
| Please note | Please pay attention to this fact | Clear, neutral notification |
| Please be aware | Please understand or keep this in mind | Drawing attention to a condition or risk |
| We’re writing to let you know | We want to tell you something | Warm, direct customer or workplace communication |
A useful test is to replace “advised” with “informed.” If the sentence still makes sense, the phrase is probably being used correctly. “Please be informed that the application deadline has changed” is formal but understandable, which confirms the intended meaning.
Grammar guides sometimes recommend avoiding passive wording where an active sentence would be clearer. Instead of “Please be advised that your appointment has moved,” a clinic could write, “Your appointment has moved to Tuesday.” The second version gives the important fact immediately.
“Please Be Advised” Versus “Please Advise”
“Please be advised” and “please advise” look similar, but they perform opposite communication tasks. The first gives information; the second requests information, guidance, or a decision from the recipient.
Consider the difference between these two sentences: “Please be advised that the shipment has arrived” and “Please advise whether you want the shipment delivered today.” The first reports a fact, while the second asks the reader to respond.
The grammatical difference is equally important. In “please be advised,” be advised is a passive verb phrase. In “please advise,” advise is an active verb in the imperative mood, meaning the reader is being asked to advise the sender.
When to use “please be advised”
Use the phrase when you need to alert someone to information that is already decided or known. It fits announcements, formal notices, service interruptions, contract communications, and messages that create a record of notification.
Examples include:
- “Please be advised that the building will undergo a fire inspection on Wednesday.”
- “Please be advised that completed forms must be submitted by noon.”
- “Please be advised that the quoted delivery date has changed.”
When to use “please advise”
Use “please advise” when you need the recipient to supply missing information or tell you what to do next. It is common in email, although some readers consider it abrupt when used without additional context.
Examples include:
- “Please advise which meeting time works best for you.”
- “Please advise whether the revised invoice is acceptable.”
- “Please advise if you need any additional information.”
A simple memory aid is this: “be advised” points toward information coming to the reader, while “please advise” points toward a response coming back to the writer.
Do not write “please advised” when you mean either expression. “Advised” is the past-tense or past-participle form, while “advise” is the base verb. The correct choices are “please be advised” and “please advise.”
How the Phrase Sounds in Professional Emails
See Also: Fight Tooth and Nail: Meaning, Origin, Examples & Usage
In professional email, “please be advised” can be useful when the message concerns a formal update. It signals that the information matters and may be helpful when communicating with a large group, a customer, a tenant, a contractor, or another party outside the immediate team.
However, opening every routine email with the phrase can make communication feel cold. “Please be advised that I attached the report” is grammatically fine, but “I attached the report for your review” sounds more natural and tells the reader what to do.
The phrase is most effective when the information carries a practical consequence. A schedule change, a new submission requirement, or a service interruption deserves clear attention. A minor conversational detail usually does not.
Strong email examples
“Please be advised that the supplier has moved the delivery date from Monday to Thursday. We’ll send the tracking information as soon as it becomes available.”
This example works because the opening alerts the reader to a meaningful change, and the second sentence explains the next communication. The message does not force the reader to guess whether a reply is required.
“Please be advised that all visitors must sign in at reception beginning 1 June. Bring photo identification if you need access to the restricted areas.”
Here, the formal wording suits a safety or security instruction. The second sentence adds a concrete requirement instead of leaving the reader with a vague warning.
Weak or unnecessary examples
“Please be advised that I am sending you the information you requested.” This sentence adds ceremony without adding meaning; “I’ve attached the information you requested” is shorter and more useful.
“Please be advised that we received your email.” A direct confirmation such as “We received your email” sounds professional without the extra phrase.
The goal is not to eliminate formal language from business writing. It is to match the tone to the importance of the message and to make the action or fact easy to identify.
Tone: Formal, Neutral, or Too Severe?
Readers often associate “please be advised” with legal notices, debt collection letters, disciplinary messages, or official warnings. That association can make a neutral announcement sound more threatening than the writer intended.
The phrase itself does not carry a fixed hostile meaning. Tone comes from the surrounding vocabulary, the punctuation, the sender’s relationship with the recipient, and the consequences described in the message.
Compare these examples:
- Neutral: “Please be advised that the office will close at 4 p.m. on Friday.”
- Helpful: “Please be advised that the office will close at 4 p.m. on Friday, so submit urgent requests by 2 p.m.”
- Severe: “Please be advised that failure to comply will result in immediate action.”
The third example feels severe because it mentions a consequence without explaining it. Vague threats often create more tension than a clear, factual explanation would.
For a customer-facing message, a warmer phrase may protect the relationship. “We wanted to let you know that your delivery is delayed by one day” sounds more considerate than “Please be advised that your delivery is delayed.” Both communicate the same fact.
