| Metric | What it tells you | What to do about it |
|---|---|---|
| Sent | How many emails went out | Just your audience size for this send — no action needed. |
| Opens | How many recipients opened the email | If this is lower than your usual sends, try a clearer, more specific subject line, or send at a different day/time. |
| Clicks | How many recipients clicked a link inside the email | If people are opening but not clicking, make sure you have one obvious button or link telling people what to do next (e.g., "Enter Now," "Read More"). |
| Bounces | How many emails couldn't be delivered (bad address or full inbox) | A few on every send is normal. If bounces are unusually high, your list likely has outdated or mistyped addresses — talk to your Account Manager about cleaning it up before your next send. |
| Unsubscribes | How many recipients opted out after this send | A handful after every send is normal. A noticeable jump usually means the content didn't match what people signed up for, or you're emailing too often. |
| Complaints | How many recipients marked the email as spam | This is the one to watch most closely. Even a small number matters — spam complaints can hurt your ability to reach everyone on your list, not just the person who complained. If you see more than a couple, contact your Account Manager right away. |
Every list and audience is different, so your own past campaigns are still the best comparison — watch for trends, not one-off numbers. That said, here are rough, general ranges to sanity-check against (not a guarantee, just a gut check):
| Metric | Generally healthy | Worth a second look |
|---|---|---|
| Opens | 20–40% of recipients | Under 15%, especially if it's dropped from your usual |
| Clicks | 2–5% of recipients | Under 1%, if opens look normal but clicks don't follow |
| Bounces | Under 2% | Over 5% on a single send |
| Complaints | Under 0.1% (about 1 in 1,000) | Any noticeable spike, even a few in a row |
If a send falls outside the "worth a second look" range, that's not an emergency by itself — but it's a good reason to check in with your Account Manager, especially if it happens more than once in a row. A sudden spike in bounces or complaints specifically is more urgent than a slow slide in opens, since it can affect your account's ability to send at all.
Right after sending, expect a spike in opens and clicks within the first 24–48 hours, tapering off after that. This is normal and doesn't mean later opens "don't count" — some recipients simply read email on a delay.