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'''Navigation:''' [[Main_Page]] > [[ActiveCampaign Release Notes]] > [[2024 Release Notes]] > Campaigns Calendar
'''Navigation:''' [[Main_Page]] > [[ActiveCampaign Release Notes]] > [[2024 Release Notes]] > Campaigns Calendar


= Campaigns Calendar with Industry Send Times =
= Campaigns Calendar with Best Send Times =


== Introduction ==
== Introduction ==


The **Campaigns Calendar with Industry Send Times** is a powerful enhancement to the existing Campaigns Calendar in ActiveCampaign. Rolled out in December 2024 and available to users on the **Pro** and **Enterprise** plans, this feature provides **AI-driven, industry-specific email send time recommendations**. It enables marketers to boost engagement and optimize campaign performance without relying solely on their own historical data.
The **Campaigns Calendar with Best Send Times** is a powerful enhancement released by ActiveCampaign in October 2024 to help marketers improve email engagement through AI-driven optimization. This update integrates intelligent send-time suggestions directly into the **Campaigns Calendar**—enabling users to schedule campaigns when their audience is most likely to engage.


Leveraging behavioral trends from similar businesses in the same industry, this update equips users with **instantaneous insights**, helping them identify the best times to send email campaigns. Whether launching a new campaign or refining send times on existing ones, the **Industry Best Send Times** update provides a **data-backed benchmark** to guide your scheduling decisions.
This feature is particularly beneficial for improving open rates, maximizing deliverability, and aligning campaign timing with audience behavior—all from a unified calendar view. Available on **Plus**, **Pro**, and **Enterprise** plans, this update exemplifies ActiveCampaign’s commitment to smarter, data-based marketing orchestration.


== How to Access the Campaigns Calendar ==
== How to Access This Feature ==


The **Campaigns Calendar** is where you plan, view, and manage your scheduled email campaigns. Accessing the calendar and enabling **Industry Best Send Times** is quick and straightforward—but only available to users on **Pro** or **Enterprise** plans.
The **Campaigns Calendar with Best Send Times** is available to users on the following ActiveCampaign plans:
* **Plus**
* **Pro**
* **Enterprise**


To access the Campaigns Calendar:
To access the feature:


# Log in to your ActiveCampaign account.
1. Log into your ActiveCampaign account.
# Navigate to the **Campaigns** menu.
2. From the navigation menu, go to the **Campaigns** section.
# Click on the **Calendar View** tab.
3. Click on **Campaigns Calendar** from the drop-down or sidebar options.


From here, you can view and schedule campaigns throughout the month. To enable **Industry Best Send Times**, additional setup is required (see next section for step-by-step instructions).
If best send time insights are not visible, ensure your plan level supports this feature and that the toggle for best send time recommendations is enabled (see instructions below).


== Step-by-Step Instructions ==
== Step-by-Step Instructions ==


Follow the steps below to enable and use the **Industry Best Send Times** feature within your Campaigns Calendar:
Follow these steps to start leveraging best send times in the **Campaigns Calendar**:


=== Step 1: Navigate to Campaigns Calendar ===
1. **Navigate to Campaigns Calendar** 
# In your ActiveCampaign dashboard, click on **Campaigns** from the main navigation menu.
  Go to **Campaigns**, then select **Campaigns Calendar**. You'll be presented with a visual calendar displaying your scheduled campaigns.
# Select the **Calendar View** tab to open the Campaigns Calendar interface.


=== Step 2: Enable Industry Best Send Times ===
2. **Enable Best Send Times** 
# Locate and click the **gear icon** on the top-right of the calendar interface—this opens the calendar settings.
  Locate the toggle option at the top of the calendar labeled **Best Send Times**.
# In the settings panel, toggle on the option labeled **Industry Best Send Times**.
  Turn on this toggle to activate send time optimization for your view.
# Once enabled, your calendar will highlight the **best send days** based on industry benchmarks.


=== Step 3: Use the Calendar to Schedule ===
3. **View Recommended Send Times** 
# Review your Campaigns Calendar for highlighted best send days.
  Once enabled, you'll see suggestions appear directly in the calendar interface. These are AI-generated recommendations based on historical engagement data from your audience.
# Schedule your campaign by clicking any day on the calendar.
# In the scheduling dialog, review the suggested send time and proceed with campaign creation as usual.


