KPI · Marketing

Unsubscribe rate: formula and example.

Unsubscribe rate is the number of unsubscribes after an email campaign divided by the number of emails delivered. It shows how well your emails match what recipients want to receive. A sudden rise signals that the content, frequency or audience is off.

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Unsubscribe rate formula

Number of unsubscribes ÷ number of emails delivered × 100%

Worked example

Acme Groothandel's September newsletter was delivered to 12,000 recipients and led to 36 unsubscribes. The unsubscribe rate is 36 ÷ 12,000 × 100% = 0.3%.

Fictitious figures for Acme Groothandel, a sample wholesaler.

How to read this KPI

A lower unsubscribe rate means fewer recipients drop off. A small number of unsubscribes is normal and even healthy, as your list then consists of people who want your emails. Compare by campaign and segment, and watch for spikes after a particular topic or a higher send frequency.

Pitfalls with unsubscribe rate

Counting unsubscribes only and forgetting spam complaints, which hurt deliverability more.
Leaving out unsubscribes through other routes, such as a preference centre or an email to customer service.
Treating a low unsubscribe rate as success while many recipients simply ignore your emails.

SQL & DAX

Calculating unsubscribe rate in SQL and DAX

Two examples on a fictitious data warehouse for Acme Groothandel: a PostgreSQL query and a measure for a Power BI model. Adjust table and column names to your own model.

SQL · PostgreSQL

SELECT date_trunc('month', sent_at) AS month,
       COUNT(*) AS campaigns,
       SUM(delivered) AS delivered,
       SUM(unsubscribes) AS unsubscribes,
       ROUND(100.0 * SUM(unsubscribes) / NULLIF(SUM(delivered), 0), 2) AS unsubscribe_rate_pct
FROM email_campaigns
GROUP BY 1
ORDER BY 1;

DAX · Power BI

Unsubscribe Rate =
DIVIDE(
    SUM(EmailCampaigns[Unsubscribes]),
    SUM(EmailCampaigns[Delivered])
)

In ENABLE

Tracking this KPI in ENABLE

Plain-language questions

Ask for unsubscribe rate per month, customer or product in the SQL Explorer with AI. The AI writes the SQL, you see the query and run it yourself; the AI only receives metadata.

In your Power BI dashboard

Define the KPI as a measure in your Power BI model and show it in the portal, with "Last refreshed" next to it. Access profiles and optional row-level security decide who sees which figures.

Custom dashboards (pilot)

Add the KPI as a tile to a custom dashboard, compared with last year. The Dashboard Builder is a pilot and can be switched on per client.

Monthly targets

With the built-in Targets app you set a target for the KPI per month, so you see actuals and target side by side.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate unsubscribe rate?

Divide the number of unsubscribes after a campaign by the number of emails delivered and multiply by 100%. With 36 unsubscribes from 12,000 delivered emails, that is 0.3%. Calculate it per campaign to see which emails trigger unsubscribes.

What is the difference between unsubscribes and spam complaints?

With an unsubscribe the recipient opts out properly, while with a spam complaint they mark your email as unwanted. Spam complaints damage your reputation with email providers and therefore the delivery of all your emails. Track them separately and keep them as low as possible.

How can you reduce your unsubscribe rate?

You reduce unsubscribe rate by sending more relevant emails to better-defined groups. Let recipients choose which topics and how often they want to hear from you. Make clear at sign-up what they can expect.

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