How to Find Your Best Time to Send Emails

Ever wondered why some emails get opened while others are ignored? It’s not always the content or subject line. Timing plays a massive role. You could write the perfect message, but if it lands at the wrong time, it might never get read. That’s why discovering the best send time to send emails isn’t just smart—it’s essential for email marketing success.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but there’s a clear process. You’ll need to understand your audience, test your timing, and use the right tools. Follow the steps below to find what works for your list—and increase open and click-through rates in the process.

Step 1: Segment Your List

Finding the right send time begins with knowing who’s on your list. You can’t expect every subscriber to check their inbox at the same moment. People have different routines, jobs, locations, and online behaviors. That’s why segmenting your list matters.

Start by organizing your subscribers by time zone. This is especially important if your audience is global. Sending an email blast at 9 a.m. may hit inboxes at midnight somewhere else. That’s not ideal for engagement.

But don’t stop with time zones. Segment by behavior too. Separate frequent openers from occasional readers. Group people who click often into their own category. If you’ve got location data, segment by city or country. If your list includes both professionals and students, treat them differently.

These small changes lead to better timing and stronger results. A student might open emails late at night, while a busy executive checks emails early in the morning. Once you sort your list this way, your testing becomes much more accurate.

Step 2: Choose Your Variables

Now that your list is segmented, it’s time to figure out what variables to test. Send time is your focus, but it’s not the only thing that affects performance.

Begin with the basics. Try sending emails at different times of the day—morning, afternoon, and evening. You might also test different days of the week. Monday mornings could work great for one segment, while Saturday evenings might surprise you for another.

Keep your subject line and content identical during testing. That way, you’ll isolate the effect of timing alone. If you test more than one variable at once, it gets messy. You won’t know what made the difference.

Some marketers also test frequency. Should you email weekly or twice a month? That’s worth looking into, but only after you’ve nailed the best time. Too many changes too soon can lead to false conclusions.

Choosing the right variables gives you a clean test. The simpler your setup, the more reliable your results.

Step 3: Set Up an A/B Test

Here’s where it gets real. A/B testing is the most reliable way to discover your best time to send emails. It’s easy to set up and powerful when done right.

Pick one variable—say, send time. Then create two versions of the same email. Send version A at one time and version B at another. Use the same subject line, body, and call to action. You want the only difference to be the time it hits inboxes.

Make sure your sample size is large enough. If you’re only testing with 20 people, your results might not mean much. Use your email platform’s A/B test feature if available. Platforms like Mailchimp, ConvertKit, and Constant Contact make this process simple.

Give the test enough time to gather data. Don’t rush it. Let the emails sit for at least 24–48 hours. Compare open rates, click-through rates, and conversions. If one version wins, that becomes your baseline for future tests.

You can keep refining the time by doing more tests. Small adjustments can lead to noticeable gains. Over time, you’ll dial in the best timing for each segment of your list.

Step 4: Use Auto-Resend for Non-Openers

Even with great timing, some people won’t open your email the first time. That’s normal. Maybe they were busy. Maybe your email got buried under a pile of unread messages. That’s where auto-resend features help.

Most modern email marketing platforms offer auto-resend options. You can set them to send the same email to non-openers after a set period. Usually, it’s 24 to 48 hours later. Change the subject line to catch their attention. A fresh angle might make all the difference.

Use this feature strategically. You don’t want to come across as spammy. Avoid resending emails more than once per campaign. Watch the unsubscribe rate too. If it jumps after a resend, pull back a bit.

Resending to non-openers can boost your total open rate significantly. It also helps you understand when your audience is most likely to respond.

Step 5: Layer in Behavior-Based Triggers

After you master basic timing, go a level deeper. Use behavior-based triggers to automate email delivery based on user actions. This approach feels personal and often leads to higher engagement.

These triggers rely on how subscribers interact with your site, emails, or products. For example, someone who clicks a link in your last email might get a follow-up automatically. Someone who visits your pricing page could receive a special offer within hours.

Behavior-based sending works because it matches user intent. It’s not about finding a “magic” time—it’s about sending the right message when someone’s already interested.

Platforms like ActiveCampaign, Drip, and HubSpot support this kind of automation. You can set rules like “send 2 hours after link click” or “wait 1 day after cart abandonment.”

This strategy turns your emails into timely nudges instead of random blasts. And because it’s behavior-driven, it adjusts automatically to user patterns. You’ll no longer be guessing the best time—it’ll reveal itself through actions.

Step 6: Track & Adapt

Testing is only part of the equation. You need to track your results over time. Trends change. Subscriber habits shift. What works today might not work next month.

Keep an eye on key metrics—open rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate. Monitor unsubscribe rates and bounce rates too. These tell you how your timing affects overall engagement.

Most email platforms offer dashboards to track performance. Google Analytics helps with deeper insights, especially for ecommerce brands. Look for patterns. Does Tuesday always outperform Thursday? Do evening sends lead to more sales?

Be ready to adjust. Set a schedule to review your data—monthly is ideal. If open rates start slipping, retest your send times. Revisit your segments. Try sending at new hours. Stay flexible.

Also, factor in seasonal changes. During holidays or school breaks, people behave differently. Test again when audience behavior is likely to shift.

Great email marketing is never “set it and forget it.” It’s an ongoing process. Adapt as your audience changes.

Personal Experience Section

Early in my marketing days, I assumed mornings were always best for sending emails. That’s what all the guides said. But when I tested different times for a freelance client in the travel space, the results surprised me.

Emails sent at 8 p.m. had a 40% higher open rate than the 9 a.m. emails. It turns out their audience—young professionals—were reading travel content after work. That experience taught me to never rely on generic advice.

Always test for yourself.

Conclusion

Finding your best time to send emails isn’t about guesswork. It’s about observing your audience, testing smart, and adjusting regularly. Segment your list, set clear variables, and use automation wisely. Track your results and stay agile.

With these steps, your open and click-through rates will rise—and so will your overall campaign performance. The perfect send time isn’t universal. But with the right strategy, you’ll find what works for your unique audience.

Want better results? Start testing your timing this week. Your email list is already waiting.

Also Read: Email Subject Lines That Get Insane Open Rates

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