No additional input is required from you to generate these recommendations—ActiveCampaign uses data from similar accounts in your industry to instantly populate best send times.
4. **Use the Recommendations** 
  When scheduling a new campaign, refer to the highlighted best send time windows. Hover over or click on a date/time slot to see detailed recommendations and supporting data when available.
 
5. **Schedule Accordingly** 
  When creating a campaign, align the **send time** with the recommended time slots from the calendar. You can continue to use the campaign editor as usual and manually set the send time based on these insights.


== Configuration Options and Settings ==
== Configuration Options and Settings ==


The **Industry Best Send Times** enhancement is controlled through settings located directly within the **Campaigns Calendar interface**. The configuration options include:
The **Campaigns Calendar with Best Send Times** is simple to use and requires minimal configuration. All setup happens through the main calendar screen:


* **Industry Best Send Times toggle:** Enables or disables the feature. This is found via the **gear icon** in the Campaigns Calendar view.
* '''Best Send Times Toggle''': Enables or disables visibility of optimal send-time suggestions within your calendar view.
* **Best send day highlights:** Once the toggle is enabled, the calendar will visually mark days that are optimal for sending emails based on industry data.
* '''Campaign Schedule View''': Displays currently scheduled campaigns alongside suggested times for new email sends.
* '''AI-Based Recommendations''': Automatically integrated and personalized based on account-level engagement history.


There are no advanced settings, API connections, or workflow dependencies required to activate this feature.
This feature doesn't require additional configuration beyond enabling it via the toggle. If you cannot see the toggle, ensure your subscription plan is Plus, Pro, or Enterprise.


== Best Practices and Tips ==
== Best Practices and Tips ==


To make the most of the **Industry Best Send Times** functionality, consider the following best practices:
1. **Always enable the Best Send Times toggle when viewing the calendar.** 
  Keeping this activated ensures you never miss an opportunity to optimize timing based on your audience's behavior.
 
2. **Use suggested send times for important campaigns.**
  Promotional blasts, event invitations, and critical messages benefit the most from optimal timing.
 
3. **Plan ahead using the calendar.** 
  Seeing your entire month of campaigns laid out alongside best send times helps you avoid oversaturation and improves segmentation.


* **Use it as a launchpad, not gospel:** While industry data is valuable, your own engagement metrics should still play a role in optimizing send times over time.
4. **Evaluate performance post-send.**
* **Layer with segmentation:** Combine send time optimization with smart audience segmentation for even better results.
  Compare results from campaigns sent at recommended times versus custom times to validate efficacy.
* **Ideal for new accounts:** If your account is new and lacks historical send data, rely on this tool as a performance-boosting baseline.
* **Monitor performance:** After using recommended send times, evaluate campaign metrics such as open rate and click-through rate to validate effectiveness.
* **Avoid overlapping send schedules:** Ensure other campaigns or automations aren’t set to send at the same time as your scheduled campaign to avoid saturation.


== Common Use Cases and Examples ==
5. **Combine with campaign A/B testing.** 
  For campaigns with larger lists, consider A/B testing send times to refine your understanding of your audience’s patterns.


The **Campaigns Calendar with Industry Send Times** is particularly valuable for the following scenarios:
== Common Use Cases with Examples ==


=== Example 1: New Account Marketing Launch ===
Here are several scenarios where the **Campaigns Calendar with Best Send Times** can provide tangible results:
You're launching your first campaign in ActiveCampaign and have no historical engagement data. By enabling **Industry Best Send Times**, you're instantly guided to a day and time that’s statistically effective for your sector, eliminating guesswork.


=== Example 2: Quarterly Newsletter Refinement ===
* **Weekly Newsletter Scheduling** 
You normally send a quarterly newsletter but haven’t seen consistent engagement. Use industry recommendations to shift the send date to a highlighted day in your calendar and compare engagement improvements.
  A travel company sends a weekly newsletter to subscribers every Wednesday. By using the best send time recommendations, they notice improved open rates by sending later in the day.


