Emails Sent
Unsubscribes
Opens (optional)
Industry
Diagnostic Questions — helps personalize your recommendations
How often do you send?
How were subscribers acquired?
Do you segment your list?
When did unsubscribes spike?
What Is a Good Email Unsubscribe Rate?
Industry-wide, an unsubscribe rate under 0.2% per email is considered good, and under 0.1% is excellent. However, benchmarks vary significantly by industry, list acquisition method, and sending frequency. A 0.5% unsubscribe rate on a purchased list sending daily might actually indicate your content is decent — while 0.5% on a tightly managed organic list sending weekly is a red flag that demands immediate action.
Top Reasons Subscribers Unsubscribe
- Too frequent — The #1 reason. When email frequency increases without adding proportional value, unsubscribes spike. Survey your list before increasing frequency.
- Content mismatch — The email is no longer relevant to where the subscriber is in their journey. Use segmentation and tagging to send more targeted content.
- No clear value — If subscribers can't immediately identify what they gain from opening your email, they'll stop opening — and eventually unsubscribe.
- Bad list hygiene — Old, inactive subscribers who forgot they signed up will unsubscribe when re-engaged. Regular list cleaning reduces this.
- Overly promotional — Content that's mostly selling without educating or entertaining erodes trust. Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% value, 20% promotion.