How to Vet a Newsletter Open Rate Before You Buy an Ad

Litmus says over 50% of email opens now happen on a device with Apple's Mail Privacy Protection turned on¹. Apple says the feature prevents senders from seeing if you've opened their email². So the open rate in a newsletter's media kit can count people who never read the issue. If you pay per open, or judge a newsletter by its open rate, you need to check more than one number.

This guide covers what a good newsletter open rate looks like in 2026, why opens are inflated, which numbers to ask for instead, the red flags in a media kit and a checklist you can use before you pay for any newsletter ad.

Facts and prices checked November 11, 2026. See something wrong? Tell us.

Key takeaways

• beehiiv's newsletters averaged a 41.24% open rate in 2025, up from 37.98% in 2024, and beehiiv calls 40% to 42% a strong benchmark for 2026.
• Litmus says over 50% of email opens happen on devices with Apple Mail Privacy Protection, which inflates reported opens and hides open times and location.
• beehiiv's average click-through rate fell from 4.74% in 2024 to 3.23% in 2025 even as opens rose, so clicks are the better number to ask for.
• Security scanners can follow links in an email and be logged as opens or clicks, so ask for unique, filtered sponsor clicks.
• The safest test is a cheap classified with its own tracked link, judged by your own cost per click and cost per signup.

What a good newsletter open rate looks like in 2026

A newsletter open rate is the share of delivered emails that were recorded as opened. It's the first number most writers share, and the easiest to misread.

The averages

• beehiiv's 2025 average was 41.24%, up from 37.98% in 2024³. beehiiv calls 40% to 42% a strong benchmark for 2026³.
• Niche newsletters often beat that. beehiiv says top categories like podcasts, history and parenting beat the average by 10 to 30 percentage points³.
• Entertainment topics such as film, humor and sports ran 45% to 53%³.
• Local newsletters often enjoy open rates well above 50%, beehiiv says³.

Real newsletters vary a lot

Even inside one publisher, open rates run from 32% to 47%⁴. So there's no single good number. Compare a newsletter with others in its topic and size, and treat any open rate as a rough signal, not a fact.

Why opens are inflated

Email opens are counted with a tiny image, often called a tracking pixel. When the image loads, the email tool records an open. Privacy features and security tools can load that image without a person ever reading the email.

Apple Mail Privacy Protection

• What it does. Apple says Mail Privacy Protection hides your IP address and prevents senders from seeing if you've opened their email².
• How common it is. Litmus says over 50% of email opens happen on a device with it turned on¹.
• What it breaks. Litmus lists inflated email opens, unknown open times and lost location data¹.
• Since when. Apple introduced it in 2021, and users opt in. It runs on iOS 15 and later, iPadOS 15 and later and macOS Monterey and later¹.

PPC Land, covering newsletter ad pricing, notes that the feature inflates opens by prefetching tracking pixels⁶. A newsletter with many Apple Mail readers can show a high open rate even if fewer people read it. That's not the writer's fault. It's how the tools work now.

Security scanners

Business email often passes through security software first. M3AAWG, an industry group of mail senders and mailbox providers, says these systems follow the links in an email to check the target site, and those visits can be logged as opens or clicks⁷. A B2B newsletter can show opens and clicks that no human made.

What this means for buyers

Open rates still matter as a trend. Litmus notes a sharp drop can signal a delivery problem¹. But don't pay a premium for a high open rate alone, and be careful with deals priced per open. beehiiv's ad network, for example, can bill per 1,000 unique opens⁸.

Ask for clicks and click-to-open rate

Clicks are harder to fake than opens, and they're closer to what you're buying. Litmus suggests clicks as the sign of life to look for¹.

Clicks fell while opens rose

beehiiv's average open rate went up from 2024 to 2025. Over the same period, its click-through rate fell from 4.74% to 3.23%³. beehiiv says that's largely because of inbox competition, and because readers often read the content in the email instead of clicking out³. So opens alone tell you even less than they used to.

Clicks vary by topic

beehiiv reports some high-intent niches far above the 3% norm. Space newsletters ran 9.11%, neuroscience 7.96%, transportation 7.80% and gadgets 6.44%³. If your buyer reads a topic like that, expect more clicks.

The three click numbers to ask for

• Click-through rate. Unique clicks divided by delivered emails.
• Click-to-open rate. Unique clicks divided by unique opens. It shows how many openers acted.
• Sponsor link clicks. Clicks on past sponsors' links. This is the number that matters most to you.

A worked example

Say a newsletter has 20,000 subscribers and a 45% open rate. That's 9,000 recorded opens. A 3% click rate is 600 clicks across all links in the issue. But your ad is one link among many. If past sponsor links got 150 clicks, that's your real number. At a $600 price, that's $4 a click.

PostHog, the product analytics company, said it cared more about click-through rate than list size or reach, and asked partners for their average click-through rate⁹. Do the same.