=== Example 3: High-Volume Seasonal Campaigns ===
* **Time-Sensitive Promotions** 
For seasonal marketers (e.g., retail, e-commerce), scheduling campaigns on high-volume days can be risky. By using **Industry Best Send Times**, you can align with industry performance trends and avoid inbox competition.
  An eCommerce brand running a flash sale targets morning send slots based on the calendar’s AI insights, resulting in quicker response rates and more clicks within the first few hours.
 
* **B2B Campaigns** 
  A software company promoting webinars prefers afternoons based on historical engagement patterns. Using the calendar validates this approach and improves attendance rates.
 
* **Multiple Sends Across Segments** 
  For segmented campaigns (e.g., by country or language), the best send time insights help stagger sends at regionally optimal hours across different lists.


== Troubleshooting ==
== Troubleshooting ==


Here are solutions to common issues users may encounter when using the **Industry Best Send Times** in the Campaigns Calendar:
=== I don’t see the 'Best Send Times' toggle in my calendar. === 
Ensure you’re on a supported plan: **Plus**, **Pro**, or **Enterprise**. This capability is not available on the **Starter** plan.


=== I don’t see the Industry Best Send Times option ===
=== Recommended times aren’t appearing. ===
* Make sure you are using the **Pro** or **Enterprise** plan. This feature is not available on **Starter** or **Plus** plans.
Make sure that the toggle is turned on. If it still doesn’t show, there could be insufficient engagement data yet. The AI needs historical send/open/click data to generate personalized suggestions.


=== The calendar isn’t highlighting best send days ===
=== I’m not seeing improved results with recommended times. ===
* Confirm that the feature is enabled using the **gear icon** toggle in the calendar view.
Engagement optimization is data-driven—improvements may be gradual as the AI model refines its approach. Consider using additional segmentation or content personalization to complement optimized timing.
* Refresh the calendar after enabling the toggle, or try logging out and back in.


=== No change in engagement metrics after using recommended times ===
=== Calendar recommendations conflict with my internal schedule. ===
* Remember that industry benchmarks are starting points, not guarantees. Continue to test and refine based on what works for your unique audience.
Feel free to balance internal priorities with suggested times. For critical timing conflicts, test hybrid or multi-phase campaigns (e.g., segment-based staggered sends).


== Related Features ==
== Related Features ==


The **Campaigns Calendar with Industry Send Times** works alongside other campaign planning and optimization features. For comprehensive guidance, refer to:
While using the **Campaigns Calendar with Best Send Times**, you may also find value in exploring:


* [[2024 Release Notes]]
* [[2024 Release Notes]]
* [[ActiveCampaign Release Notes]]
* [[ActiveCampaign Release Notes]]
* [[2024 Release Notes]] > [[December 2024]]
* [[Create and send a campaign]]
 
* [[Use the Campaigns Calendar]]
You may also find these articles helpful:
* [[Standard Conversion Events]]
 
* [[Introducing the New Segments Experience]]
* [https://help.activecampaign.com/hc/en-us/articles/15500186574364 Use the Campaigns Calendar]
* [[AI Brand Kit Color Picker]]
* [https://help.activecampaign.com/hc/en-us/articles/17430315213212 How to send campaigns at the best day and time]


== Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ==
== FAQ ==


=== What is the Industry Best Send Times feature? ===
=== 1. What is the “Best Send Times” feature in the Campaigns Calendar? ===
It is a new setting within the Campaigns Calendar that highlights optimal send times based on data from similar businesses in your industry, without needing historical data from your account.
Best Send Times provides AI-generated recommendations for the most effective windows to send campaigns based on your audience’s behavior and engagement history.


=== Who can access the Industry Best Send Times feature? ===
=== 2. Who has access to this update? ===
Only users on the **Pro** and **Enterprise** pricing plans can access this feature.
This feature is available to ActiveCampaign users on **Plus**, **Pro**, and **Enterprise** plans. It is not available on the **Starter** plan.


=== How does ActiveCampaign determine the best send times? ===
=== 3. Do I need to enable anything to use Best Send Times? ===
Send times are based on aggregated engagement insights from accounts in the same industry, providing statistically significant benchmarks.
Yes. You must turn on the **Best Send Times toggle** at the top of the calendar interface to see timing suggestions.


=== Can I override the suggested send times? ===
=== 4. Are these send time suggestions automated? ===
Yes. You can always choose to schedule your campaign on a different day or time, regardless of the industry benchmark suggestions.
No. While the recommendations are generated by AI, you must manually select and schedule your campaign to align with the suggested times.


