Definition
Read rate is the share of delivered messages that the recipient opened, based on read receipts reported by channels such as WhatsApp and RCS. Standard SMS has no read receipts, so read rate cannot be measured for it.
On WhatsApp, the platform sends a read status when the user opens the message; on RCS, read receipts are reported in a similar way. Calculate read rate as messages read divided by messages delivered, not divided by sent, so it is not distorted by delivery failures.
Read receipts are not complete. Users may disable them in their privacy settings, and a message read in a notification preview may not be reported, so the measured rate is a lower bound. Compare campaigns on the same channel rather than across channels.
Factors that drive read rate include the sender's recognisability (verified business name and logo), timing in the recipient's time zone, the first line visible in the notification, and how relevant the message is to that person.
A high read rate with low clicks usually means the message was seen but the offer or call to action did not work; a low read rate points to timing, trust or audience problems.
OmniChannels.ai reports a READ status through the same webhook as other delivery statuses, wherever the channel supports it.
Example
9,420 delivered on WhatsApp, 7,100 READ → read rate 75.4%