Formula
Email Open Rate = (Emails Opened ÷ Emails Sent) × 100
Calculation Example
If 2,000 emails were sent and 400 were opened, Open Rate = (400 ÷ 2,000) × 100 = 20%
Data Source
Email marketing platforms (Mailchimp, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign)
Tracking Frequency
Weekly, Monthly
Optimal Value
Higher open rates indicate successful email subject lines and audience interest.
Minimum Acceptable Value
A low open rate suggests weak subject lines or poor email list quality.
Benchmark
Industry benchmarks: B2B ~20-30%, E-commerce ~15-25%, SaaS ~25-40%
Recommended Chart Type
Bar chart (to compare campaign performance), Line chart (to track trends)
How It Appears in Reports
Displayed in email marketing analytics to evaluate campaign effectiveness.
Why Is This KPI Important?
Indicates how many recipients find the email valuable enough to open.
Typical Problems and Limitations
Does not measure actual engagement or conversions from the email.
Actions for Poor Results
Test different subject lines, improve email segmentation, personalize email content.
Related KPIs
Email Click-Through Rate (CTR), Conversion Rate, Lead-to-Customer Ratio
Real-Life Examples
An e-commerce store increased email open rates by 35% by using personalized subject lines.
Most Common Mistakes
Focusing only on open rate without optimizing email content for conversions.
