What this template is for
This is the report we deliver each month for the campaigns we send: a single page that says what went out, how many people opened and clicked, what they clicked on, and what the numbers suggest about the next month. It is deliberately short. A monthly email report does not need thirty pages of charts; it needs the numbers, a plain-language reading, and a plan.
The template carries two rules that matter more than the layout. First, the email platform is the source of truth — every figure is copied from the platform, not recalled from memory. Second, if the platform does not expose a metric reliably, the report says "not available" rather than estimating. An estimate written down looks exactly like a real number a month later.
When to use it
Use it once a month, after the month's sends. If a provider sends you reports, use this template as the benchmark for what a useful report contains: sent and delivered counts, unique opens and clicks, unsubscribes, hard bounces, the top clicked links, and a plain-language observation. If your provider's report cannot produce these basics, that tells you something about the reporting.
For context on what these numbers do and do not mean, our guide on whether email marketing is worth it separates the widely quoted ROI claims from the conditions a business actually needs. The cost calculator guide helps you put the monthly figures next to the monthly cost.
How to use it step by step
- Duplicate the file into a private workspace. Never commit client metrics or subscriber information to a public repository.
- Fill in the header. Client business, reporting month, and the date the report is prepared.
- Copy the numbers from the email platform. For each campaign: sent, delivered, unique opens, unique clicks, unsubscribes, and hard bounces. If the platform does not expose a metric reliably, write "not available".
- Note that opens are directional. Privacy features and image blocking can inflate or suppress open counts, so treat them as a direction, not a precise measurement.
- List the top three clicked links or topics. This is the most actionable section: it shows what readers actually wanted.
- Write a plain-language observation. Two or three sentences describing what the available data suggests — without claiming causation or guaranteed revenue.
- Plan next month. First and second useful campaign opportunities, facts or assets needed from the client, and proposed approval dates.
- Record data-quality notes. Report source, timezone, audience exclusions or unusual send conditions, and tracking limitations.
The template
Here is the template as it is used. Placeholders in double braces are filled from the platform each month.
Header
Client: {{client_business}}
Reporting month: {{month}}
Prepared on: {{date}}
What was sent
| Campaign | Sent | Delivered | Unique opens | Unique clicks | Unsubscribes | Hard bounces |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| {{campaign_1}} | {{sent}} | {{delivered}} | {{unique_opens}} / {{open_rate}} | {{unique_clicks}} / {{click_rate}} | {{unsubscribes}} | {{hard_bounces}} |
| {{campaign_2}} | {{sent}} | {{delivered}} | {{unique_opens}} / {{open_rate}} | {{unique_clicks}} / {{click_rate}} | {{unsubscribes}} | {{hard_bounces}} |
If the platform does not expose a metric reliably, write "not available" rather than estimating it. Opens are directional because privacy features and image blocking can inflate or suppress them.
What people clicked
- {{link_or_topic}} — {{unique_clicks}}
- {{link_or_topic}} — {{unique_clicks}}
- {{link_or_topic}} — {{unique_clicks}}
Plain-language observation
Two or three sentences explaining what the available data suggests without claiming causation or guaranteed revenue.
Next month
- First useful campaign opportunity
- Second useful campaign opportunity
- Facts or assets needed from the client
- Proposed approval dates
Data-quality notes
- Email platform and report source
- Timezone
- Audience exclusions or unusual send conditions
- Tracking limitations
Why honest reporting matters
A report is only as good as its sourcing. The moment a number is estimated and written down, it becomes indistinguishable from a measured one, and the next month's decisions get made on a fiction. That is why this template refuses to estimate: an empty "not available" is more useful than a plausible guess.
The same standard applies to this site. We are a new business and publish no open rates, click rates, or client results, because we do not have any to publish and we will not invent them. The figures on this page are placeholders. When your own platform produces real numbers, they go into the template's fields — and only then do they count.