Top 7 tips for choosing the best time to send emails in 2025

If you want your email marketing to stand out in 2025, you need to send emails when your audience is most likely to open them. Timing can make or break your results. For example, the average open rate for SaaS companies is 38.14%, while nonprofits hit 46.49%.

You can boost your email campaigns by using AI-powered tools like Mails.ai. These platforms look at data, spot trends, and help you send messages at the perfect moment. Wondering, is thursday afternoon a good time to send an email? The right answer depends on your industry, audience, and goals, so always test what works best.

Key Takeaways

• Send emails when people are most likely to check them, like in the morning from 9 to 11 AM or during lunch. This can help more people open your emails, sometimes up to 25% more.

• Use tools like Mails.ai to see when your subscribers are active and what time zone they are in. This helps your emails show up at the best time for each person.

• Try sending emails at different times using A/B testing. This helps you find the best time for your audience and makes your results better.

• Pick days in the middle of the week, like Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, to send emails. These days usually get the most opens and clicks.

• Change the time and content of your emails for different groups of people. Look at trends in your industry to help get more people interested and increase sales.

Audience Habits

Analyze Subscriber Activity

You want people to see your emails when they check their inbox. To do this, you need to learn about your audience’s daily routines. Research shows most people look at emails during breaks. This could be before work, at lunchtime, or in the evening. Almost 40% of people open emails right after waking up. Sending emails at these busy times can raise open rates by up to 25%.

Younger workers, especially under 35, check emails many times a day. They even check while eating or watching TV. If your readers are millennials or Gen Z, try sending emails early or at lunch. This might help you get more opens.

To pick the best time for your group, use analytics tools that watch subscriber activity. Here are some popular choices:

Platforms like Mails.ai go even further. They use AI to find patterns and suggest the best times to send. This can help you get more opens and clicks from your emails.

Consider Time Zones

If your subscribers live in different places, you must think about time zones. Sending an email at 9 AM in New York could mean it arrives at night in London or Sydney. When you split your list by time zone, everyone gets your email at the right hour.

This does more than stop you from waking people up. It lets you send messages about local events or special offers. Many email tools, like Mails.ai, can do this for you. You can set emails to send at the same local time for each person. This can help you get more people to read your emails and keep your brand strong.

Tip: Always try different times for each area. Even sending at 10:07 AM instead of right on the hour can make your email stand out.

Best Time to Send Emails

Morning vs. Afternoon

You might wonder if sending emails in the morning or afternoon works better. Studies show that the best time to send emails is usually between 9 and 11 AM. People often check their inboxes during mid-morning breaks. This window gives you a higher chance to catch their attention. For B2B emails, sending them around 10 AM on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday works well. Business professionals start their day by checking emails, so your message lands right when they are most focused.

For B2C emails, the best time to send emails can shift. Many people open emails during lunch breaks or even in the early evening. Some B2C brands see good results by sending emails around 1 to 2 PM, when people take a break from work or school. You can also try sending emails at odd minutes, like 10:07 AM, to stand out in a crowded inbox.

Tip: Test both morning and afternoon slots. Your audience might surprise you with when they engage most.

Industry Benchmarks

Industry benchmarks help you find the best time to send emails for your business. Here’s a quick look at what works in 2025:

• 9-11 AM is the best time of day for high email open rates.

• 3 PM UTC (which is 11 AM EST) shows strong click-through rates worldwide.

• Midweek days—Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday—are the best for email send times.

• Weekends usually have the lowest engagement.

• B2B emails do best during work hours, while B2C emails perform well during lunch and early evening.

You can use Mails.ai analytics to track your own results and adjust your email send times. Every audience is different, so keep testing to find your sweet spot.

Optimal Days for Email

Midweek Performance

You want your emails to get noticed, right? Picking the best days of the week can make a huge difference. Most experts agree that Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are the best days of the week for sending emails. These days sit right in the middle of the workweek, when people are focused and checking their inboxes often.

Recent studies show that Tuesday leads the pack for email open rates, with about 18% of emails getting opened. Wednesday and Thursday follow closely behind. If you look at the numbers, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday together account for over 85% of all email opens and nearly 95% of clicks. That’s a big deal! People tend to catch up on emails after Monday and before the weekend rush, so your message lands at just the right time.

Here’s a quick look at how the best days of the week stack up:

Is Thursday Afternoon a Good Time to Send an Email

You might wonder, is thursday afternoon a good time to send an email? The answer is yes! Many marketers see high open rates when they send emails on Thursday mornings and afternoons, especially between 9 AM and 2 PM. People are still in work mode and ready to check their inbox.

If you ask, is thursday afternoon a good time to send an email for your business, think about your audience. For B2B, Thursday afternoon works well because professionals are wrapping up their week and planning ahead. For B2C, shoppers often browse deals before the weekend. So, is thursday afternoon a good time to send an email? Data says it’s one of the best days of the week for engagement.

Try testing your own campaigns. You may find that is thursday afternoon a good time to send an email for your list, too. Remember, every audience is unique, but Thursday afternoon stands out as a top choice for high open rates.

Industry Differences

B2B vs. B2C

You might think all email marketing works the same, but that’s not true. B2B and B2C emails have different sweet spots for timing. If you send emails to businesses (B2B), you’ll see better results during work hours. Most professionals check their inboxes in the morning, right after they get to work, or just before lunch. Try sending your emails between 9 and 11 AM on weekdays. People are focused and ready to read messages that help them do their jobs.

For B2C, things look a bit different. Your audience might check emails during lunch, after work, or even late at night. Many shoppers open emails while relaxing at home or scrolling on their phones. You can test sending emails around 1 to 2 PM or even in the evening. This way, you catch people when they have time to browse and shop.

