Most teams want a clear answer in terms of when to send holiday emails, but the sad truth is that there is no universal best time. Holiday behavior is just different. People travel, pause or shake up their routines, shop at odd hours, and check email in places they normally would not. Instead of chasing the perfect hour, it helps to understand how holiday timing works so you can make choices that fit your audience and avoid surprises.
This guide gives you a simple way to approach send timing without overthinking it, or driving yourself crazy.
Holiday Behavior Shifts Our Usual Patterns
During the rest of the year, subscriber behavior is fairly predictable. You can look at past campaigns and see clear patterns. Holiday weeks are not like that. People open emails early in the morning, late at night, during commutes, during travel downtime, and sometimes not at all until their weekend settles in.
During the holiday season, email marketers are better off planning for flexibility instead of precision. Holiday timing works when you expect your audience to be a little out of rhythm.
Inbox Competition Matters More Than You Think
Your audience is not seeing just your emails. They are seeing emails from every other brand, sometimes dozens within a few hours. As such, timing plays a role here. Sending right when inboxes flood can bury your message, but sending too late can drop you into a quieter window when your readers have already tuned out.
The safest approach is to look at last year’s data. The patterns from your own unique audience will be more useful than any general advice. With heavier-than-normal conversions in sight, small differences matter more during peak weeks, and historical behavior helps you choose a window that is likely to hold up.
If you want a quick refresh on structuring your post-send analysis, the earlier guide on holiday campaign review can help.
Deliverability Can Affect the Clock
Inbox providers handle holiday volume differently than they do the rest of the year. Gmail and Outlook sometimes slow down delivery or throttle messages when they see sudden spikes in sending traffic, even if your domain is normally in good shape. This means the time you hit Send might not be the time all your emails actually land.
Your reputation, sending cadence, and audience engagement all influence how quickly your emails arrive. This is normal, and it is one more reason you should pick a thoughtful window instead of relying on exact timing.
If you want a deeper look at how accessibility and rendering tie into inbox behavior, the post on inclusive holiday email practices covers those nuances well.
A Simple Approach to Choosing Your Send Window
You do not need a complex model. A few practical steps work well.
Look at your past year’s holiday data.
If you see clear engagement patterns, use those. Your own audience is the most reliable signal.
Avoid sending at the same time as your highest volume competitors.
If you know the inbox gets hammered at 6 AM, consider a nearby window instead of the same one.
Pick a time that aligns with your audience’s likely behavior.
If your subscribers lean mobile, evenings often outperform. If they lean toward work email, early afternoon may make more sense. Use what you know.
Leave room for slight delays.
Even a healthy domain can see delivery slowdowns during peak periods. Choosing a window with a bit of buffer helps.
hese steps keep you aligned with real subscriber behavior without asking you to predict every variable.
Run a Small Test if You Have Time
If your schedule allows it, send a small test to a known, engaged segment before your main send. A few hours of data is enough to show whether engagement is concentrated in one direction. You do not need elaborate tests. You just want a quick signal that helps you confirm your timing choice.
Review Results Right After the Send
After your holiday campaigns go out, take a quick look at how engagement lines up with your timing. You do not need a full deep dive yet. Just check:
• when the opens happened
• whether throttling slowed delivery
• which segment reacted fastest
• whether your peak engagement matched your expectations
The detailed analysis can happen later, but an immediate check helps you refine your timing for the next send in the sequence.
Why This Matters
Holiday timing is not about finding the “perfect hour.” It is about making smart choices with the information you have, respecting how your audience behaves during busy periods, and giving your emails the best chance to be seen.
Your subscribers are already navigating a crowded season. Thoughtful timing simply helps you meet them where they are.
If you want help spotting issues that affect when your email actually reaches inboxes, MailMoxie can check for the technical and rendering problems that often go unnoticed during the holiday rush.
If you want to tighten your workflow even further, you can create a free account or explore MailMoxie’s pricing to see what fits your team.