An automation that nobody reviews can run for months while quietly underperforming, or quietly annoying people. The statistics for each automated email tell you whether it is still doing its job. This page explains which metrics matter, how to read them, and a few signals that are specific to sending in Australia. We have deliberately not quoted industry-average rates here: benchmarks vary widely by sector and list, and your own history is the most useful comparison.
The metrics that matter
Delivery and bounce rate
Before anything else, check that the emails are arriving. A rising hard-bounce rate means addresses are going stale, often because contacts changed jobs or providers. Remove hard bounces promptly, as repeated sends to invalid addresses harm your sender reputation. See hard bounces.
Open rate
Useful as a trend, not an absolute. Privacy features in some email apps automatically open emails, which inflates the number. Compare each step with its own history rather than with other businesses.
Click rate
The most reliable engagement signal. For each step in a sequence, compare clicks to see where interest drops off. Mailpro shows which links were clicked, so you can see whether readers want the product link or the how-to guide.
Conversions
If the goal is a purchase or a booking, connect Mailpro to your web analytics with Google Analytics tracking to see what happens after the click.
Unsubscribe rate
Every automated message that contains promotion must include an unsubscribe under the Spam Act 2003. A spike on one step suggests that email is too frequent, too pushy or not what the subscriber expected.
Complaints
Spam complaints damage deliverability more than unsubscribes. They usually mean people don’t recognise the sender or don’t remember signing up.
Australian signals to watch
- Performance by state. If Western Australian contacts consistently open later or less, your send time may be landing too early in AWST. Split the automation or adjust the delay.
- Seasonal dips. Engagement often changes over the summer holidays from late December to January, when many people take extended leave. Don’t over-react to a January dip.
- Unsubscribes versus suppression. Check that every opt-out is suppressed across all your systems. Several ACMA penalties, including Tabcorp’s $2.7 million-plus penalty in 2026, followed marketing sent to people who had already unsubscribed (ACMA).
- Automations that have become commercial. If someone adds a promotional block to a transactional email, it now needs consent and an unsubscribe. Review templates when statistics show new link clicks you didn’t expect.
Reading a sequence as a whole
For multi-step automations, look at the funnel rather than individual emails. How many contacts entered? How many reached the last step? Where did most unsubscribe? A welcome series in which half the clicks come from the first email and almost none from the third is telling you the third email can go. A renewal sequence where most renewals follow the final reminder suggests the earlier reminders could be shorter or fewer.
Compare cohorts too. Contacts who joined through your in-store tablet may behave differently from those who signed up online. Contacts who joined during a Click Frenzy promotion may be more price-driven than those who joined through a blog guide. Tag contacts by source when they join so you can compare later.
Turning statistics into changes
- Low opens on the first email: test the subject line and sender name.
- Good opens but low clicks: move the call to action higher and simplify the email.
- High unsubscribes on a later step: lengthen the delay or cut the step.
- Strong clicks but few conversions: the problem is likely the landing page, not the email.
Test one change at a time and give it enough sends to judge. Mailpro’s automated email statistics report each step separately, and real-time statistics show results as they arrive.
Keep the data secure
Engagement statistics are linked to individuals, so under the Privacy Act 1988 they count as personal information for businesses the Act covers. Mailpro stores them in Switzerland on private infrastructure, outside US jurisdiction.
For setup help, see how to send automated emails or the automated emails overview.