Skip to main content

​
What performance metrics measure

Performance metrics focus on the outcome of each attempt to deliver a message. They report three counts:
  • processed: messages accepted by MailChannels for delivery.
  • delivered: messages successfully handed off to the recipient’s mail server.
  • bounced: messages the recipient’s mail server permanently rejected (hard bounces).
Use these metrics to track delivery success rates, surface bounce patterns, and watch for changes that may indicate deliverability or reputation issues.

​
Example query

The example below requests delivery counts from a chosen start time onward, with the default interval (day). 
#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Retrieve processed, delivered, and bounced counts from a chosen start time.
  set -u
  : "${MAILCHANNELS_API_KEY:?Set MAILCHANNELS_API_KEY before running}"

curl -G "https://api.mailchannels.net/tx/v1/metrics/performance" \
  -H "X-Api-Key: $MAILCHANNELS_API_KEY" \
  --data-urlencode "start_time=2026-01-01T00:00:00Z"
For a similar view that reports messages dropped before delivery instead of bounces, see volume metrics.