Ask for a recent sponsor report

A media kit is a summary. A sponsor report is evidence. Ask for one before you pay.

What to ask for

• Screenshots from the email tool for the last three to five issues, showing delivered, unique opens and unique clicks.
• A past sponsor's result, with the brand name hidden if needed. Clicks on the sponsor link and the date.
• The time window. beehiiv's ad network tracks opens and clicks for 72 hours after the send and sends a recap about 96 hours after⁸. Ask what window the writer uses.
• Whether bots are filtered. beehiiv's network says its click checks can filter bot traffic, duplicate clicks and visitors who leave at once, so verified counts can be lower than raw counts⁸.

Some writers won't share

That's not always a bad sign. Small writers may not track sponsor clicks at all. Ann Friedman's classifieds FAQ says she doesn't supply click-through data, and suggests advertisers track clicks with a link shortener¹⁰. In that case, track it yourself with a unique link per newsletter.

Larger publishers often include reporting. TLDR says campaign performance reporting is included at no extra cost⁴.

Data synced from the email tool

One newsletter ad marketplace says verified newsletters sync their email platform, so list size and engagement come from the sending system rather than manual entry⁶. When you buy direct, the screenshot from the writer's email tool is the closest match.

Here's the practical problem. Some writers will send clean numbers, some won't answer and some will send only a list size. So you need more newsletters on your shortlist than you plan to book.

Red flags in a newsletter media kit

• Only a list size. No opens, no clicks, no dates. A list size says nothing about readers.
• Perfectly round numbers. "50% opens" on every issue. Real numbers move from week to week.
• Opens far above the topic norm with no reason. Most newsletters land near beehiiv's 41% average, with niches 10 to 30 points higher³. An 80% claim needs a screenshot.
• No click data at all from a writer who says they sell lots of ads.
• Sudden list growth. A list that doubled last month may include readers who never open. Ask where the growth came from.
• Numbers that don't add up. Even published benchmarks can break. PPC Land flagged a 0.10% open rate for one category in a marketplace report as a possible tracking failure⁶. If a figure looks odd, ask.
• Refusing any proof while asking for a big upfront payment.

Green flags

• Screenshots from the email tool with dates.
• Sponsor link clicks from recent issues.
• Repeat sponsors in the archive.
• A writer happy to start with a small test.

Questions to send the writer

Put your vetting questions in one short email so the writer can answer in one go. Here's a list that covers the checklist below.

1. What were your unique opens and unique clicks for the last three to five issues?
2. How many clicks did recent sponsor links get, and in what time window?
3. Does your email tool filter bot and duplicate clicks?
4. How many subscribers joined in the last 90 days, and where did they come from?
5. Which sponsors have run more than once?
6. Can we start with one classified or one issue before a package?

How to read the answers

• Quick, specific replies with screenshots are the best sign. The writer tracks their numbers and is used to sponsors.
• Total clicks only means you don't yet know what a sponsor link gets. Ask once more, then plan to track it yourself.
• A big jump in subscribers isn't bad by itself. Paid growth or a viral post can do it. Just expect those new readers to open less at first.
• No repeat sponsors can mean the newsletter is new to ads. Start small.
• No answer to any numbers question is a reason to pass, or to test with a classified only.

Keep a note of every answer next to the newsletter in your shortlist. After a few campaigns, you'll know which writers report honestly, and you can book them again with less checking.

Test with a classified first

The cheapest way to vet a newsletter is to buy a small ad and measure it yourself. A classified costs a fraction of a top slot.

• OpenLampTech sells a classified for $7 a send¹¹.
• Ann Friedman Weekly sells a 150-character classified for $155 to 38,000 readers¹⁰.

Give each test its own tracked link. Google's guide to campaign URLs says to always use utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign¹². Then you'll see the real clicks and signups from each newsletter in your own analytics, no matter what the media kit says.

If a classified works, move up to a bigger slot. Our guide to newsletter classified ads covers how to run a ten-newsletter test.

Ask for the test politely

Hi [First name], thanks for the rate card. Before we book the top slot, could we start with one classified or short text ad on [date]? We'll track it with our own link and share the results with you. If it works, we'd like to book [number] issues.

Thanks, [Your name], [Company, postal address]

Not a fit? Reply no and I won't email again.

Treat a sponsorship email as commercial email and follow these rules. The FTC's CAN-SPAM guide says to include a valid postal address and honor opt-outs, and it applies to business email too¹³.

The newsletter vetting checklist

Use this checklist on every newsletter before you pay.

The same idea applies to other channels. See our checklists to vet a podcast before advertising and to vet a YouTube channel before sponsoring.

For the full list of what a good media kit includes, see our newsletter media kit guide.

Price the ad on clicks, not opens

Once you've vetted a newsletter, use the numbers to price the deal.