=== Will this feature work if I have no previous campaign history? ===
=== 5. What happens if I ignore the recommendation? ===
Yes. This feature is specifically designed to help accounts without historical data by providing industry-level insights for instant use.
Your campaign will still send at the time you choose. However, ignoring optimal timing may reduce engagement rates compared to AI-optimized windows.


=== Does enabling this feature affect my existing campaign schedules? ===
=== 6. How does the AI determine best send times? ===
No. Enabling the toggle only highlights best send days in your calendar—it does not alter any current or future scheduled campaigns.
The system reviews past engagement data—such as open and click rates—for your contacts to identify when they’re most active.


=== Can I use this feature for SMS or other channels? ===
=== 7. Can I use this feature across multiple team members or users? ===
No. Currently, the **Industry Best Send Times** feature only applies to email campaigns within the **Campaigns Calendar**.
Yes. As long as all users have access to the account’s **Campaigns Calendar**, they will also see the best send time recommendations once the toggle is enabled.


== Summary ==
== Summary ==


The **Campaigns Calendar with Industry Send Times** offers an intelligent, data-backed method to optimize your email campaign scheduling. Particularly useful for new accounts or businesses without a strong dataset, this feature saves time and increases engagement by recommending send days proven effective in your industry. Simple to implement and easy to use, it’s a valuable addition for marketers looking to enhance performance without diving into complex analytics.
The **Campaigns Calendar with Best Send Times** represents a vital step forward for data-driven email campaign management in ActiveCampaign. By integrating AI insights directly into your campaign workflow, you gain the ability to optimize timing, boost engagement, and streamline scheduling from one powerful interface. Enable this feature today to turn timing into a competitive advantage.

Revision as of 05:52, 2 November 2025

Navigation: Main_Page > ActiveCampaign Release Notes > 2024 Release Notes > Campaigns Calendar

Campaigns Calendar with Best Send Times

Introduction

The **Campaigns Calendar with Best Send Times** is a powerful enhancement released by ActiveCampaign in October 2024 to help marketers improve email engagement through AI-driven optimization. This update integrates intelligent send-time suggestions directly into the **Campaigns Calendar**—enabling users to schedule campaigns when their audience is most likely to engage.

This feature is particularly beneficial for improving open rates, maximizing deliverability, and aligning campaign timing with audience behavior—all from a unified calendar view. Available on **Plus**, **Pro**, and **Enterprise** plans, this update exemplifies ActiveCampaign’s commitment to smarter, data-based marketing orchestration.

How to Access This Feature

The **Campaigns Calendar with Best Send Times** is available to users on the following ActiveCampaign plans:

  • **Plus**
  • **Pro**
  • **Enterprise**

To access the feature:

1. Log into your ActiveCampaign account. 2. From the navigation menu, go to the **Campaigns** section. 3. Click on **Campaigns Calendar** from the drop-down or sidebar options.

If best send time insights are not visible, ensure your plan level supports this feature and that the toggle for best send time recommendations is enabled (see instructions below).

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps to start leveraging best send times in the **Campaigns Calendar**:

1. **Navigate to Campaigns Calendar** 

  Go to **Campaigns**, then select **Campaigns Calendar**. You'll be presented with a visual calendar displaying your scheduled campaigns.

2. **Enable Best Send Times** 

  Locate the toggle option at the top of the calendar labeled **Best Send Times**.  
  Turn on this toggle to activate send time optimization for your view.

3. **View Recommended Send Times** 

  Once enabled, you'll see suggestions appear directly in the calendar interface. These are AI-generated recommendations based on historical engagement data from your audience.

4. **Use the Recommendations** 

  When scheduling a new campaign, refer to the highlighted best send time windows. Hover over or click on a date/time slot to see detailed recommendations and supporting data when available.

5. **Schedule Accordingly** 

  When creating a campaign, align the **send time** with the recommended time slots from the calendar. You can continue to use the campaign editor as usual and manually set the send time based on these insights.

Configuration Options and Settings

The **Campaigns Calendar with Best Send Times** is simple to use and requires minimal configuration. All setup happens through the main calendar screen:

  • Best Send Times Toggle: Enables or disables visibility of optimal send-time suggestions within your calendar view.
  • Campaign Schedule View: Displays currently scheduled campaigns alongside suggested times for new email sends.
  • AI-Based Recommendations: Automatically integrated and personalized based on account-level engagement history.

