Open rate is a key metric in email performance, representing the percentage of recipients who open an email out of the total delivered. While modern privacy updates (like Apple Mail Privacy Protection) have made open rates less precise, they still provide directional insight into the effectiveness of your email’s first impression.

3 Elements That Influences Open Rates

Think of these elements as the outside of an unopened envelope, all three deliver a brand impression and tempt the reader to open it.

See the Subject Line and Preview Text sections for more information on how to optimize these elements to boost open rates.

Subject Line

The subject line is the first thing recipients see and heavily influences open behavior. It sets expectations and creates curiosity.

Do This

Keep it short (35-50 characters) and clear
Lead with value or urgency (e.g., “Your flight info - updated times”)
Personalize when possible (e.g., “Hey Alex, your invoice is ready”)
Avoid spammy words (e.g., “Free!!!” or “Act now!”)
A/B test variations to learn what works for your audience

Sender or ‘From’ Name

The sender name tells recipients who the email is from. Recognition and trust in this name can determine whether the email is opened—or ignored.

Do This

Use a consistent and recognizable name (e.g., “Acme Customer Support”)
Humanize it when appropriate (e.g., “Sarah from Acme”)
Avoid generic or no-reply addresses
Match the sender name to the email’s purpose (marketing, support, updates, etc.)