Turn the price into cost per click

Divide the price by the sponsor clicks you expect. If a slot costs $1,000 and recent sponsors got about 200 clicks, that's about $5 a click. Compare that with what you pay on other channels.

Be careful with open-based CPMs

Some deals are priced per 1,000 opens. beehiiv's ad network can bill this way, for example a $5 CPM pays $5 per 1,000 unique opens⁸. With privacy features inflating opens¹, a per-open price can cost more per real reader than it looks. A flat fee with shared click data, or a per-click price, puts less weight on opens.

Our newsletter CPM calculator helps you compare open-based, flat-fee and click-based offers. For typical prices by topic, see our newsletter advertising rates guide.

Judge the result on your own data

After the ad runs, look at cost per signup or sale from your own analytics. PostHog moved from measuring cost per click to cost per conversion, and later stopped paid placements because of high cost per conversion⁹. That's the point of vetting and testing. You learn fast and stop spending where it doesn't pay.

For the whole buying process, start with our newsletter advertising guide.

Shortlist more newsletters than you need

Vetting means some newsletters will drop out. Some won't share clicks, some will be a poor fit and some won't reply. So start with a longer shortlist than you plan to book. Media List makes that part fast.

• Search newsletters. Media List has 28,000+ newsletters you can email. Filter by category, country and language to find more candidates than you need.
• See who to contact. Each newsletter shows the writer or business contact. Emails unlock from your plan's allowance, no bot checks.
• Save and sort. Keep your candidates in a named list, and move the ones that pass the checklist to a second list.
• Ask everyone at once. On Professional, send your request for opens, clicks and a sponsor report to the whole list from built-in email campaigns, from your own mailbox.

Media List doesn't show subscriber counts, open rates or prices. Those come from the writer, which is why you ask. Browse the newsletters in Media List to see how it works.

Basic at $99 a month covers search, saved lists and exports. Built-in email campaigns come with Professional at $399 a month. Start with a 3-day trial, $0 today, and cancel anytime. Checkout happens right here on the page, or see every plan on the pricing page.

Questions, answered

What is a good open rate for a newsletter?

beehiiv's newsletters averaged 41.24% in 2025, and beehiiv calls 40% to 42% a strong benchmark for 2026³. Niche and local newsletters often run higher. Compare a newsletter with others in its topic and size.

What is the average newsletter click rate?

beehiiv's average click-through rate was 3.23% in 2025, down from 4.74% in 2024³. Some high-intent niches, like space and neuroscience, ran far higher.

Does Apple Mail Privacy Protection affect open rates?

Yes. Apple says it prevents senders from seeing if you've opened their email², and Litmus says over 50% of opens happen on devices with it turned on, which inflates reported opens¹.

How do I know if a newsletter's open rate is real?

Ask for dated screenshots from the email tool for recent issues, unique clicks and clicks on past sponsor links. Then run a small tracked test, like a classified, and measure the results yourself.

Should I pay for newsletter ads per open?

Be careful. Privacy features inflate opens¹, so a per-open price can overstate how many people saw your ad. A flat fee with shared click data, or a per-click price, is usually safer.

What metrics should I ask a newsletter for?

Ask for unique opens, unique clicks, click-to-open rate, clicks on recent sponsor links, list growth and past sponsors. Ask how bots and duplicate clicks are filtered.

Can bots inflate newsletter clicks?

Yes. M3AAWG says security software follows links in emails to check them, and those visits can be logged as opens or clicks⁷. Ask for filtered, unique clicks.

Related guides

• Newsletter Advertising Guide for Brands Buying Direct in 2026
• Newsletter Advertising Rates and CPM Benchmarks for 2026
• How Much Does It Cost to Advertise in a Newsletter
• How to Find Newsletters to Sponsor in Your Niche
• Newsletter Directory and Contact List for Advertisers

Sources

1. Litmus, Apple Mail Privacy Protection resources, checked 2026-11-11
2. Apple, Use Mail Privacy Protection on iPhone, checked 2026-11-11
3. beehiiv, The state of newsletters 2026, checked 2026-11-11
4. TLDR, Advertise with TLDR, checked 2026-11-11
5. My Wife Quit Her Job, Newsletter advertising, checked 2026-11-11
6. PPC Land, Newsletter ad marketplace finds HR newsletter ad rates run 15 times higher than lifestyle lists (2026), checked 2026-11-11
7. M3AAWG, Exploring the growing impact of nonhuman interactions on email send metrics, checked 2026-11-11
8. beehiiv, Ad Network for publishers, checked 2026-11-11
9. PostHog Handbook, Newsletter ads, checked 2026-11-11
10. Ann Friedman, Classifieds in The Ann Friedman Weekly, checked 2026-11-11
11. OpenLampTech, Newsletter sponsorship, checked 2026-11-11
12. Google Analytics Help, URL builders and campaign parameters, checked 2026-11-11
13. FTC, CAN-SPAM Act compliance guide for business, checked 2026-11-11