Short answer: There is no single best time to send email marketing that works for every business. For most UK businesses, a sensible starting point is a weekday morning, between about 9am and 11am, from Tuesday to Thursday for business customers. For consumers, also try early evening and weekends. Then test two or three times with your own list, because the best time is simply when your subscribers are most likely to read and act.
Many guides give one “perfect” time, but they are based on other people’s lists, often in other countries. Your customers’ routines are what matter. This guide gives you sensible UK starting points, explains the thinking behind them and shows you how to find your own best time.
Why email timing matters
Most people’s inboxes fill up through the day. An email that arrives when someone is ready to read it has a better chance of being opened, read and acted on. One that arrives when they are busy may be pushed down the inbox and forgotten.
Timing matters less than what you send. A useful email with a clear subject line will do better at an average time than a weak email at the “perfect” time. But once your content is good, timing is an easy thing to improve.
Best days and times to start testing
The table below gives starting points, not proven best times. They are based on typical UK working and home routines. Use them to choose what to test first.
| Day | B2B (emails to businesses) | B2C (emails to consumers) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Late morning or after lunch | Evening | Many people clear weekend emails first thing on Monday |
| Tuesday | 9am to 11am | Morning or evening | The working week is under way and inboxes are calmer |
| Wednesday | 9am to 11am, or 1pm to 3pm | Lunchtime or evening | Steady midweek day for both audiences |
| Thursday | 9am to 11am, or 1pm to 3pm | Evening | Good for offers people may act on before the weekend |
| Friday | Morning only | Morning or lunchtime | Business readers often wind down in the afternoon |
| Saturday | Avoid, unless your customers work weekends | Morning | Consumers have more free time to browse and shop |
| Sunday | Avoid | Late afternoon or evening | Some people plan their week and their shopping on Sunday |
A simple first test: send your next email on Tuesday at 10am to half your list and on Thursday at 2pm to the other half. If you email consumers, test a weekday evening against a Saturday morning as well.
B2B vs B2C email timing
Sending to businesses (B2B)
Business readers mostly check email during working hours. Mid-morning, once urgent jobs are done, and early afternoon, after lunch, tend to be sensible times to test. Avoid early Monday morning, when inboxes are full, and Friday afternoon, when many people are finishing for the week.
If your customers are trades, farmers, shift workers or shop owners, their “working day” may be different. A builder may read email at 7am before going on site or in the evening after work. Think about your real customers, not an office worker in general.
Sending to consumers (B2C)
Consumers read personal email in their own time: before work, at lunch, in the evening and at weekends, often on their phone. Evenings and weekends can work well for shopping, leisure and home services, because people have time to browse.
When to send different types of email
| Type of email | When to send | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome email | Straight away, when someone signs up | People expect it at once, while they still remember signing up |
| Order and booking confirmations | Straight away | These are service emails, not marketing, and people expect them at once |
| Newsletter | The same day and time each week or month | A regular slot helps subscribers expect and look for it |
| Sale or offer | A few days before the offer ends, plus a reminder | Give people time to act, then a final nudge |
| Event invitation | Two to four weeks before, plus a reminder the week before | People need time to plan |
| Reminder or follow-up | Based on the person’s last action | For example, the day after someone downloads a guide |
Our guide to email marketing campaigns that convert explains each of these campaign types in more detail.
How to find your own best time to send
Step 1: Choose one thing to test
Test the send time only. Keep the subject line, content and audience the same, so you know the time made the difference.
Step 2: Split your list fairly
Most email platforms can split your list at random. Send the same email to each group at a different time.
Step 3: Measure clicks and results, not just opens
Open rates used to be the main measure. They are now less reliable, because some email apps load emails automatically. For example, Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection can make emails look opened when the person has not read them. Clicks, replies, bookings and sales are better signs that someone actually read your email.
Step 4: Repeat the test
One test can be affected by the weather, the news or a bank holiday. Run the same test over several sends before you decide.
Step 5: Use send-time tools if your platform has them
Some email platforms can send to each subscriber at the time they usually open emails. If you have a large list, this is worth trying against a fixed time.
Step 6: Review every few months
Routines change with the seasons, school holidays and working patterns. Check your results again every few months.
Timing is only half the job
Even a perfectly timed email will be ignored if the inbox view does not give people a reason to open it. Before you worry about the hour, check the three things people see first.
- Sender name. Use a name people recognize, such as your business name, or a person’s name plus the business (“Sarah at Smith Plumbing”). Keep it the same every time.
- Subject line. Say clearly what is inside and why it matters to the reader, for example “Your boiler service is due: book before the winter rush”. Keep it short, because phone screens cut long subject lines off. Avoid all capitals and lots of exclamation marks.
- Preview text. This is the short line that appears after the subject line in most inboxes. If you do not set it, many email apps show the first words of your email instead, such as “View this email in your browser”. Use it to add a second reason to open.
Then make the email itself easy to act on:
- Put the most important message and one clear button near the top.
- Write for a phone screen first: short paragraphs, large text and buttons that are easy to tap.
- Make sure the page the email links to matches the offer.
When you test send times, keep these parts the same in both versions. Then, once you have found a good time, test subject lines in the same way.
UK points to remember
- The clocks change twice a year. Check that your email platform is set to UK time, so a 10am send does not arrive at 9am or 11am after the clocks change.
- Bank holidays change routines. A Monday bank holiday makes Tuesday behave more like a Monday.
- School holidays matter if you email parents or families.
- Sending abroad? If some customers are in other countries, send at a time that suits their time zone, or split your list.
Follow the rules on marketing emails
The best timing in the world will not help if an email breaks the law. In the UK, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) control marketing emails. In general, you need someone’s consent to send marketing emails to individuals. There is a limited exception, known as the “soft opt-in”, for your own existing customers about similar products, as long as you gave them a chance to opt out. Every email must also offer an easy way to unsubscribe.
The Information Commissioner’s Office explains the rules in its guide to electronic mail marketing.
If you are starting from zero, our guide to building an email list from scratch explains how to get sign-ups the right way.
Common email timing mistakes
- Copying a “best time” from a study without testing it on your own list.
- Changing the time, subject line and content at once, so you cannot tell what worked.
- Judging by open rates alone.
- Sending at random times, so subscribers never know when to expect you.
- Forgetting bank holidays and the clock change.
- Sending late at night, when an email may be buried by the morning.
Getting help with email marketing
Email is one of the most cost-effective ways to stay in touch with customers. To learn why, read why your business needs email marketing and whether email marketing still works. If you would like help planning, writing and testing your emails, our digital marketing team in Essex can help.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to send a marketing email in the UK?
There is no single best time for every list. A good starting point for business audiences is Tuesday to Thursday between 9am and 11am. For consumers, also test weekday evenings and weekend mornings. Then compare clicks and sales from each time on your own list.
What is the best day to send a newsletter?
Midweek, Tuesday to Thursday, is a sensible starting point for most newsletters. More important than the day is sending on the same day and at the same time each week or month, so readers learn when to expect it.
Should I send marketing emails at the weekend?
For business audiences, usually not, unless your customers work weekends. For consumers, weekends can work well for shopping, leisure and home services, because people have more time to browse. Test a Saturday or Sunday send against a weekday before deciding.
How often should I test my email send times?
Run a few tests when you start, then check again every few months or when your results change. Routines shift with the seasons, school holidays and working patterns, so the best time can change.
