Summary
Defining a 'good' email deliverability rate is complex, primarily due to differing interpretations of what 'deliverability' truly means. While the 'delivery rate' indicates an email successfully reached the recipient's server without bouncing (ideally 97-99%), 'deliverability' or 'inbox placement' refers to the email actually landing in the subscriber's primary inbox. Most email marketing experts and platforms agree that a strong inbox placement rate is 95% or higher, with top performers consistently achieving 98-99%. However, some reports indicate that the global average for true inbox placement hovers around 80-85%, highlighting a significant gap between accepted mail and actual inbox arrival. Achieving and maintaining high deliverability is an ongoing effort, heavily influenced by factors such as sender reputation, content quality, and rigorous email list hygiene.
Key findings
- Varying Definitions: The terms 'deliverability,' 'delivery,' and 'inbox placement' are often used interchangeably, leading to confusion. 'Delivery' generally refers to emails successfully accepted by the recipient's server, while 'deliverability' or 'inbox placement' specifically refers to emails landing in the subscriber's primary inbox.
- Common Benchmarks: Many industry experts and platforms, including Mailchimp, HubSpot, and SendGrid, suggest a strong deliverability rate for inbox placement is 95% or higher, with top-performing senders frequently achieving 98% or more.
- Global Averages vs. Goals: While delivery rates (non-bounce) for healthy lists should be in the high 90s, global averages for actual inbox placement often fluctuate between 80-85%. Marketers should aim significantly higher than the average to ensure effective reach.
- No Universal Rate: There is no single, definitive 'good' deliverability rate because it varies significantly based on industry, sending practices, audience engagement, and overall sender reputation. Small, highly targeted sends might achieve 99-100% delivery, while broader campaigns will differ.
Key considerations
- Focus on Inbox Placement: True deliverability measures actual inbox placement, not just whether the receiving server accepted the email. This distinction is critical for evaluating campaign effectiveness.
- Internal Benchmarking: Rather than comparing your deliverability to broad industry averages, it is more beneficial to track and compare your performance against your own past metrics. This helps identify trends and areas for improvement unique to your sending program.
- List Health is Paramount: Achieving and sustaining high deliverability rates hinges on maintaining a clean, engaged email list. Practices like regularly removing unengaged subscribers and avoiding spam traps directly influence your sender reputation and inbox placement.
- ESP Reporting Limitations: Be aware that many Email Service Providers (ESPs) report on 'delivery rates,' which typically indicate that an email did not hard bounce. They often cannot provide comprehensive data on true inbox placement versus spam folder placement due to the complexities of recipient mail servers.
What email marketers say
15 marketer opinions
Determining a 'good' email deliverability rate involves navigating a consensus around benchmarks while acknowledging nuanced definitions. Most email marketing experts and platforms agree that a strong deliverability rate for inbox placement should be 95% or higher, with many top-performing senders consistently reaching 98-99%. Anything below this threshold, particularly below 90%, signals potential issues that demand immediate attention, as some seasoned marketers even consider rates below 96-99% to be problematic. It's crucial to distinguish between a 'delivery rate,' which signifies an email was accepted by the recipient's server, and true 'deliverability' or 'inbox placement,' meaning the email actually landed in the subscriber's primary inbox. While the former is often what ESPs report, the latter is the key metric for marketing effectiveness. Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all 'good' rate, as factors like industry, audience, and the size of the email list can cause variations. Consistent achievement of high deliverability is an ongoing effort, heavily reliant on sound sender reputation, relevant content, and diligent email list hygiene.
Key opinions
- Industry Benchmarks: A strong email deliverability rate is widely considered to be 95% or higher, with many industry experts and platforms identifying this as a healthy and effective benchmark. Top-performing senders frequently achieve rates of 98-99% or even higher for highly targeted lists.
- Definitional Clarity: There is a notable distinction between 'delivery rate' (email accepted by the server) and 'deliverability' or 'inbox placement' (email landing in the primary inbox). While some industry sources use 'deliverability' to mean merely reaching the provider, the more critical measure for marketers is actual inbox placement.
