Does specific newsletter send time impact sender reputation and deliverability?

Summary

The impact of a specific newsletter send time on sender reputation and deliverability is complex and multifaceted. While some sources suggest optimal send times (Tuesdays-Thursdays, 8 AM - 11 AM), they emphasize the importance of knowing your audience, industry, and the need for testing. Several experts highlight that recipient engagement is a primary driver of sender reputation. Issues with ESPs possibly not sending at specified times due to technical issues are raised, which suggests offsetting from common intervals (:00, :30). Maintaining consistent volume is important for ISPs to identify traffic. Time zone segmentation provides optimal delivery based on recipient location. Some resources advise caution against sending at the same time everyday to avoid spam filters. More generally, sending emails only to engaged subscribers and suppressing unengaged recipients is seen as more effective than simply focusing on send time. Ultimately, the 'best' approach depends on individual circumstances.

Key findings

  • Audience First: Knowing your specific audience and their engagement patterns is critical for determining the best send time.
  • General Recommendations: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 8 AM and 11 AM are often cited as good starting points, but are not universally applicable.
  • ESP Realities: ESPs might not send emails at the exact scheduled time, introducing variability.
  • Offset for Congestion: Offsetting send times by a few minutes from common intervals (e.g., :00, :30) can reduce congestion.
  • Engagement is Paramount: High recipient engagement positively influences sender reputation and deliverability.
  • Volume Consistency: Maintaining a consistent sending volume helps ISPs establish a baseline for your traffic.
  • Time Zone Awareness: Segmenting and sending by time zone optimizes delivery for local engagement.
  • Vary Send Times: Sending at the exact same time every day could trigger spam filters.

Key considerations

  • Audience Analysis: Thoroughly analyze your email data to determine optimal send times for your specific audience.
  • Industry Context: Consider industry-specific trends and best practices, but always validate with your own data.
  • ESP Technicalities: Be mindful of potential ESP limitations and plan sending strategies accordingly.
  • Strategic Offsetting: Experiment with offsetting send times from common intervals to minimize delivery delays.
  • Engagement Focus: Prioritize strategies to improve recipient engagement with your emails.
  • Volume Monitoring: Closely monitor your sending volume and avoid sudden spikes or drops.
  • Time Zone Implementation: Implement time zone segmentation within your email marketing platform.
  • Time of Day Variation: Introduce random variation into your sending times each day to avoid being flagged as spam.
  • A/B Testing: Use A/B testing to determine ideal send times for different customer segments.

What email marketers say
15Marketer opinions

Multiple factors influence whether specific newsletter send times impact sender reputation and deliverability. Some sources suggest general optimal times (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays between 8 AM and 11 AM), but emphasize knowing your audience and industry, testing different times, and analyzing your own data. Others highlight potential ESP inaccuracies in delivering at the specified time, suggesting to avoid common intervals (e.g., :00, :30) and to offset sending times to mitigate congestion. Accounting for time zone differences and segment calculation delays can also affect actual delivery. Consistently sending emails to engaged subscribers is also important. Ultimately, there is no universally 'best' time, and the optimal send time is unique for each sender.

Key opinions

  • Optimal Days & Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 8 AM and 11 AM are often cited as ideal times, but this varies.
  • Audience Matters: Understanding your specific audience and their behavior is crucial for determining the best send time.
  • ESP Inaccuracies: ESPs may not send emails at the exact specified time due to segment calculation or system load.
  • Avoid Common Intervals: Sending emails at :00 or :30 may lead to congestion, so offsetting send times is recommended.
  • Engagement is Key: Engagement and deliverability are linked, sending only to engaged subscribers boosts sender reputation.

Key considerations

  • Audience Analysis: Analyze your own email data to identify when your audience is most active and engaged.
  • Industry Variations: Consider your industry and tailor your send times to align with typical audience behaviors within that industry.
  • ESP Limitations: Be aware of potential ESP limitations in delivering emails at the exact specified time.
  • Time Zone Optimization: Use time zone-based sending to ensure subscribers receive emails at optimal local times.
  • A/B Testing: Continuously A/B test different send times to identify what works best for your audience.
  • Engagement Based Sending: Send only to engaged users to ensure good sending reputation.
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests avoiding sending at :00 or :30 minutes, recommending instead to pick less common times like :08 or :37 for better delivery.

