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Last updated: October 29, 2026
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Best Time to Send Emails (2027): How to Find the Right Time for Your List
The best time to send emails is the time your own subscribers are most likely to read and act, and it differs by audience. B2B readers often check email during working hours, consumers often read in the evening or at weekends, and time zones change everything. Instead of copying a generic "best time", test two or three send times with your list, measure clicks and conversions, and keep the winner. Many email tools also offer send-time optimization or time-zone sending.
- No single best time works for every list.
- Consider your audience's routine, industry and time zones.
- Test send times with A/B tests or alternating weeks.
- Measure clicks and conversions as well as opens.
- Consistency helps: readers learn when to expect you.
Why generic advice falls short
Published "best times" mix many industries and countries, and they change as habits change. Privacy features in some email apps also affect open tracking, so open-based studies are less reliable than they used to be. Your own data, collected over a few weeks, is a better guide.
Start with a sensible hypothesis
| Audience | Reasonable starting point to test |
|---|---|
| B2B professionals | Weekday mornings in their time zone |
| Consumers and shoppers | Evenings or weekends |
| Creators' newsletters | The time your readers usually have time to read |
| Global audiences | Send by time zone if your tool supports it |
Treat these as starting points to test, not rules.
How to test send times
- Pick two or three time slots to compare.
- Split your list randomly, or alternate time slots week by week.
- Keep the content and subject line the same within a test.
- Measure clicks, conversions and unsubscribes over several sends.
- Keep the time that performs best, then test again in a few months.
Tools that help
| Tool | Free plan | Helpful features |
|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | 250 subscribers | Scheduling and A/B testing on paid plans |
| Mailchimp | 250 contacts | Scheduling; send-time features on higher plans |
| Klaviyo | 250 active profiles | Scheduling and smart send time for stores |
| Brevo | 300 emails a day | Scheduling and A/B tests |
| Kit | Up to 10,000 subscribers | Scheduling broadcasts |
Feature availability varies by plan; check each tool's plan comparison. See best email marketing software.
Start MailerLite free → Schedule and test your campaigns · Affiliate link
Frequency matters as much as timing
How often you send affects results as much as when. Choose a rhythm you can keep, such as weekly or every two weeks, and watch unsubscribes when you change it. For automated emails, timing is set by behavior: send welcome and abandoned cart emails soon after the trigger.
What to measure
- Clicks: the clearest sign of interest.
- Conversions: purchases, bookings or sign-ups from the email.
- Unsubscribes and complaints: signs you're sending too often or at a bad time.
- Opens: useful as a rough indicator, but affected by privacy features.
Common mistakes
- Copying a "best time" from an unrelated industry.
- Changing content and time in the same test.
- Judging by one send.
- Ignoring time zones for international lists.
Terms explained
- Send-time optimization: a feature that picks a send time per subscriber.
- Time-zone sending: delivering at the same local time in each time zone.
- A/B test: sending two versions to compare results.
- Click-through rate: the share of recipients who click a link.
Three real-world examples
A B2B software newsletter
The team suspected weekday mornings would win. They alternated Tuesday 9 a.m. and Thursday 2 p.m. (subscribers' time zone) for six issues. Clicks were similar, but demo bookings were higher after the morning send, so they kept Tuesday mornings and tested Wednesday next.
An online clothing store
The store compared Thursday evening, Saturday morning and Sunday evening for its weekly offer email. Sunday evening brought the most orders, while Saturday brought the most opens. Because the goal was sales, they chose Sunday evening.
A creator's weekly essay
Readers said they read on weekend mornings. The creator kept Saturday 8 a.m. and focused on consistency, which mattered more than small timing differences.
These are illustrations of the testing method; your results will depend on your audience.
How to set up a send-time test
- Choose one campaign type, such as your weekly newsletter.
- Decide the metric that matters: clicks, purchases or bookings.
- Pick two time slots that fit your audience.
- Split your list randomly in your email tool, or alternate weeks.
- Run the test for at least four sends per slot.
- Compare results and keep the better slot.
- Retest every few months, because habits change.
Send-time features in email tools
Some tools can choose a send time for each subscriber based on past engagement, or deliver at the same local time in every time zone. These features can help larger lists, but they still need enough data to work well. For small lists, a simple manual test is often as useful.
Timing for automated emails
Automated emails follow behavior rather than a calendar. Send welcome emails immediately, abandoned cart reminders within a few hours, and post-purchase emails once the order has arrived. Avoid sending automated marketing texts or emails in the middle of the night in the customer's time zone.
Time zones and international lists
If your subscribers live in several regions, sending at one time means some read your email in the middle of the night. Use time-zone sending if your tool supports it, or segment your list by region and schedule each segment separately.
How to run a send-time test
- Pick two time slots, such as Tuesday 9 a.m. and Thursday 2 p.m.
- Split your list randomly into two equal groups.
- Send the same email to each group at its slot.
- Compare clicks rather than opens, since privacy features inflate open rates.
- Repeat the test over three or four campaigns before you decide.
Most email tools, including MailerLite, Mailchimp and Brevo, support A/B tests or send-time optimization on paid plans.
Why your own data beats general advice
General studies average millions of emails from very different audiences. A B2B audience reading at work behaves differently from parents reading in the evening or shoppers browsing at the weekend. Your email tool's reports show when your subscribers open and click, and that history is a better guide than any published chart. Start with a sensible default, such as a weekday morning in your audience's time zone, then move it based on your results.
Our verdict
The best time to send emails is the one your own tests reveal. Start with a sensible hypothesis for your audience, test two or three slots over several sends, measure clicks and conversions, and keep a consistent schedule.
How we compiled this guide
This guide reflects common email testing practice; tool information comes from official pricing pages checked October 29, 2026. See also how to write a newsletter and email deliverability.
FAQ
What is the best time to send emails?
It depends on your audience; test a few send times and keep the one with the best clicks and conversions.
What is the best day to send emails?
Test weekdays against weekends for your list; B2B and consumer audiences often differ.
Should I send emails in my subscribers' time zone?
Yes, if your list is spread across time zones and your tool supports it.
How often should I send marketing emails?
As often as you can send useful content consistently, such as weekly.
Are open rates reliable?
Less than before, because privacy features affect open tracking; use clicks and conversions too.
When should automated emails be sent?
Soon after the trigger, such as a sign-up or abandoned cart.
Does the subject line matter more than the send time?
Often, yes. A clear, relevant subject line can affect results more than a small timing change, so test one variable at a time.
Should I send at the same time every week?
Consistency helps readers expect your emails; change only when tests show a better time.
Is there a worst time to send emails?
Times when your audience is asleep or busy are usually weakest; test to confirm for your list.
Does the day of the week matter?
It can, but the effect is usually smaller than the content and subject line; test a few days and keep the best.
Sources
Official pricing pages of MailerLite, Mailchimp, Klaviyo and Kit, checked October 29, 2026; Brevo from its official page and 2026 pricing guides.