What It Measures
The Engagement Days metric shows:
- The contacts you’ve emailed within the last 30 days.
- The average number of days since their last engagement.
Engagement is recorded when a contact:
- Opens an email sent through the Keap network.
- Clicks a link in an email sent through the Keap network.
This metric is critical for monitoring deliverability health. A lower average engagement age indicates an active, responsive audience.
Why Engagement Matters
Mailbox providers (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) track user behavior to decide whether your emails should be delivered to the inbox or the spam folder.
If your contacts consistently do not engage, providers assume your content is irrelevant or unwanted. This can result in:
- Inbox placement issues (emails landing in spam/junk).
- Increased spam complaints from uninterested recipients.
- Negative sender reputation signals that affect all your sending.
Additionally, sending to unengaged contacts increases the risk of hitting:
- Spam traps (addresses created to catch senders with poor practices).
- Invalid addresses (non-existent recipients that bounce).
By contrast, focusing on engaged recipients signals that you are a trustworthy sender who practices good list hygiene.
How to Improve Engagement Days
Step 1: Identify Unengaged Contacts
Log in to your Keap application.
Go to Marketing > Reports.
Select Email Status Search.
In Search Criteria:
Under the Search Tab, set Email Status to contains any → choose Unengaged Marketable.
Set the Last Engagement Date range (e.g., Start: 01/01/2020; End: 6 months prior to today).
Click Search to generate the list.
Step 2: Segment and Re-Engage
Apply a tag to the group for easy reference.
Send a confirmation or re-engagement sequence asking them to verify interest.
Allow 7–10 days for response.
Step 3: Suppress or Opt-Out
No response after 7–10 days → opt the contact out.
No engagement in 6+ months → suppress or opt out to protect deliverability.
Best Practices for Healthy Engagement
- Set engagement thresholds (e.g., remove or suppress after 90–180 days of no engagement).
- Use confirmed (double) opt-in to ensure accurate, intentional signups.
- Segment by behavior (e.g., clicks, opens, purchase activity) and tailor campaigns.
- Monitor metrics regularly — spikes in unengaged contacts can be an early warning of deliverability issues.
- Leverage automation — Keap’s Automated List Management can streamline engagement-based cleanup.
Bottom Line
The Engagement Days metric is one of the strongest indicators of your email program’s health. By identifying and suppressing unengaged contacts, you lower the risk of spam complaints, spam trap hits, and invalid bounces — all while improving inbox placement and protecting your sender reputation.
Looking for extra help?
If you’d like professional guidance with your email practices or recommended tools to improve your email practices and deliverability, check out these trusted partners:
- Email Deliverability specialist training, consulting and software
- List Cleaning
- Form Security