Emails Delivered vs Emails Opened

Emails Delivered and Emails Opened represent different stages in the email marketing funnel, measuring distinct aspects of campaign performance. Emails Delivered indicates the number of emails that successfully reached recipients' inboxes without bouncing, being blocked by servers, or flagged as spam. This metric reflects the technical success of your email delivery and the quality of your email list. Emails Opened, however, tracks how many recipients actually opened the delivered emails, typically measured through tracking pixels that load when an email is viewed. This metric provides insight into the effectiveness of your subject lines and sender reputation in capturing recipients' attention and interest.

When troubleshooting a declining engagement trend in your email marketing program, examine Emails Delivered first to identify potential deliverability issues. For instance, if your campaign to 10,000 subscribers shows only 8,500 emails delivered, this 85% delivery rate suggests problems with list hygiene, sender reputation, or technical configuration that need addressing before any content optimization. Conversely, focus on Emails Opened when evaluating the impact of your subject line strategy or sending time. If two identical campaigns both achieved 95% delivery rates, but one generated a 25% open rate while the other achieved only 15%, you can conclude that the first campaign's subject line or sending time resonated better with your audience. While delivery metrics help ensure your messages reach inboxes, open metrics help refine how effectively you capture attention once delivered.