March 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from HubSpot shares that you should consider your target audience and industry when deciding on optimal email send times. They state that businesses in the real estate industry will have very different results than those in the tech industry, so it's up to the individual business to decide what's best for them.

January 2025 - HubSpot
Marketer view

Email marketer from Coschedule shares that the best days to send email are Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 9 AM and 11 AM, as those times tend to have higher open and click-through rates, based on their research.

May 2024 - Coschedule
Marketer view

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign shares that one of the most important factors for deliverability is sending emails at the right time for your audience. Sending emails when they are most likely to engage will improve engagement and deliverability.

October 2024 - ActiveCampaign
Marketer view

Email marketer from SmartrMail says that when considering best times to send newsletters, businesses must account for their respective industry. They highlight key times for the fashion and beauty industry, food and beverage industry and travel industry.

April 2022 - SmartrMail
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue shares that the best time to send newsletters is typically between 9 am and 11 am, but also emphasizes the importance of knowing your audience and testing different times to see what works best for them.

May 2021 - Sendinblue
Marketer view

Email marketer from OptinMonster says that that the best time to send emails to increase open rates is between 8 AM and 10 AM. They found that people are most likely to check their emails first thing in the morning.

October 2023 - OptinMonster
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains mistrusts ESPs to send emails precisely at the specified time (e.g., 6:30), noting potential variations and limitations in scheduling options.

September 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks recommends deviating from standard send times like :00, :15, :30, and :45, but cautions against simply choosing :59 to appear strategic.

May 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit states that there is no universal "best time" and depends on your audience. However, they also share that mid-week, mid-morning is a good starting point, then adjust based on analytics.

July 2022 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit suggests in a Reddit thread that analyzing your own email data to determine when your audience is most active is crucial. They state general best times may not apply universally, so personalized timing based on recipient behavior is key.

June 2021 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Campaign Monitor says that the best time to send emails is between 9 AM and 11 AM. They also recommend sending emails on Tuesdays and Thursdays to increase open rates.

June 2022 - Campaign Monitor
Marketer view

Email marketer from NeilPatel.com explains the best days to send emails are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. He also shares that the ideal times are 8:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 4:00 PM, based on studies analyzing open rates.

May 2021 - NeilPatel.com
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that the default setting of HH:MM with minutes defaulting to 00 in job picker UIs contributes to compute spikes at the top of the hour, and that changing the send time to something like 23 minutes after the hour is often the first step in performance engagements.

January 2025 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that for some ESPs, specifying a send time (e.g., 7 AM) triggers segment calculation, which delays the actual send time. This required adding a feature to pre-calculate segments for senders with strict timing requirements.

August 2022 - Email Geeks

What the experts say
7Expert opinions

Experts suggest that while send time can play a role, other factors are more critical for sender reputation and deliverability. Recipient reaction to mail (engagement), consistent sending volume, and sending only to engaged users are highlighted. Offsetting send times by a few minutes can help avoid congestion. While send time can be a minor factor in deliverability, more weight is placed on sending volume and engagement.