Choosing the right level of formality
Formal wording makes sense when the message may be reviewed later, forms part of an official record, or concerns a regulated process. It can also help maintain professional distance in sensitive situations.
Neutral wording is usually better for ordinary workplace communication. “Please note,” “This means,” and “Here’s an update” are clear without sounding ceremonial.
A conversational phrase works well with colleagues, familiar customers, or community members. “Just a quick note: the room has changed to 204” is perfectly suitable when no legal or procedural formality is required.
Before choosing the phrase, ask three questions: Is the information important? Does the reader need to change something?
Would a simpler sentence sound more respectful? The answers will usually point toward the right tone.
Better Alternatives to “Please Be Advised”
There is no single best replacement for every situation. The strongest alternative states the purpose of the message directly, whether that purpose is notification, instruction, warning, confirmation, or a request for action.
| Situation | Recommended wording | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Routine update | “Please note that…” | Brief and neutral |
| Customer notification | “We’re writing to let you know that…” | Direct but considerate |
| Important condition | “Please be aware that…” | Highlights a consequence or limitation |
| Required action | “Please submit…” or “You must…” | Makes the expected action unmistakable |
| Friendly workplace message | “Just a quick update:” | Relaxed and approachable |
| Formal record | “This notice confirms that…” | Clearly identifies the communication as documentation |
“Please note” is the closest general replacement. It preserves the request for attention but removes some of the stiff, passive quality associated with “please be advised.”
“Please be aware” is useful when the information involves a condition, limitation, or risk. For example, “Please be aware that refunds may take five business days to process” gives the reader realistic expectations.
“We’re writing to let you know” works particularly well in customer service. It places the sender and recipient in a direct communication relationship instead of sounding like a notice posted by an anonymous institution.
If the message requires action, skip all introductory formulas. “Complete the attached form by Friday” is clearer than “Please be advised that the attached form must be completed by Friday.” Direct language is not impolite when the instruction is specific and respectful.
How to Write the Phrase Correctly
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The usual construction is “Please be advised that…” followed by a complete clause. The word “that” is optional in some sentences, but including it often improves readability, especially when the message contains several details.
Correct examples include “Please be advised that the payment deadline has changed” and “Please be advised, the meeting room is now unavailable.” The second version is possible in informal writing, but the first is more polished for a formal email.
Do not confuse the phrase with “advised please,” which is not standard English word order. A sentence such as “Advised please of your availability” may appear in very compressed business messages, but it sounds unnatural and should be replaced with “Please advise us of your availability.”
Punctuation and capitalization
Use a comma after “advised” only when the phrase functions as an introductory expression before a separate statement. In most professional writing, “Please be advised that…” is the cleanest form because the clause is grammatically connected to the verb phrase.
Do not capitalize every word in the phrase within a normal sentence. “Please be advised” is not a title, heading, or proper noun, so only the first word should be capitalized when it begins a sentence.
An exclamation mark rarely belongs after this expression. “Please be advised that the event is cancelled!” can look alarmist unless the cancellation is urgent and the surrounding communication justifies strong emphasis.
What follows the phrase?
The information after the phrase should be specific. Include the relevant date, location, requirement, decision, or consequence rather than making a general statement such as “Please be advised that changes have occurred.”
Compare “Please be advised that office hours will change next month” with “Please be advised that office hours will change to 9 a.m.–4 p.m. from 1 July.” The second version gives the reader something usable.
When an action is required, state it in a separate sentence. “Please be advised that your permit expires on 30 June. Submit a renewal application before that date” is clearer than hiding the instruction inside a long sentence.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
The most common mistake is using “please be advised” when the writer actually wants a reply. If you need the reader to confirm, choose, explain, or recommend something, write “please advise” or ask the question directly.
Another mistake is using the phrase as a substitute for meaningful information. A formal opening cannot repair a vague message. Readers need to know what changed, when it changed, how it affects them, and what they should do.
Writers also sometimes use “please advised,” combining the wrong verb form with the polite request. The correction is straightforward: use “please be advised” for notification or “please advise” for a request.
- Wrong: “Please advised us if you can attend.” Better: “Please advise us if you can attend.”
- Wrong: “Please be advise that the policy changed.” Better: “Please be advised that the policy changed.”
- Weak: “Please be advised that there is an issue.” Better: “The payment did not process because the card expired.”
- Unclear: “Please be advised of the next steps.” Better: “Please sign the form and return it by Friday.”
Overuse is another problem. If every paragraph begins with “please be advised,” the expression loses its emphasis and makes the message harder to read.
A long sentence can also weaken the phrase. Avoid placing multiple dates, exceptions, conditions, and instructions after one formal opening. Break the information into short paragraphs or a list so the reader can act on it.