Tip: Use Mails.ai’s analytics to see when your audience opens emails most. You can compare your results to industry benchmarks and adjust your timing for better engagement.

Niche-Specific Trends

Every industry has its own habits. SaaS companies, e-commerce stores, and consulting firms all see different patterns. For example, SaaS users often check emails early in the day, while e-commerce shoppers might be more active in the evening or on weekends. Consulting clients may prefer midweek updates.

Here’s a quick table to show how timing can change by industry:

You should segment your audience and test different send times. Mails.ai makes this easy with AI-powered tools. You can run A/B tests and let the platform suggest the best times for your email marketing. This helps you reach people when they are most likely to engage.

Testing and Optimization

A/B Testing Strategies

If you want to get the best results from your email campaigns, you need to test different send times. A/B testing helps you see what works for your audience. You send the same email at two different times and compare the results. This way, you can find out when your readers are most likely to open and click.

Here’s a simple example:

When you run these tests, make sure you only change one thing at a time. Use a big enough group so your results are accurate. Wait at least 12 hours before checking which time did better. This method helps you learn what your audience likes and keeps your email timing sharp.

Tip: Keep testing new times every few months. Your audience’s habits can change, so stay flexible.

Leveraging Mails.ai Features

Mails.ai makes testing and optimizing easy. You can:

• Segment your list by time zone, so everyone gets emails at the right hour.

• Use unlimited sending and inbox rotation to keep your emails out of spam.

• Set up recurring campaigns and trigger-based sends for perfect timing.

• Track open rates, click-through rates, and conversions with advanced analytics.

• Run A/B tests to find the best send times for your audience.

• Let AI suggest send times based on past results and user behavior.

AI in Mails.ai watches how people interact with your emails. It learns and suggests better times to send, so you get more opens and clicks. This smart approach helps you keep your email campaigns fresh and effective.

Segmentation and Personalization

Segment by Behavior

To get your emails noticed, send the right message to the right people. You should group your contacts by what they do, where they live, or how often they open emails. This makes your emails feel more personal and sent at the right time.

• If you group by engagement, you can find your most and least active readers. Send special deals to people who open your emails a lot. Try to win back those who have stopped opening them.

• Grouping by location helps you send emails at the best local time. Your message arrives when people are most likely to check their inbox.

• If you use behavior, look at what people buy or what topics they like. You can send emails that match what they care about.

• You can also check if people buy more during certain seasons or how often they use your product. This helps you send offers when they are most interested.

• These ideas help you get more opens, more clicks, and more sales. You save time and get more from your email list.

Tip: Knowing more about your audience helps you send emails at the best time.

Personalize Send Times

Personalizing when you send emails makes your results better. Instead of sending every email at once, use tools like Mails.ai to pick the best time for each person. Your emails will show up when people are most likely to open them.

Mailchimp found that using smart audience groups, based on behavior and engagement, can double your money compared to sending the same email to everyone. MessageFlow updates your groups all the time, so your emails reach the right people at the right moment. Mails.ai uses AI to watch when your contacts open emails and suggests the best times for each group. You get better results without doing extra work.

Try letting Mails.ai choose your send times. You will get more opens, more clicks, and happier readers.

Seasonal and Event-Based Timing

Holidays and Special Events

Holidays and special events change when people read emails. During the holiday season, people check emails at new times. In December, sending emails at 7pm works better than 10am. This is not the same as the rest of the year. On Black Friday and Cyber Monday, people open emails most at lunch. This is usually between 11am and 1pm.

More than 44% of emails get opened on phones during holidays. On big shopping days, even more people use mobile devices. Make sure your emails look good on phones and tablets. Use special offers or fun subject lines to get noticed. Brands with dynamic content and custom messages get more opens and clicks.

Here’s a quick look at how open rates change around holidays:

Tip: Clean your email list during busy seasons. This helps your emails go to the inbox, not spam.

Adapting to Trends

You want your emails to stay interesting and useful. Trends can change quickly, especially during big events. Plan your emails with a seasonal calendar. Match your emails to holidays, industry events, or local happenings.

• Send more emails slowly as busy seasons start. Use reminders or surveys to keep people interested.

• Add festive pictures or fun things like games to get more clicks.

• Change your email schedule if your audience’s habits change. New subscribers may want more emails. Long-time customers may want fewer.

AI-powered tools like Mails.ai help you see when people open emails. These tools suggest the best times to send. You can use automation to change your timing fast. Watch your open rates, click rates, and bounce rates. If numbers drop, try a new send time or change your message.

Stay flexible and let data help you pick the best time. The right timing can help your message get noticed and get more results.

You can’t just pick one “best” time to send emails and stick with it. Your audience changes, so you need to keep testing and tweaking your timing. Many companies have found their best results by running regular A/B tests and tracking what works. With Mails.ai, you get unlimited accounts, smart warmup, built-in verification, and powerful analytics. These AI tools help you send emails at the right time, boost open rates, and grow your business.

Ready to see better results? Get started for free today!

FAQ

What is the best day to send emails in 2025?

Most people open emails on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Try sending your emails on these days for better results. You can test different days to see what works best for your audience.

Should I send emails in the morning or afternoon?

You get more opens if you send emails between 9 and 11 AM. For some groups, 1 to 2 PM works well. Test both times to find your sweet spot.

How can Mails.ai help me pick the right time?

Mails.ai uses AI to study when your contacts open emails. It suggests the best send times for each group. You save time and get better results.

Does my industry change the best time to send emails?

Yes! B2B emails work best during work hours. B2C emails do better at lunch or in the evening. Always check your own data to find the top times for your business.

Can I automate email timing with Mails.ai?

You sure can!

• Mails.ai lets you schedule emails for any time.

• You can set up automated follow-ups.

• The platform handles time zones and personalizes send times for each contact.