- Contextual Variation: A definitive universal 'good' deliverability rate doesn't exist because it varies significantly based on factors like industry, specific sending practices, and the nature of the recipient base. For instance, achieving 99-100% deliverability is typically more feasible with smaller, highly targeted email sends.
- Warning Thresholds: Rates falling below 95%, and especially below 90%, are generally considered indicative of significant deliverability issues that require immediate attention. For some experts, anything below 96% or 99% signals that something is wrong with the sending program.
Key considerations
- Focus on Inbox Placement: The ultimate goal for email marketers is for messages to consistently land in the recipient's primary inbox, which is distinct from merely being accepted by the receiving server. True success is measured by inbox placement, not just a non-bounce delivery.
- Internal Benchmarking: Due to the unique variables affecting each sender, comparing your deliverability rate against your own historical performance is more insightful than benchmarking against broad industry averages. This allows for identification of trends and specific areas for improvement.
- Influencing Factors: Email deliverability is directly impacted by factors such as sender reputation, the quality and relevance of your email content, and the cleanliness of your email list data. Maintaining these elements is crucial for consistent inbox success.
- ESP Reporting Limitations: It's important to understand that most Email Service Providers (ESPs) can report on a 'delivered rate,' meaning the email reached the recipient's server without bouncing. However, they generally cannot provide comprehensive data on whether the email landed in the inbox versus the spam folder, or was accepted by the ISP, due to the proprietary nature of recipient mail systems.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that a 96% deliverability rate is the lowest she tolerates, though it depends on the ESP.
18 Apr 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks indicates that for her, anything below 99% deliverability means something is wrong, often seeing 99.2-99.5%. She was told deliverability means the ability for the email to reach the provider, distinguishing it from inbox rate. She notes that different industry sources like ReturnPath and 250ok have varying definitions, with ReturnPath aligning with her view (inbox placement is separate) and 250ok seeing it as a mix. She also recalls a 2015 Return Path example where deliverability increased to 85% with an inbox placement rate of 95%, highlighting definitional nuances.
1 Feb 2023 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
3 expert opinions
While many email marketers strive for high performance, defining a universally 'good' deliverability rate requires careful understanding. Experts highlight a critical distinction: 'delivery rate' indicates an email successfully reached the recipient's server without bouncing, typically achieving 97-99% for healthy lists. In contrast, 'deliverability' or 'inbox placement' refers to the email actually appearing in the subscriber's primary inbox. This true inbox rate is more challenging, with general figures often hovering around 80-85%. Although some consider an 80-90% inbox placement rate very strong for large, permission-based senders, consistently exceeding 90% can be difficult. It is also important to note that many Email Service Providers (ESPs) often report server acceptance rather than confirmed inbox arrival. Ultimately, no single 'good' rate applies to all, as performance varies significantly by industry, sending practices, and audience engagement, underscoring the value of continuous improvement over aiming for a fixed benchmark.
Key opinions
- Delivery vs. Inbox Placement: Experts draw a clear distinction: 'delivery' means an email was accepted by the recipient's server (typically 97-99% for healthy lists), while 'inbox placement' signifies it actually landed in the primary inbox, a far more critical but often lower metric.
- Challenging Inbox Rates: While some reports indicate inbox placement rates generally hover around 80-85%, and 80-90% is considered very good for large, permission-based senders, consistently achieving over 90% inbox placement remains a significant challenge for many.
- Misconception of 'Good': The widely cited 90% 'good' deliverability rate can be misleading, as it frequently refers to server acceptance rather than the more elusive goal of actual inbox delivery.
- Context-Dependent Benchmarks: There isn't a universally applicable 'good' inbox placement rate, as optimal performance varies considerably based on the sender's specific industry, mailing practices, and the characteristics of their target audience.
Key considerations
- Prioritize Inbox Placement: For effective email marketing, the primary goal is true inbox placement, which is distinct from merely having an email accepted by the recipient's server; many reported delivery rates can be misleading.
