Email Open Rate Calculator
Please check your inputs. Bounced and Opened emails cannot exceed Sent emails.
Your Email Open Rate
0.00%
Delivered Emails: 0
Bounce Rate: 0.00%
How to Calculate Email Open Rate
Understanding the performance of your email marketing campaigns is crucial for improving engagement and ROI. The Email Open Rate is one of the primary KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) used to measure the effectiveness of your subject lines and sender reputation.
The Email Open Rate Formula
Contrary to popular belief, the open rate is not simply the number of opens divided by the total number of emails sent. To get an accurate percentage, you must first subtract the "bounced" emails (emails that could not be delivered) from the total sent. This gives you the number of successfully delivered emails.
Open Rate = (Emails Opened / (Emails Sent – Bounced Emails)) × 100
Variables defined:
- Total Emails Sent: The total count of contacts in the segment you attempted to mail.
- Bounced Emails: Messages returned by the recipient's mail server (soft bounces or hard bounces) indicating the email was not delivered.
- Emails Opened: The number of recipients who opened your email. Most platforms track this by loading a tiny invisible pixel image when the email is viewed.
Example Calculation
Let's say you sent a monthly newsletter to 5,000 subscribers.
- The report shows that 100 emails bounced (invalid addresses or full inboxes).
- You received 1,200 opens.
First, calculate the delivered emails: 5,000 – 100 = 4,900 delivered.
Next, divide opens by delivered: 1,200 / 4,900 = 0.2448.
Finally, multiply by 100 to get the percentage: 24.48% Open Rate.
What is a Good Email Open Rate?
Open rates vary significantly by industry, but generally, a "healthy" open rate falls between 17% and 28%. Factors influencing this include:
- Industry: Niche hobbies often have higher rates than general retail.
- Audience Relationship: Warm leads open more often than cold lists.
- Subject Lines: Compelling, personalized subject lines drive higher opens.
How to Improve Your Open Rate
If your calculator result is lower than industry standards, consider these optimization strategies:
- Scrub Your List: Remove inactive subscribers to lower your denominator and improve deliverability.
- A/B Test Subject Lines: Test questions vs. statements, or emojis vs. plain text.
- Segment Your Audience: Send targeted content to specific groups rather than blasting the same message to everyone.
- Optimize Preheader Text: Use the preview text snippet to support your subject line.