How to think about send time
Send time is a tuning lever, not a magic switch. Your subject line and sender reputation decide far more about whether an email is opened. But landing near the top of the inbox at the moment your audience actually checks email gives you a real lift at the margin — and it costs nothing to get right.
The defaults that travel well
- Business audiences: Tuesday to Thursday, mid-morning (around 9–11am local). Avoid Monday's backlog and Friday's wind-down.
- Consumers: evenings (around 7–9pm) and weekends often beat the working day, especially for retail and lifestyle.
- Newsletters: pick one slot and keep it. Consistency trains your audience to expect you.
- Always send in the recipient's local time, not yours — a 10am send from London lands at 2am in Los Angeles.
Use the recommendation above as a strong starting point, then let your own open-time data refine it over a few sends.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best day to send?
Tuesday to Thursday for most audiences; evenings and weekends can win for consumers. Confirm with your own data.
What's the best time of day?
Mid-morning (9–11am local) for business; 7–9pm for many consumer sends. Use the audience's time zone.
Does send time really affect opens?
Yes, at the margin — less than subject line and reputation. Treat it as a tuning lever.
Got the timing? Nail the subject line next, then run the pre-send checker.