> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sendkit.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Metrics

> Understand your email performance with real-time analytics and reputation monitoring.

## Overview

The Metrics dashboard gives you a real-time view of your email sending performance. It tracks every email from the moment it's sent through delivery, opens, clicks, bounces, and complaints — helping you understand what's working and catch problems early.

## Filtering

You can narrow your metrics using two filters:

* **Domain** — View metrics for a specific domain or all domains combined
* **Date range** — Select a custom time period. The available range depends on your plan's data retention policy

## Email metrics

These are the six core metrics tracked for every email you send.

### Sent

The total number of emails created and dispatched through SendKit — via API, campaigns, or automations. This is the base metric used as the denominator for all rate calculations.

### Delivered

Emails that were successfully accepted by the recipient's mail server. An email counts as delivered if the receiving server confirmed receipt.

<Note>
  "Delivered" means the email reached the server, not necessarily the inbox. It could still land in spam depending on content and sender reputation.
</Note>

**Includes:** Emails that were later opened or clicked — since delivery always happens before engagement.

### Opened

Emails where the recipient opened the message. Opens are detected via a small tracking pixel embedded in the email.

<Warning>
  Open tracking must be enabled on your [domain configuration](/knowledge-base/domains#open-tracking). Many email clients block tracking pixels, so open rates are typically underreported. Use this metric as a directional signal, not an exact count.
</Warning>

**Includes:** Emails that were later clicked — since opening always happens before clicking.

### Clicked

Emails where the recipient clicked at least one link. Clicks are tracked by routing links through SendKit before redirecting to the original URL.

<Note>
  Click tracking must be enabled on your [domain configuration](/knowledge-base/domains#click-tracking).
</Note>

### Bounced

Emails that were rejected by the recipient's mail server. This typically happens when:

* The email address doesn't exist
* The recipient's mailbox is full
* The receiving server blocked the email

Bounces directly affect your [sender reputation](#reputation). A high bounce rate signals to mail providers that you're sending to invalid addresses.

### Complained

Emails where the recipient marked the message as spam. This is the most damaging metric for your reputation.

<Warning>
  Keep your complaint rate below **0.1%**. Even a small number of complaints can trigger warnings or pause your sending. Always include an easy unsubscribe option and only send to contacts who expect your emails.
</Warning>

## Rate metrics

Rates give you a percentage view of your performance, making it easier to compare across different time periods and sending volumes.

### Deliverability rate

The percentage of sent emails that were successfully delivered.

|                     |                                                                       |
| ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Formula**         | (Delivered ÷ Sent) × 100%                                             |
| **Healthy range**   | Above 95%                                                             |
| **What affects it** | Invalid addresses, blocklists, authentication issues, content filters |

A high deliverability rate means your emails are reaching recipients. If this drops, check for bounces and review your [suppression list](/knowledge-base/suppression-list).

### Bounce rate

The percentage of sent emails that bounced.

|                        |                                                    |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| **Formula**            | (Bounced ÷ Sent) × 100%                            |
| **Warning threshold**  | 5%                                                 |
| **Critical threshold** | 10%                                                |
| **What affects it**    | Invalid addresses, stale contact lists, blocklists |

<Info>
  Use [email validation](/knowledge-base/email-validation) before sending to clean your contact list and reduce bounces.
</Info>

### Complaint rate

The percentage of sent emails that were marked as spam by recipients.

|                        |                                                                                              |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Formula**            | (Complained ÷ Sent) × 100%                                                                   |
| **Warning threshold**  | 0.1%                                                                                         |
| **Critical threshold** | 0.5%                                                                                         |
| **What affects it**    | Unwanted emails, missing unsubscribe link, misleading content, sending to unengaged contacts |

This is the most important rate to monitor. Mail providers like Gmail and Outlook heavily penalize senders with high complaint rates.

## Reputation

The reputation badge in the top-right corner gives you an at-a-glance view of your sending health based on the **last 24 hours**:

| Status      | Meaning                                                                                                 |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Healthy** | Bounce rate below 5% and complaint rate below 0.1%. Everything is normal                                |
| **Warned**  | Bounce rate between 5–10% or complaint rate between 0.1–0.5%. Take action to improve                    |
| **Paused**  | Bounce rate 10% or above, or complaint rate 0.5% or above. Sending is paused to protect your reputation |

<Note>
  Reputation is only evaluated when you've sent at least 200 emails in the last 24 hours. Below that volume, the status remains **Healthy**.
</Note>

### What to do if your reputation degrades

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Warning status">
    * Review recent bounces and remove invalid addresses
    * Check if you're sending to contacts who haven't opted in
    * Make sure your unsubscribe link is visible and working
    * Consider slowing down your sending volume
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Paused status">
    * Sending is temporarily paused to protect your domain
    * Clean your contact list immediately — remove bounced and unengaged contacts
    * Review your [suppression list](/knowledge-base/suppression-list) for patterns
    * Once you've addressed the issues, your reputation will recover as your 24-hour metrics improve
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Charts

### Email activity chart

The main area chart shows daily trends for all six metrics overlaid on the same timeline. Use it to:

* Spot sudden drops in deliverability
* Identify spikes in bounces or complaints after a campaign
* See engagement trends (opens and clicks) over time

### Bounce and complaint charts

Two dedicated charts below the main chart give you a focused view of bounces and complaints separately. These are the metrics that matter most for reputation, so they get their own visualization.

## Trend indicators

Each metric card shows a percentage change comparing the **first half** of your selected period to the **second half**. For example, if you're viewing 14 days, it compares the first 7 days to the last 7.

* **Green arrow up** — Metric increased (good for sent, delivered, opened, clicked)
* **Red arrow up** — Metric increased (bad for bounced, complained)
* **Green arrow down** — Metric decreased (good for bounced, complained)
* **Red arrow down** — Metric decreased (bad for sent, delivered, opened, clicked)

## How metrics are tracked

SendKit tracks the **final state** of each email. Every email goes through a progression:

```
Sent → Delivered → Opened → Clicked
```

If an email is opened and then clicked, it counts as **clicked** (the most advanced state). This means:

* **Delivered** includes emails that were opened or clicked
* **Opened** includes emails that were clicked
* **Clicked** is the most specific engagement metric

Negative outcomes (bounced, complained, failed) are also final states — an email can only end in one state.

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why is my open rate low?">
    Many email clients (Apple Mail, Gmail) block tracking pixels by default or pre-fetch images in ways that don't count as opens. Open rates are always underreported. Focus on click rates for a more reliable engagement signal.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What's the difference between bounced and failed?">
    A bounce means the recipient's mail server rejected the email (e.g., address doesn't exist). A failure means the email couldn't be sent at all (e.g., invalid configuration, domain not verified).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How often is the dashboard updated?">
    Metrics update in real time. As new email events come in, the dashboard refreshes automatically — no need to reload the page.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why don't my numbers add up to 100%?">
    Metrics are cumulative, not exclusive. A delivered email can also be opened, and an opened email can also be clicked. Each metric includes the more advanced states.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How far back can I see metrics?">
    The available date range depends on your plan's data retention policy. Check your plan details for the exact retention period.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>