Optimal send time prediction

Optimal send time prediction calculates the best hour to reach each customer. The time is based on their past campaign engagement, so every message lands when they're most likely to interact.

Prerequisites

This feature is available in tiers.

• The scenario wait node and campaign schedule are included with all packages.
• The optimal send time prediction template requires the Audience predictions templates module.
• The channel selector requires the Channel specific optimal send time module.

If you're unsure which modules you have, contact your CSM.

How optimal send time prediction works

Optimal send time prediction relies on historical campaign event data — there's no minimum number of campaigns required, but accuracy improves with every campaign. A single interaction already influences the prediction: a click at 8 AM sets 8 AM as that customer's ideal send time, and the model continues to refine this as more data comes in.

For each customer, the model looks for clicked events on the selected channel first. If none exist, it falls back to session_start events, then to clicked events across any channel. For All channels, any clicked events are used first, then session_start. For Other, the model uses the custom event you specify.

📘

For configuration in scenarios using the Wait node or in campaigns using the Schedule setting, see Optimal send time in scenarios and campaigns.

Optimal send time prediction workflow

1. Go to Analyses > Predictions, click + New prediction, and select Optimal send time.

2. Select the channel to optimize send time for. Select from the following options:

   • Email
   • SMS/MMS/RCS
   • All channels: Used to set universal send time.
   • Other: Used for custom channels, for which you specify the event and filter. For example, any campaign_open where channel = WhatsApp.

3. Set the default send time. This serves as a fallback for customers without a calculated optimal send time. 0 represents midnight. Optimal send time prediction is always calculated in UTC-0. The timezone defined in user settings doesn't affect it.

   

4. If the prediction is part of an initiative, mark it as a global object to display it in the customer profile. Click the Initiative icon next to the prediction name and check the Global object box.

   

5. Click Save, then Start to launch the calculation.

The calculation typically takes only a few seconds. The Results tab won't be populated for this prediction type. To review results, check the optimal send time value on any customer's profile, or create a report to view optimal send times across your audience.

Use the optimal send time property

The optimal send time attribute can be used across:

• Segmentations — Filter customers by optimal send time to build time-of-day audiences, for example evening-only email campaigns.
• Scenarios — Use a wait node to hold each customer until their optimal send time before triggering the next message.
• Reports — Compare open and click rates across send time buckets to validate whether timing improves engagement.

Optimal send time in scenarios and campaigns

To apply optimal send time within a scenario or campaign — so each message sends automatically at each customer's predicted optimal hour — see Optimal send time in scenarios and campaigns.

Related articles

Optimal send time in scenarios and campaigns: Learn how to use optimal send time predictions in scenarios and campaigns.

Prediction use cases: Explore real-world examples of how predictions can personalize customer experiences and drive engagement.