Finally, avoid using the phrase to disguise an aggressive message. If a customer made an error, explain the correction and the available solution. Polite wording works best when the underlying communication is also fair and specific.
Practical Examples for Different Situations
The right version depends on the purpose of the communication. A legal notice, a workplace update, and a customer-service email may all contain important information, but they need different levels of formality and warmth.
Workplace announcement
“Please be advised that the quarterly meeting will take place in Conference Room B on 12 September rather than in the main auditorium. The start time remains 10 a.m.”
This version is appropriate because it identifies a concrete change and confirms what has not changed. It avoids unnecessary warning language.
Customer service message
“We’re writing to let you know that your replacement order has shipped. The tracking number will appear in your account within 24 hours.”
A warmer opening suits a customer relationship better than a formal notice. The message also answers the likely follow-up question about tracking information.
Building or property notice
“Please be advised that water service will be unavailable between 9 a.m. and noon on Tuesday while the main valve is repaired. Store enough water for essential use before work begins.”
Here, the formal expression is justified because the notice affects many people and concerns a service interruption. The practical instruction gives residents a way to prepare.
Request for a response
“Please advise whether you approve the revised schedule by 4 p.m. Thursday.”
This is not a situation for “please be advised,” because the writer needs a decision. The sentence states both the requested response and the deadline.
Policy reminder
“Please note that expense claims must include receipts from 1 October onward. Claims without supporting documents may be returned for correction.”
“Please note” keeps the message professional without making a routine policy reminder sound punitive. The second sentence explains the practical consequence in plain language.
These examples share one principle: the important information appears early. A reader should not have to interpret a formal phrase before discovering the actual news.
When Formal Language Is Useful
Formal language has a legitimate role in communication. It can establish that a notice is official, distinguish a binding requirement from a casual suggestion, and create a consistent style across letters or institutional announcements.
“Please be advised” may be appropriate in a compliance notice, a contract-related message, or an announcement sent to people who do not know the sender personally. In those settings, a measured formal tone can support clarity and authority.
It is also useful when the sender needs to document that information was communicated. A property manager, employer, school administrator, or service provider may choose formal wording because the message could later be reviewed as part of a record.
Even then, formality should not replace precision. A notice becomes stronger when it names the policy, identifies the date it applies, and explains the recipient’s options.
When simpler language is better
Simple language is usually preferable for internal teamwork, routine coordination, and customer support. Most readers process “The deadline is Friday” faster than “Please be advised that the deadline is Friday.”
Direct wording can still be courteous. “Please send the signed form by Friday” is both polite and specific, while “You are hereby advised to send the signed form” sounds unnecessarily legalistic.
Choose the least formal wording that still fits the relationship and the seriousness of the information. That approach keeps communication professional without creating distance for its own sake.
A useful editing exercise is to draft the formal version and then remove the opening phrase. If the sentence remains clear and respectful, the shorter version may be the better choice.
FAQ About “Please Be Advised”
Is it polite to say “please be advised”?
Yes, it is generally polite and grammatically acceptable. However, it can sound formal or stern, particularly when followed by a warning or a statement about penalties. For a warmer message, use “please note,” “please be aware,” or “we wanted to let you know.”
What can I say instead of “please be advised”?
Good alternatives include “please note,” “please be aware,” “we’re writing to let you know,” “this is a reminder that,” and “here’s an update.” If the reader must act, state the action directly, such as “Please submit the form by Friday.”
How do I say “please advise” in an email?
Use “please advise” when you need information, guidance, approval, or a decision. For example, write “Please advise whether the revised date works for you” rather than “Please be advised whether the revised date works for you.” You can also ask directly: “Could you confirm which date works best?”
Which is correct: “advice” or “advised”?
“Advice” is a noun meaning guidance or a recommendation, while “advise” is a verb meaning to give guidance or information. “Advised” is the past-tense or past-participle form of “advise,” and in “please be advised” it means informed or notified.
Is “please be advised” too formal for everyday email?
It may be too formal for a casual message or a familiar colleague, but it is not automatically inappropriate. Use it when the information is important, official, or potentially consequential; otherwise, a direct phrase such as “Please note” or “I wanted to let you know” will usually sound more natural.
Conclusion
“Please be advised” is correct English meaning “please take notice” or “please be informed.” It works best for formal notifications, policy updates, service announcements, and messages where the information has a practical consequence. It should not be confused with “please advise,” which asks the reader for a response or recommendation.
Before sending an email, check whether the phrase adds useful emphasis or only adds ceremony. If a simpler sentence would be clearer, use it; if the notice is official, keep the formal wording but include precise dates, actions, and consequences. A thoughtful choice makes please be advised sound purposeful rather than automatic.
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