{"Status":true,"Message":"","Response":{"post":{"postuid":"c7a9e85b-df70-48f7-b253-901418bd80ec","tenantuid":"d8b744fc-2e70-4089-bb80-dd1d08f6c7b2","projectuid":"239698c5-f7eb-4574-8cc8-c6568f08b3a0","title":"Send Time Optimization","slug":"article/send-time-optimization","html":"\u003Cp\u003ESend time optimization delivers each recipient their message at the hour they are most likely to engage, rather than sending everyone at the same moment. When you schedule an email with send time optimization enabled, DailyStory looks at when each contact has actually engaged with your marketing in the past and places their message accordingly.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022how_send_time_optimization_works\u0022\u003EHow send time optimization works\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEvery night, DailyStory builds an engagement profile for each of your contacts from the last six months of activity. The profile records the hours of the day that contact tends to engage in. When you schedule an optimized email, each recipient is placed at their best available hour.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EContacts fall into one of three groups:\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EContacts with their own profile.\u003C/b\u003E A contact who has engaged at least three times in the last six months gets a profile built from their own behavior, and is placed at their personal best hour.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EContacts using your account pattern.\u003C/b\u003E A contact without enough history of their own is placed using your account\u0027s overall engagement pattern, built from everyone who does engage with your marketing.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EContacts with no signal.\u003C/b\u003E If there is nothing to go on, the contact is delivered at exactly the time you scheduled. Send time optimization only ever moves a contact when there is evidence to support it.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022what_dailystory_measures\u0022\u003EWhat DailyStory measures\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEngagement profiles are built from actions a person actually took:\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ctable border=\u00221\u0022 style=\u0022border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;\u0022\u003E\u003Cthead\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Cth\u003ESignal\u003C/th\u003E\u003Cth\u003EWhat it tells us\u003C/th\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003C/thead\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EEmail link clicks\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EThe contact opened your message and acted on it at that hour\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EText message link clicks\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EThe contact acted on an SMS at that hour\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003Ctr\u003E\u003Ctd\u003ETracked website visits\u003C/td\u003E\u003Ctd\u003EThe contact was active on your site at that hour\u003C/td\u003E\u003C/tr\u003E\u003C/table\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClicks carry more weight than website visits, because a click on a link in your message is an unambiguous response to your marketing. You can review the click activity behind these profiles using DailyStory\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/poea5ebpw2-measure-click-performance-and-track-link-conversions\u0022\u003Eclick performance and link conversion reporting\u003C/a\u003E. Website activity is attributed to a contact through the DailyStory beacon, including across multiple domains if you have configured \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/cross-domain-tracking\u0022\u003Ecross-domain tracking\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch3 id=\u0022why_email_opens_are_not_used\u0022\u003EWhy email opens are not used\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEmail opens are deliberately excluded. Apple Mail Privacy Protection and corporate security scanners automatically load tracking images within minutes of delivery, whether or not a person ever looked at the message. That means the hour of an open is frequently just the hour you sent. Training on opens would gradually push send time optimization back toward the hour you already send at, and then report that as an improvement. Clicks and website visits require a person.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022the_rules_for_when_a_message_can_be_placed\u0022\u003EThe rules for when a message can be placed\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESend time optimization operates inside firm limits so an optimized send stays predictable:\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESame day only.\u003C/b\u003E A message scheduled for Tuesday is delivered on Tuesday. Optimization never moves a recipient to the following day.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003EDaylight hours only.\u003C/b\u003E Recipients are placed between 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM in your account\u0027s time zone.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENever earlier than you scheduled.\u003C/b\u003E A message is only ever moved later within the allowed window, never before the time you chose.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cb\u003ESpread within the hour.\u003C/b\u003E Messages placed in the same hour are distributed across that hour rather than sent all at once.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the daylight window is measured against your account\u0027s time zone, it is important that your time zone is set correctly in \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/wn95tda3bk-account-settings\u0022\u003EAccount Settings\u003C/a\u003E. If no time zone is configured, DailyStory defaults to UTC, which will shift the window. See \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/kxts12m8ny-account-settings-frequently-asked-questions\u0022\u003EAccount Settings Frequently Asked Questions\u003C/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/z8le8bw866-personal-settings\u0022\u003EPersonal Settings\u003C/a\u003E for more on how time zones are applied.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf you schedule a message after the daylight window has closed for that day, no optimization is applied and every recipient is delivered at the scheduled time.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022enabling_send_time_optimization\u0022\u003EEnabling send time optimization\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESend time optimization is set per schedule, so you can use it on the sends where it matters and leave it off elsewhere. When you open the message scheduler, enable the send time optimization option before scheduling.