The Best Time To Send Marketing Emails (2026)

Email timing can make or break your marketing campaigns. With over 361.6 billion emails sent daily, finding the optimal send time means the difference between inbox visibility and digital obscurity.

Does Timing Really Matter?

The Connection Between Timing and Visibility

Timing directly impacts where your email lands in the recipient's inbox. Recent emails appear at the top, maximizing initial visibility and engagement opportunities. Friday generates the highest average open rate (49.72%), closely followed by Monday (49.44%), demonstrating that strategic timing significantly affects performance.

Why Timing Alone Doesn't Guarantee Conversions

While optimal timing increases open rates, it doesn't guarantee conversions without compelling content. The highest click rates fall much later, between 8 PM and 9 PM, suggesting audiences save action-oriented emails for after-hours engagement. This disconnect between opening and clicking shows that timing must work alongside strong messaging and clear calls-to-action.

The Role of Audience Behavior

Your audience's daily routine determines when they're most receptive to marketing messages. Email open rates peak at unexpected hours, with evening sends at 8 PM achieving the highest engagement (59%). Understanding these behavior patterns allows marketers to align send times with natural engagement windows.

General Best Times to Send Marketing Emails in 2026

Best Days of the Week

Email marketers favor Thursday (closely followed by Friday and Wednesday) for sending out their campaigns. Tuesday through Thursday consistently deliver the strongest performance across industries. The middle of the week, Tuesday-Thursday, will likely be the best time to send marketing emails for high open rates.

Weekend performance varies significantly by audience type. Saturday and Sunday can outperform weekdays for consumer brands, especially when tied to promotions or lifestyle content. B2B communications typically struggle on weekends when professionals are unplugged from work-related messaging.

Best Time of Day

During most weekdays, the highest open rates fall between 8 AM and 11 AM local time, indicating a shift toward morning inbox clearing. Mid-afternoon (2 PM-4 PM) also shows strong engagement for many audiences. Our 2025 data reveals a surprising peak of open rates at 8 PM (59%), followed by 2 PM (45%) and 11 PM (40%).

The traditional 9-to-5 email schedule is evolving. Evening sends are gaining effectiveness as remote work blurs the lines between personal and professional email checking habits. The highest email open rates in 2025 are seen between 3 PM and 7 PM on weekdays, particularly 4 PM–6 PM.

B2B vs B2C Timing Differences

B2B emails: For B2B emails, the best times to send are typically during business hours. Midweek is also preferred for B2B communications. 47.9% of the B2B marketers we surveyed reported the most engagement between 9 AM and 12 PM. Professional audiences engage most with emails sent Tuesday through Thursday between 8 AM and 11 AM.

B2C emails: For B2C emails, evenings and weekends may yield better results. Consumer audiences often engage during leisure hours, making Friday afternoons and weekend mornings effective for promotional content. B2C customers often have more leisure time in the evenings and on weekends, making these periods ideal for email sends.

Global Audiences and Time Zones

Scheduling emails based on recipient local time zones ensures optimal delivery timing regardless of geographic location. Use automation to send at optimal times across regions. Monitor international campaigns for localized engagement patterns. Staggered sends prevent overwhelming your email infrastructure while maximizing local relevance.

Global campaigns require segmentation by region and automated time zone detection. Tools like Klaviyo and MailerLite offer time zone-based sending to deliver messages during peak engagement hours in each recipient's location. This approach significantly improves open rates compared to universal send times.

Why "Best Time" Isn't the Same for Everyone

Industry Differences

Different industries have characteristic email engagement rhythms. Retailers often see the best results by sending emails on Thursday mornings, while promotional emails perform well on weekends. E-commerce brands typically see weekend engagement spikes when consumers have leisure time for browsing and purchasing.

SaaS and B2B technology companies perform best during weekday business hours. Open rates for B2B emails average 15-20%, with higher click-through rates (around 3-5%). B2B marketers generally find success sending emails midweek, particularly on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Healthcare and education sectors often see higher engagement during specific professional hours.

Audience Habits and Lifestyle

Your audience's work schedule and lifestyle determine their email checking patterns. Remote workers may check email throughout the day, while traditional office workers have more predictable patterns. B2B and B2C audiences have distinct habits. B2B recipients are most active during work hours, especially mid-morning on weekdays.

Consumer behavior varies by demographics and life stage. Parents often check email during school hours or evening downtime. Professionals in different time zones create complex engagement patterns that require careful analysis and segmentation.

Purchase Intent vs Browsing Behavior

Friday and Sunday are the best for clickthrough rates, with an average of 13.58% and 13.57%, respectively. This suggests that while people browse emails throughout the week, they take action during specific periods. Understanding this distinction helps optimize campaigns for desired outcomes.

Click-through behavior often peaks during different windows than open rates. Open vs click timing differs on weekdays, except Friday: Opens peak weekday mornings (8 -11 AM), and clicks peak weekday evenings (6 - 9 PM). This timing gap requires strategic planning for conversion-focused campaigns.

How to Find Your Best Sending Time

Analyze Your Past Campaign Data

Review your historical email performance across different days and times. Review historical performance: Analyze open and click rates across various campaigns, noting days and times with peak engagement. Look for patterns in your best-performing campaigns and identify consistent engagement windows.

Email platform analytics provide detailed timing insights. Examine metrics by hour of day, day of week, and audience segment to identify optimization opportunities. Most email service providers offer built-in analytics that highlight your audience's specific engagement patterns.

Test Different Days and Time Blocks

Run A/B tests: Test multiple send windows, comparing performance for different segments. Start with research-backed time windows, then test variations to find your optimal schedule. Test one variable at a time: If you change both your subject line and send time, you won't know which caused the performance difference.

