Timing email sends for maximum engagement can greatly improve your results. While there’s no one-size- fits-all answer (audience habits and time zones vary), industry data and studies provide useful benchmarks. In general, mid-week days and mid-morning hours tend to perform well, especially in B2B contexts, while evenings and weekends work better for B2C audiences . Below is a synthesis of recent findings for
2025
Weekdays (Tuesday–Thursday) at Mid-Morning: Multiple sources agree that Tuesdays through Thursdays, between about 9 AM and 11 AM (recipient’s local time) , often yield high open and click rates . Salesforce reports that B2B professionals engage most on weekdays, especially Tuesday–Thursday at 9–11 AM, because Monday is for catching up and Friday is wrapping up .
If your audience is office workers, aim for mid-morning so your email arrives when they are settled at Lunch Hour (Around Noon): Another sweet spot is around 12–1 PM , when many people check email over lunch . One data set found an open rate peak around 1–2 PM during weekdays . If your test data shows lunch breaks working for your list, consider scheduling just before or during that time.
Late Afternoon (3–7 PM): MailerLite’s analysis of 2024-2025 campaign data showed that 3 PM–7 PM on weekdays had the highest open counts . This suggests that a second bump of engagement happens later in the day, perhaps as people finish work or commute home and check personal devices. If your audience tends to engage late, test sends in the mid-late afternoon. Friday Afternoons (B2C): In consumer-facing email, Friday afternoon can be effective.
Salesforce notes that Friday afternoons capture B2C customers planning their weekend activities . People often spend time browsing on Friday after work, and Friday emails may hit inboxes when subscribers are in a shopping mood for weekend plans. Weekend Mornings: Surprisingly, weekends can perform well if used judiciously. MailerLite found Sunday had very high open rates (though with smaller send volumes) . Likewise, Moosend notes that on weekends, 9 AM on Saturday/Sunday sees elevated opens .
If your product or content is weekend-centric (leisure, hobbies), try sending mid-morning on Saturday or Sunday. However , since fewer send campaigns occur then, results can vary – always A/B test against weekday sends. Industry Variances: The “best” day/time can differ by industry. For example, healthcare or finance might skew different due to work patterns. The Salesforce guide emphasizes tailoring to your field: leisure industries can even see success on weekends .
It’s wise to consult your own industry benchmarks. Many email platforms provide reports by industry (e.g., Mailchimp bench-marking). Avoid Busy or Dead Times: Generally, avoid Mondays (too many unread emails from weekend) and Friday evenings for B2B (people checking out), and avoid late nights (after 8 PM) for business emails67
. In fact, multiple analyses conclude the worst send times are after work hours and overnight . HubSpot and WordStream found 6 PM–5 AM to have the lowest engagement . Very early mornings (before 8 AM) and dinnertime also tend to underperform. Most recipients ignore email after hours or while focusing on personal time. Personalization by Recipient: If your list spans time zones, consider tools that send at the recipient’s local time .
For example, schedule your send so that it arrives at 10 AM local time for each subscriber . This maximizes relevance. Many email platforms support time zone-based scheduling. In 2025, automation and AI can optimize this: software can learn which times each user usually opens and adjust sends accordingly . Frequency Considerations: How often you send affects timing strategy. If you send weekly, consistency in day and time builds anticipation. If more often, rotate timing to avoid fatigue.
Also, survey or ask subscribers if they prefer certain times (Klaviyo suggests user feedback as a tactic ). Putting It Into Practice Start with general benchmarks as a starting point: - B2B: Try mid-morning (9–11AM) on Tue/Thu. - B2C: Try mid-afternoon (3–5PM) on Tue/Thu/Fri, plus a test on Saturday 9AM. - For “newsletter” style emails: mid- morning Tuesday or Thursday is often cited as safe. Then, analyze your own data. Check past campaigns: when did you get the highest open or click rates?
Do A/B tests with small segments to compare, say, Tuesday 10AM vs. Thursday 10AM. Use heatmaps or analytics to see email activity spikes. Tools like Klaviyo and Mailchimp offer send-time optimization features. They’ll automatically analyze subscriber activity patterns and send each message at an individualized optimal time. Finally, remember the content matters most . A perfectly timed email won’t save dull copy. So ensure your subject lines and offers are compelling.
Time-of-day optimization should complement, not replace, strong content. Key Point: While results vary, many studies agree that sending mid-week, mid-morning drives strong B2B engagement , and late afternoons or weekends can work for B2C audiences . In all cases, use data and testing to tailor timing to your unique audience.