Definition
The best time to send is the point in the day, week or month when an email has the highest chance of being opened and acted on. It varies by audience, industry and individual behaviour, so a time that works for one list may fail for another.
Finding the best time is usually done through testing and send-time analysis rather than a one-size-fits-all rule. Many platforms even personalise send time per subscriber based on their past behaviour. Because a well-timed email is opened more, optimising send time is a genuine lever on performance.
Factors That Affect Send Time
| Factor | Influence |
|---|---|
| Audience | Their working and reading hours |
| Industry | When the topic matters |
| Time zone | Local morning and evening |
| Behaviour | When each person historically opens |
No single time works for everyone.
How to Find the Best Time
- Analyse your data: See when your opens and clicks peak.
- Test send times: Compare performance across windows.
- Review time zones: Send at the recipient's local hour.
- Use send-time optimisation: Let the platform personalise timing.
Why Timing Matters
- Higher opens: A well-timed email is seen and opened more.
- Better engagement: Reaching people at the right moment.
- Faster responses: Landing in a receptive mood.
Related Glossary Terms
Account-Based Marketing Email
An account-based marketing email is a highly targeted message sent to a specific organisation or decision-maker group as part of a focused B2B strategy.
Announcement Email
An announcement email is a dedicated campaign that communicates a specific update, milestone, or change to subscribers, from product launches and feature releases to company news and events.
B2B Email Marketing
B2B email marketing targets business professionals and organisations with longer sales cycles, educational content, and relationship-driven campaigns compared to B2C email.
B2C Email Marketing
B2C email marketing focuses on sending targeted promotional and transactional emails to individual consumers, emphasising personalisation, urgency, and direct response.
Behavioral Email
Behavioral email is a message triggered by a subscriber's action, inaction, or engagement pattern, making it more relevant than scheduled broadcast sends.
Behavioral Segmentation
Behavioral segmentation is the practice of grouping subscribers based on their actions, such as opens, clicks, purchases, browsing and engagement patterns.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best time to send is the moment an email is most likely to be opened and acted on. It varies by audience, industry and individual behaviour, so you identify it from your own data rather than a universal rule.
No. Common guidance suggests weekday mornings, but the right time depends on your audience's habits, time zone and industry. Testing and send-time analysis for your own list reveal what actually works for you.
Analyse when your opens and clicks peak, test different send windows, account for recipients' time zones, and consider send-time optimisation that personalises timing per subscriber based on their past behaviour.
Yes. Because recipients only act on email they notice, a time when your audience is reading and receptive produces more opens and responses. That makes send-time optimisation a real, low-effort lever on performance.