The email delivery rate is calculated by dividing the number of emails that have been successfully delivered to the recipients' server by the total number of emails sent, and then multiplying the result by 100 to get a percentage:
Not sure where to get the numbers for the equation? Let’s break this down into easy to follow steps:
1. Find the total number of emails sent
This is the number of emails you dispatched during a specific campaign or time period. If you don’t already know it, check your email service provider (ESP).
2. Find the total number of bounced emails
This is the number of emails that could not be delivered to the recipient's server. There are two types of bounces to count up:
- Hard Bounces: These occur when the email is permanently rejected because the email address is invalid or the domain doesn't exist.
- Soft Bounces: These happen when the email is temporarily rejected due to issues like a full inbox or a server being down.
Again, you’ll be able to see the total number of bounces for a specific campaign or time period in your ESP.
3. Calculate the number of delivered emails
Subtract the number of bounced emails (both hard and soft bounces) from the total number of emails sent. This gives you the number of emails that were actually delivered.
Delivered emails = total emails sent – total bounced emails
4. Calculate the email delivery rate
Divide the number of deliverable emails by the total number of emails sent. Then, multiply the result by 100 to get a percentage.
Email delivery rate = (delivered emails / total emails sent) x 100
An example of an email delivery rate calculation
If you sent 1,000 emails and 50 bounced (30 hard bounces and 20 soft bounces), your calculation would look like this:
Total Bounced Emails = 50
Delivered Emails = 1,000 – 50 = 950
Email Delivery Rate = (950 / 1,000) * 100 = 95%
This means 95% of your emails were successfully delivered to the recipient's email server.
Email delivery vs deliverability
It’s important to note that just because an email has been delivered to the recipients' server, that doesn’t mean that the recipient will actually see the email. Because it could end up in their spam folder!
This is where the distinction between email delivery and email deliverability is important:
- Email delivery occurs when an email is successfully transmitted to the recipient's server.
- Email deliverability is achieved when an email successfully lands in the recipient's inbox.
The email deliverability rate is a much more complete and useful metric than the email delivery rate, because it measures the percentage of people that actually are able to see your emails.
However, it’s impossible to calculate the email deliverability rate for a regular email marketing campaign, because we can’t access the recipient's email accounts to see if our emails end up in their spam folder or their inbox.
So as email marketers, generally have to make do with the email delivery rate.
However, at EmailTooltester, every 6 months, we conduct a controlled test (where we do have access to dummy email accounts), to assess the email deliverability rates of the most popular email service providers (ESPs).
This can give you some insight into the percentage of your emails that most likely end up in the recipient’s spam folder, and also help you choose the best ESP. Check out the latest EmailTooltester deliverability test results here.
You can also run your own deliverability tests using a specialized service – we review some of the best email deliverability tools here.
Why calculating your email delivery rate is important!
Calculating your email delivery rate is an essential aspect of understanding the effectiveness of your email marketing strategy.
The delivery rate gives you insight into how many of your emails are successfully reaching the server of your intended recipients, as opposed to hard or soft bouncing (for the reasons discussed above).
It's important to aim for as high a delivery rate as possible to ensure your email marketing campaigns are effective. Improving your delivery rate can involve practices like maintaining a clean email list, properly segmenting your audience, and adhering to email sending best practices.
Key factors affecting email delivery and deliverability rates
Here are five key factors that can affect the delivery and deliverability rates of your email campaigns:
- Sender Reputation: Your sender reputation, determined by your domain and IP address, plays a crucial role in email delivery. A good sender reputation means your emails are more likely to avoid spam filters and reach the intended inboxes.
- Content Quality: The content of your emails, including subject lines and message bodies, significantly impacts delivery rates. High-quality, relevant content is less likely to be flagged by spam filters.
- Email List Quality: The quality of your email lists, including the validity of email addresses and the engagement level of subscribers, affects delivery rates. Maintaining clean, updated lists reduces bounce rates, keeps emails out of spam traps and improves inbox placement.
- Engagement Metrics: Metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates provide valuable insights into how subscribers interact with your emails. High engagement levels indicate that your emails are well-received and valued.
- Technical Factors: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), IP address reputation, and consistent sending practices influence email delivery. Internet service providers (ISPs) consider these technical factors when determining email placement.
Analyzing email delivery and deliverability rates
There are also several other email marketing kpis that can help you analyze your delivery and deliverability rates:
- Open Rate: The percentage of recipients who open your email. High open rates indicate compelling subject lines and relevant content.
- Bounce Rate: The percentage of emails that couldn’t be delivered. A low bounce rate suggests a clean and valid email list.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of recipients who click on links within your email. High CTR indicates engaging content.
- Inbox Placement Rate: The percentage of emails that reach the inbox. This metric is crucial for assessing overall deliverability.
Improving email delivery and deliverability rates
While we have a whole article on the best practices to maximize your email deliverability, as a summary, here are some practical ways to enhance your email delivery and deliverability rates:
- Build and Maintain a Clean Email List: Regularly update your email lists to remove invalid addresses and inactive subscribers. This reduces bounce rates and improves engagement.
- Craft High-Quality Content: Create relevant and valuable content with compelling subject lines. Avoid spammy words and ensure your messages are clear and concise.
- Monitor Sender Reputation: Use tools to track your sender reputation and address any issues promptly. A good sender reputation is key to high delivery rates.
- Implement Email Authentication: Ensure your emails are authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. This increases trust with ISPs and improves inbox placement.
- Analyze Engagement Metrics: Use email marketing platforms to benchmark and monitor open rates, CTR, and other engagement metrics. This provides insights into what works and what doesn’t, allowing for data-driven improvements.
- Stay Updated on Best Practices: Keep abreast of the latest email marketing trends and best practices. Regular updates ensure your strategies remain effective.
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This article has been written and researched following our EmailTooltester methodology.
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