- Emphasize Continuous Improvement: Instead of fixating on a static benchmark, focus your efforts on continually improving your inbox placement rates, as what's 'good' is highly variable and dynamic.
- Decipher ESP Reports: Understand that your Email Service Provider's reported 'delivery rate' typically signifies non-bounced mail, not guaranteed inbox arrival; actual inbox placement data is often limited or unavailable from ESPs.
- Account for Contextual Factors: Recognize that a 'good' deliverability rate is not universal; it is heavily influenced by your industry, specific sending practices, and the unique characteristics of your subscriber audience.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that "deliverability" and "delivery" are different concepts. Deliverability is the potential to get to the inbox, while delivery is the net mail that didn't bounce during the handoff. He states that deliverability rates (inbox placement) hold steady around 80-85%, whereas delivery rates should be in the high 90s (97-99%) for a healthy list. He explains that 99% of mail can be delivered, but only 80% might reach inboxes. He also suggests "Non-bounce rate" (Sent - bounced) as a more accurate term for "delivered" given the confusion.
28 May 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that the commonly cited 90% 'good' deliverability rate is often misleading, as true deliverability should measure inbox placement rather than just acceptance by the receiving server. Achieving a consistently high inbox placement rate, such as over 90%, is challenging for many senders, implying that this benchmark often refers to accepted mail rather than actual inbox delivery.
23 Nov 2021 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
6 technical articles
Achieving a robust email deliverability rate is a key goal for marketers, with industry benchmarks generally converging around a strong consensus. Most leading Email Service Providers and deliverability experts agree that an effective deliverability rate, indicating consistent inbox placement, should be 95% or higher. For top-performing email programs, rates often exceed 98%, showcasing exceptional list quality and sender reputation. While the global average deliverability rate reportedly hovers around 80-85%, successful marketers consistently aim for the high 90s to ensure their messages reach the intended recipients' inboxes. Maintaining such high rates requires diligent, ongoing efforts, including robust list hygiene, a strong sender reputation, relevant content, and authentic sending practices.
Key findings
- Common Benchmark: 95%+: Across leading Email Service Providers and deliverability experts, a deliverability rate of 95% or higher is widely considered to be a strong, good, or excellent benchmark for optimal inbox placement.
- Top Performers Exceed 98%: For senders with highly optimized programs and exceptionally clean lists, top deliverability often reaches 98% or even higher, signifying superior sender reputation and list quality.
- Global Average vs. Target: While many marketers aim for 95% or greater, the reported global average for email deliverability often falls between 80-85%, highlighting a significant gap between typical performance and successful benchmarks.
- Thresholds of Acceptable Performance: An acceptable deliverability rate generally starts above 90%, though the consensus shifts towards 95% or higher for truly effective email marketing.
Key considerations
- Maintain List Health: Achieving and sustaining high deliverability rates fundamentally relies on diligent list hygiene, including regular cleaning and removal of unengaged subscribers to enhance sender reputation.
- Manage Sender Reputation: Your sender reputation is critical; actively managing it through consistent sending practices and avoiding spam complaints directly impacts whether your emails reach the inbox rather than the spam folder.
- Content Relevance and Quality: Relevant and engaging email content not only improves subscriber engagement but also positively influences deliverability by reducing spam complaints and increasing positive interactions, signaling to ISPs that your mail is desired.
- Active Program Management: High deliverability is not a set-it-and-forget-it metric; it requires ongoing, active management of your email program, including monitoring metrics and adapting strategies to maintain optimal inbox placement.
Technical article
Documentation from Mailchimp explains that while a good deliverability rate is generally considered to be 95% or higher, top performers often achieve 98% or more, indicating a healthy sender reputation and list quality.
20 Jun 2023 - Mailchimp
Technical article
Documentation from Twilio SendGrid emphasizes that a deliverability rate consistently above 95% is considered strong, though some industries may see slightly lower or higher averages, urging senders to aim for the high 90s to ensure optimal inbox placement.
6 Sep 2023 - Twilio SendGrid
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