Key opinions

  • Reputation is Based on Recipient Reaction: Sender reputation primarily depends on how recipients interact with your mail, not solely on the time it's sent.
  • Offset Send Times: Offsetting send times by a few minutes can help avoid congestion and competition for inbox placement.
  • Consistent Volume Matters: Consistent sending volume helps ISPs identify traffic patterns and build a sender reputation.
  • Engagement is Crucial: Sending only to engaged users significantly protects sender reputation and is more effective than focusing solely on send time.
  • ISPs Drive Change: ESPs often only prioritize deliverability-related development when major ISPs demand it.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Recipient Engagement: Pay close attention to how recipients are reacting to your mail (opens, clicks, spam complaints) and adjust your sending practices accordingly.
  • Experiment with Offset Times: Try sending emails a few minutes before or after common intervals (e.g., :00, :30) to potentially improve deliverability.
  • Maintain Consistent Sending Habits: Establish and maintain a consistent sending volume to help ISPs understand your traffic patterns.
  • Implement an Engagement Strategy: Focus on building and maintaining engagement with your subscribers. Suppress or remove unengaged users from your mailing list.
  • Prioritize Content and Value: Ensure your emails provide valuable content to recipients to encourage engagement and reduce spam complaints.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares to offset send times by a few minutes (e.g., 6:23 instead of 6:30) to avoid competition for inbox placement with other senders.

March 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource says that engagement, and content are key influencers of deliverability and inbox placement. They do not directly address send time.

December 2022 - Spamresource
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that sending emails only to engaged users and suppressing unengaged ones can protect sender reputation more effectively than optimizing send time alone.

October 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that consistent sending volume, instead of sending time, is important for ISPs to identify your traffic patterns and build a reputation.

September 2024 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that sender reputation is based on how recipients react to your mail, questioning the idea that sending at 7:00 would damage reputation compared to 6:30 unless it leads to increased spam reports.

February 2025 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks notes that ESPs often only prioritize delivery-related development when major ISPs like Yahoogle demand it, suggesting that potential ISP blocking of bulk mail at :00 and :30 would quickly lead to resource allocation for addressing the issue.

September 2022 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks advises offsetting send times, even by a few minutes, to reduce congestion and delays, especially on ESPs that heavily utilize common intervals like :00, :15, :30, and :45.

February 2022 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Email deliverability is influenced by various factors beyond just the specific send time. Consistent sending from the same IP address and domain builds a positive reputation. Maintaining consistent sending volumes and avoiding spikes also improves deliverability. Segmenting audiences by time zone and sending at optimal local times enhances engagement. However, repeatedly sending emails at the exact same time can trigger spam filters. Thus, while consistency is important, some variation in send time may be beneficial.

Key findings

  • Consistent Sending Infrastructure: Using the same IP address and domain consistently builds a positive sender reputation.
  • Consistent Sending Volume: Maintaining consistent sending volumes and avoiding sudden spikes are important for deliverability.
  • Time Zone Segmentation: Segmenting audiences by time zone and sending at optimal local times improves engagement.
  • Avoid Identical Send Times: Repeatedly sending emails at the exact same time can trigger spam filters.
  • Engagement Impacts Reputation: Sending emails when recipients are likely to engage has a positive effect on your sender reputation.

Key considerations

  • Maintain Infrastructure Consistency: Ensure you are sending emails from the same IP address and domain consistently.
  • Monitor Sending Volume: Avoid sudden increases or decreases in your sending volume.
  • Implement Time Zone Segmentation: Segment your audience by time zone and schedule emails to be sent at optimal local times.
  • Vary Send Times: Avoid sending emails at the exact same time every day. Introduce some variation into your sending schedule.
  • Encourage Engagement: Focus on creating engaging content that encourages recipients to interact with your emails.
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost says that sending emails at the same time can trigger spam filters. They state that if you send at the same time everyday, spam filters will learn to block you at that time.

November 2023 - SparkPost
Technical article

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools states that consistently sending emails from the same IP address and domain can help build a positive reputation over time, which improves deliverability. They do not provide info on send time.

September 2022 - Google Postmaster Tools
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft explains maintaining consistent sending volumes and avoiding sudden spikes can help to improve deliverability. They also state that sending emails at times when recipients are most likely to engage can improve engagement metrics, positively impacting sender reputation. They do not provide info on specific send times.

September 2024 - Microsoft
Technical article

Documentation from Mailchimp suggests segmenting audiences based on time zone and sending at optimal local times to improve engagement and avoid sending emails at inconvenient hours. They mention scheduling emails based on time zones, meaning someone will get it at their local timezone at the time you specify.

October 2023 - Mailchimp