Create systematic testing schedules that compare performance across different variables. Wait 48-72 hours: It takes time for people to work through their inboxes. Don't call a winner too early. Ensure adequate sample sizes for statistically significant results before making permanent changes.

Use Send-Time Optimization Tools

Use tools like MailerLite's Smart Sending or GetResponse's Perfect Timing to automatically deliver emails when your subscribers are most likely to engage. AI-powered optimization tools analyze individual subscriber behavior to determine optimal send times. These tools continuously learn and adapt to changing engagement patterns.

Automation platforms use machine learning to identify the best send time for each recipient based on their historical engagement. Email automation can help you discern the ideal timing for your marketing emails. This personalized approach often outperforms general timing recommendations.

Segment by Time Zone

Segment by user type: Distinguish engagement patterns between, for example, free users and enterprise customers. Geographic segmentation ensures messages arrive during optimal local times rather than sender time zones. This approach requires careful list management but significantly improves engagement rates.

Time zone segmentation becomes crucial for businesses with national or international audiences. Create separate campaigns for major time zones and schedule sends to reach each segment during their peak engagement hours. This strategy maximizes visibility across diverse geographic locations.

Common Timing Mistakes to Avoid

Sending Too Early or Too Late

Extremely early morning sends (before 6 AM) often get buried under the day's incoming messages. Very early morning (before 6 AM) remains problematic, evening sends at 8 PM and even 11 PM show surprisingly strong performance. Late-night sends may catch some audiences but risk appearing unprofessional for business communications.

Timing extremes typically underperform moderate send times. Emails sent during reasonable hours have higher chances of being noticed and engaged with. Consider your brand's professional image when choosing send times, especially for B2B communications.

Ignoring Mobile Reading Habits

Mobile email usage patterns differ from desktop behavior. Target professionals during post-lunch hours when they may be more likely to browse emails. Use evening sends for casual, lifestyle, or entertainment content. Mobile users often check email during commute times, lunch breaks, and evening downtime.

Mobile-optimized timing considers when people are likely to have uninterrupted time to engage with email content. Short attention spans on mobile devices require strategic timing to capture engagement before users move to other activities. Weekend mobile usage often increases for consumer-focused content.

Over-sending During Peak Competition Hours

As we noticed in the previous section, the inbox is most crowded during the mid-to-late week. Thursday and Friday see the highest volume of campaigns sent, while Wednesday is the next closest. Sending during peak times increases competition for attention in crowded inboxes.

Consider sending during less competitive time slots to stand out. While peak times show high engagement, they also mean more competition for recipient attention. Strategic off-peak timing can sometimes deliver better results with less inbox competition.

Following Generic Advice Without Testing

However, in spite of the numerous studies conducted, there is no best time to send an email that applies to all customers. Generic timing recommendations provide starting points but rarely match specific audience behaviors. Your unique audience may have engagement patterns that differ from industry averages.

Every business has unique audience characteristics that influence optimal timing. Your audience's data holds the real answer. Relying solely on general recommendations without testing can result in missed opportunities for better performance.

The Role of Automation in Timing

Behavior-Triggered Emails

Behavior-triggered emails are sent in response to specific user actions rather than predetermined schedules. These emails achieve higher engagement rates because they're contextually relevant and timely. Identifying key triggers that initiate automated email workflows enables you to capitalize on pivotal moments in your customers' journey.

Common triggers include website visits, content downloads, cart additions, and engagement with previous emails. Whether it's sending a welcome email to new subscribers, a follow-up message after a purchase, or a gentle reminder for abandoned carts, these triggers dictate precisely when your emails are sent. Timing becomes automatic based on customer behavior rather than marketer assumptions.

Abandoned Cart Timing

Best time: Immediately for confirmations; within a few hours for abandoned cart reminders. The first abandoned cart email should be sent within 1-3 hours after cart abandonment to capture users while purchase intent remains high. Follow-up sequences typically include emails at 24 hours and 72 hours after abandonment.

Abandoned cart timing requires balance between urgency and avoiding annoyance. Sequential timing allows multiple touchpoints without overwhelming recipients. Many e-commerce platforms report that the first abandoned cart email generates the highest recovery rates when sent promptly.

Welcome Series Timing

Welcome emails achieve some of the highest open rates, jumping from the typical 15-25% to around 50%. The first welcome email should be sent immediately after signup while your brand is fresh in the subscriber's mind. Send the first welcome email immediately after signup while your brand is fresh in their mind.

Welcome series timing should follow a strategic sequence. Send a second email based on whether they've made a purchase—continue the welcome series or switch to transactional emails. The final welcome email typically sends 2-3 days after the original to ensure message delivery and encourage initial conversion.

For business owners needing professional email templates that work seamlessly with timing optimization strategies, Cherry Inbox provides expertly designed templates that maintain visual appeal across different send times and automation sequences. These templates ensure that whether your emails are sent during peak hours or optimized delivery windows, they maintain consistent brand presentation and conversion-focused design.

Conclusion

Email timing significantly impacts campaign performance, but optimal send times vary by audience, industry, and campaign goals. The most successful approach combines data-driven insights with systematic testing to identify your unique optimal timing. Rather than relying on generic recommendations, businesses should analyze their specific audience engagement patterns and use automation tools to deliver emails when individual recipients are most likely to engage.

In 2026, AI-powered send-time optimization and behavior-triggered emails are becoming standard practices for maximizing email marketing effectiveness. The key is finding the right balance between proven timing strategies and your audience's specific preferences through continuous testing and optimization.