Full Form of PFA
Please Find Attached
PFA Full Form is Please Find Attached. PFA is a very commonly used Internet slang. However, unlike many of those slang words like LOL, ROFL, and other terms, PFA is used more formally in emails and official portals. This term is used to indicate that there is a file attached to the mail. PFA is often used in categories like Information Technology, Computers, and Web Chats. It is also popular and applies for personal emails where one attaches a picture or personal documents. It is, however, not considered informal and thus is used in business letters too.
Communication is important for the exchange of thoughts as well as information. Professional emails need additional information added in the form of spreadsheets, data files, invoices and other matters. It is very difficult to incorporate these in the main mail as it is organized data that needs special attention. Thus, these files and sheets are sent as attachments with the mail.
PFA Full Form – Additional Information
PFA is “Please Find Attached” a particular file or data sheet in the email. Many people argue about the usage of the word “find” in the phrase. They feel that find is when something is lost. But that is not true. Here “find” is used in connection with the attachments that needs to be noticed in the mail. Most of the times people just read the email and fail to notice that there is extra data added in the form of attachment that needs to be attended to. Writing “PFA” in the mail automatically prompts the reader to notice the attachment and acknowledge it.
In professional mails spreadsheets with tabular information, invoices, graphical charts etc are needed to be attached in order to inform the other team members about the proceedings in the company. However, besides written matter sometimes PPTs (PowerPoint Presentations), pictures or small videos can also be attached. This PFA is not limited to professional mails and can be used in personal emails as well. “Please Find Attached” is sort of a reminder term used in emails to highlight the necessity for action to access important files, documents, pictures etc that are sent along with the mail.
WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO WRITE PFA?
Email is an electronic communication medium that has limitations to what is written. Example, if a company has to forward an excel sheet with tables containing sales or marketing details or contact information etc, then it is not possible to write the entire matter within the email. Under such circumstances, the data sheets are created separately and then sent as attachments with the main mail. This way it is easy to access the data directly instead of hunting it down through the mail matter.
Thus, in order to draw the attention of the reader to take notice of the attachment it is essential to write PFA, which is a reminder to check the email for attachment. An advantage of the attachments is that since they are separate from the main mail, they can be downloaded and saved on the drive. The attachments usually contain stuff that needs to be referred at a later date too. Hence, keeping a separate sheet or file of the information helps in maintaining it in a safe folder from where it can be accessed later or as and when required.
IS IT RIGHT TO USE THE TERM “PLEASE FIND ATTACHED”?
The first thing that comes to mind when we read the word “find” is that we are seeking something that is lost. However, it is not necessary to take the word literally. The word “Find” is used to draw attention to the attachment that is added to the email. Nothing needs to be “lost” and “found”. This is just a way to say that “please note the fact that there is added material in the mail, so kindly view it”.
PFA or Please Find Attached purely refers to the file attachment in the email which can be a spreadsheet, PPT, pictures, word doc, etc. The fact that they are attached implies that they are of some relevance to the reader and it would be wise to acknowledge them. As mentioned earlier, all the important matter to be conveyed cannot be written in the actual mail due to formatting and space restrictions.
Nonetheless, the same can be prepared on a separate sheet as a file that can be easily downloaded and referred to as required. In the case of professional matters, the data can be saved in a folder after the download and then accessed whenever needed. Since the attachments are named files, it is easy to organize the files for easy reference.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TERM PFA?
PFA or Please Find Attached has significance like:
- It alerts the reader about an attachment in the email
- It signifies that whatever is attached can be of importance and needs to be acknowledged.
- There is an indication that the email that is sent is incomplete without the attachment since the matter of importance / concern / perusal is attached separately and not included in the main mail.
- In a way, it can be said that when the person writes PFA in the mail, it is a reminder for him too that a file is to be attached to the mail. So this works as a double check to note that the mail is sent WITH the attachment and not without one.
- Professional emails are the ones that use this term the most as there are constant files to be sent across to different members in the company and it is not physically possible to sit and write the matter in different mails. So a single copy of the document to be circulated can be made and then added as an attachment to the email, addressing it to one person and keeping the others in CC. This way the relevant information is transmitted to all simultaneously. A mention of “PFA” in the mail can alert all the members to open and check the attachment.
WHAT OTHER WAYS CAN BE USED TO CONVEY THE MESSAGE?
Some people are very particular about writing the details in full and refuse to use any forms of acronyms or short forms. Please Find Attached can be easier said by just writing three letters PFA. However, some like to use the full form or say it in a different way /words. Some other ways of informing the reader about the attachments are “kindly check the attachments in the email” or “please find the attached file for your perusal” or “I have attached the XYZ document for your viewing” and so on.
Remember, the bottom line is to draw the attention of the reader to open the attachment and acknowledge it. Communication can never be complete without a proper guideline and PFA is just a simple term that helps in achieving it. Thus, it does not matter the order of the words “please find attached” or “attached please find document XYZ….” So long as the message reaches home and the important document sent as an attachment is properly received by the receiver, it is not relevant how you convey it.