The data is clear: sending cold emails at the wrong time can cut your response rate by half. Here are the exact time slots that work.
The data is clear: sending cold emails at the wrong time can cut your response rate by half. Here are the exact time slots that work.
February 2026 | Data from 8M+ cold email campaigns
Photo: Unsplash
Response rates by send time
| Send Time | Open Rate | Response Rate | Booked Call Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 AM - 7:00 AM | 31% | 2.8% | 0.6% |
| 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM | 38% | 3.4% | 0.8% |
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | 52% | 5.1% | 1.2% |
| 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM | 48% | 4.6% | 1.1% |
| 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | 45% | 4.2% | 1.0% |
| 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | 44% | 4.1% | 0.9% |
| 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | 35% | 3.2% | 0.7% |
| 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM | 38% | 3.5% | 0.8% |
| 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM | 42% | 3.9% | 0.9% |
| 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM | 40% | 3.7% | 0.8% |
| 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM | 36% | 3.3% | 0.7% |
| 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM | 29% | 2.6% | 0.5% |
| After 6:00 PM | 22% | 1.9% | 0.4% |
Best days to send
| Day | Response Rate | Booked Call Rate | Unsubscribe Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 3.6% | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Tuesday | 4.9% | 1.2% | 0.3% |
| Wednesday | 4.6% | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Thursday | 4.3% | 1.0% | 0.4% |
| Friday | 3.2% | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Saturday | 1.8% | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Sunday | 1.4% | 0.3% | 0.2% |
The sweet spot: Tuesday 8-9 AM
Combining the best day with the best time:
- Open rate: 52%
- Response rate: 5.1%
- Booked call rate: 1.2%
This is 2.5x better than sending on Friday afternoon.
Time zone targeting
| Approach | Response Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Send by recipient time zone | 5.2% | Best results |
| Send by sender time zone | 3.8% | 2 hours off optimal |
| Send batch at 9 AM EST | 4.1% | Compromise approach |
Key takeaways
- Tuesday 8-9 AM is peak performance - People are checking email before meetings
- Avoid Friday and weekends - Response rates drop 50%+
- Use recipient time zones - 35% improvement over sender time
- Don't send after 5 PM - Late afternoon/evening emails get buried
- Lunch time (12-1 PM) is dead zone - People are away from desks
Want leads segmented by optimal contact times?
Get custom lead lists - We'll build lists with time zone data included.
Browse all B2B lead categories
Data from 8M+ cold email campaigns, January 2025 - January 2026.
0 Comments