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Col\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBuild your email and select \u003Cb\u003ESchedule\u003C/b\u003E to open the message scheduler. See \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/b6crj8sfja-scheduling-an-email\u0022\u003EScheduling an Email\u003C/a\u003E for the full walkthrough.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EChoose your segments and set the date and time you want the send to begin.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EEnable \u003Cb\u003ESend time optimization\u003C/b\u003E.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESelect \u003Cb\u003ESchedule\u003C/b\u003E.\u003C/li\u003E\u003C/ol\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExisting schedules are unaffected. Send time optimization is off by default, so any send you do not explicitly enable it on continues to deliver exactly as it always has. For more on scheduling options generally, see \u003Ca href=\u0022/article/pxypifs6h8-sending-an-email\u0022\u003ESending and Scheduling Emails\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022availability\u0022\u003EAvailability\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESend time optimization is currently available for email. Text message sends are not optimized. Because a contact\u0027s best engagement hour is observed directly rather than derived from their location, an optimized SMS could otherwise be placed outside acceptable messaging hours for that recipient, so SMS remains on its scheduled time.\u003C/p\u003E\u003Ch2 id=\u0022frequently_asked_questions\u0022\u003EFrequently asked questions\u003C/h2\u003E\u003Csection class=\u0022faq\u0022\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWhy were only some of my contacts moved?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Carticle\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnly contacts with recent engagement history can be optimized. On a large list it is normal for a minority of contacts to have their own profile, with the remainder placed using your account-wide pattern or left at the scheduled time. Contacts you have not messaged recently, and contacts who open but never click, will not have a profile.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/article\u003E\u003C/section\u003E\u003Csection class=\u0022faq\u0022\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EDoes send time optimization delay my send?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Carticle\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt can move individual recipients later in the day, within the daylight window and never past it. The send still begins at the time you scheduled, and contacts whose best hour is at or before that time are delivered right away.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/article\u003E\u003C/section\u003E\u003Csection class=\u0022faq\u0022\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EWill my whole send still complete on the scheduled day?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Carticle\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYes. Optimization is constrained to the same calendar day in your account\u0027s time zone. For general delivery timing expectations, see the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022/article/2d1npxcdxb-frequently-asked-questions\u0022\u003EEmail Frequently Asked Questions\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/article\u003E\u003C/section\u003E\u003Csection class=\u0022faq\u0022\u003E\u003Ch3\u003EHow often are engagement profiles updated?\u003C/h3\u003E\u003Carticle\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfiles are rebuilt nightly from the trailing six months of engagement, so they follow changes in your contacts\u0027 behavior over time without any action from you.\u003C/p\u003E\u003C/article\u003E\u003C/section\u003E\r\n\u003Cscript type=\u0022application/ld\u002Bjson\u0022\u003E\r\n{\r\n  \u0022@context\u0022: \u0022https://schema.org\u0022,\r\n  \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022FAQPage\u0022,\r\n  \u0022mainEntity\u0022: [\r\n{\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Question\u0022,\r\n    \u0022name\u0022: \u0022Why were only some of my contacts moved?\u0022,\r\n    \u0022acceptedAnswer\u0022: {\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Answer\u0022,\r\n    \u0022text\u0022: \u0022Only contacts with recent engagement history can be optimized. On a large list it is normal for a minority of contacts to have their own profile, with the remainder placed using your account-wide pattern or left at the scheduled time. Contacts you have not messaged recently, and contacts who open but never click, will not have a profile.\u0022\r\n    }\r\n},\r\n{\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Question\u0022,\r\n    \u0022name\u0022: \u0022Does send time optimization delay my send?\u0022,\r\n    \u0022acceptedAnswer\u0022: {\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Answer\u0022,\r\n    \u0022text\u0022: \u0022It can move individual recipients later in the day, within the daylight window and never past it. The send still begins at the time you scheduled, and contacts whose best hour is at or before that time are delivered right away.\u0022\r\n    }\r\n},\r\n{\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Question\u0022,\r\n    \u0022name\u0022: \u0022Will my whole send still complete on the scheduled day?\u0022,\r\n    \u0022acceptedAnswer\u0022: {\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Answer\u0022,\r\n    \u0022text\u0022: \u0022Yes. Optimization is constrained to the same calendar day in your account\u0027s time zone. For general delivery timing expectations, see the\u0026nbsp; Email Frequently Asked Questions .\u0022\r\n    }\r\n},\r\n{\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Question\u0022,\r\n    \u0022name\u0022: \u0022How often are engagement profiles updated?\u0022,\r\n    \u0022acceptedAnswer\u0022: {\r\n    \u0022@type\u0022: \u0022Answer\u0022,\r\n    \u0022text\u0022: \u0022Profiles are rebuilt nightly from the trailing six months of engagement, so they follow changes in your contacts\u0027 behavior over time without any action from you.\u0022\r\n    }\r\n}\r\n    ]\r\n}\r\n\u003C/script\u003E","publish_status":0,"post_type":"Article","authoruid":"3dde8c16-763a-4a2b-ae0b-1d8c50c62e3d","author":{"authoruid":"3dde8c16-763a-4a2b-ae0b-1d8c50c62e3d"},"featured_image_updating":false,"meta_description":"Send Time Optimization delivers emails at each contact\u0027s best engagement hour, boosting response by analyzing past clicks and website visits within set time limits.","display_toc":true,"has_workingcopy":false,"allow_indexing":true,"sort_order":5,"total_views":2,"date_published":"2026-09-18T19:19:09.457","date_updated":"2026-09-18T19:19:11.837","date_created":"2026-09-18T19:04:44.61"}}}