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Metrics & Analytics

Engagement Rate

A combined metric measuring how actively subscribers interact with your emails through opens, clicks, and other actions.

Definition

Engagement rate is a composite metric that measures subscriber interaction with your emails, typically combining opens, clicks, replies, forwards, and other positive actions. It provides a holistic view of how your audience responds to your content, beyond single metrics like open rate alone.

Why It Matters

ISPs use engagement signals to determine inbox placement. High engagement improves deliverability; low engagement suggests your content is not resonating and may lead to spam placement. Engagement rate helps identify content and segments that drive the strongest response.

How It Works

Engagement rate can be calculated various ways: a simple version combines open and click rates; more sophisticated approaches weight different actions and track engagement over time. Many ESPs provide engagement scoring that categorizes subscribers by activity level.

Best Practices

  • 1Track engagement trends over time, not just individual campaigns
  • 2Segment subscribers by engagement level for targeted campaigns
  • 3Focus on click-based engagement as opens become less reliable
  • 4Use engagement data to identify and re-engage inactive subscribers

Frequently Asked Questions

There is no single standard formula. Simple versions average open and click rates. More advanced methods assign weights to different actions (opens, clicks, replies, conversions) to create an engagement score. Use what your ESP provides or create a custom formula.

This varies by industry and calculation method. Focus on improving your own engagement over time rather than benchmarks. Identify highly engaged segments (engaged with last 3-6 emails) and work to grow that group.