This feature doesn't require additional configuration beyond enabling it via the toggle. If you cannot see the toggle, ensure your subscription plan is Plus, Pro, or Enterprise.

Best Practices and Tips

1. **Always enable the Best Send Times toggle when viewing the calendar.** 

  Keeping this activated ensures you never miss an opportunity to optimize timing based on your audience's behavior.

2. **Use suggested send times for important campaigns.** 

  Promotional blasts, event invitations, and critical messages benefit the most from optimal timing.

3. **Plan ahead using the calendar.** 

  Seeing your entire month of campaigns laid out alongside best send times helps you avoid oversaturation and improves segmentation.

4. **Evaluate performance post-send.** 

  Compare results from campaigns sent at recommended times versus custom times to validate efficacy.

5. **Combine with campaign A/B testing.** 

  For campaigns with larger lists, consider A/B testing send times to refine your understanding of your audience’s patterns.

Common Use Cases with Examples

Here are several scenarios where the **Campaigns Calendar with Best Send Times** can provide tangible results:

  • **Weekly Newsletter Scheduling**
  A travel company sends a weekly newsletter to subscribers every Wednesday. By using the best send time recommendations, they notice improved open rates by sending later in the day.
  • **Time-Sensitive Promotions**
  An eCommerce brand running a flash sale targets morning send slots based on the calendar’s AI insights, resulting in quicker response rates and more clicks within the first few hours.
  • **B2B Campaigns**
  A software company promoting webinars prefers afternoons based on historical engagement patterns. Using the calendar validates this approach and improves attendance rates.
  • **Multiple Sends Across Segments**
  For segmented campaigns (e.g., by country or language), the best send time insights help stagger sends at regionally optimal hours across different lists.

Troubleshooting

I don’t see the 'Best Send Times' toggle in my calendar.

Ensure you’re on a supported plan: **Plus**, **Pro**, or **Enterprise**. This capability is not available on the **Starter** plan.

Recommended times aren’t appearing.

Make sure that the toggle is turned on. If it still doesn’t show, there could be insufficient engagement data yet. The AI needs historical send/open/click data to generate personalized suggestions.

I’m not seeing improved results with recommended times.

Engagement optimization is data-driven—improvements may be gradual as the AI model refines its approach. Consider using additional segmentation or content personalization to complement optimized timing.

Calendar recommendations conflict with my internal schedule.

Feel free to balance internal priorities with suggested times. For critical timing conflicts, test hybrid or multi-phase campaigns (e.g., segment-based staggered sends).

Related Features

While using the **Campaigns Calendar with Best Send Times**, you may also find value in exploring:

FAQ

1. What is the “Best Send Times” feature in the Campaigns Calendar?

Best Send Times provides AI-generated recommendations for the most effective windows to send campaigns based on your audience’s behavior and engagement history.

2. Who has access to this update?

This feature is available to ActiveCampaign users on **Plus**, **Pro**, and **Enterprise** plans. It is not available on the **Starter** plan.

3. Do I need to enable anything to use Best Send Times?

Yes. You must turn on the **Best Send Times toggle** at the top of the calendar interface to see timing suggestions.

4. Are these send time suggestions automated?

No. While the recommendations are generated by AI, you must manually select and schedule your campaign to align with the suggested times.

5. What happens if I ignore the recommendation?

Your campaign will still send at the time you choose. However, ignoring optimal timing may reduce engagement rates compared to AI-optimized windows.

6. How does the AI determine best send times?

The system reviews past engagement data—such as open and click rates—for your contacts to identify when they’re most active.

7. Can I use this feature across multiple team members or users?

Yes. As long as all users have access to the account’s **Campaigns Calendar**, they will also see the best send time recommendations once the toggle is enabled.

Summary

The **Campaigns Calendar with Best Send Times** represents a vital step forward for data-driven email campaign management in ActiveCampaign. By integrating AI insights directly into your campaign workflow, you gain the ability to optimize timing, boost engagement, and streamline scheduling from one powerful interface. Enable this feature today to turn timing into a competitive advantage.

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