Will engagement stop mattering in the future?

Engagement will likely matter more, not less, as filters become more sophisticated. The fundamental insight that recipients should receive email they want and engage with remains valid regardless of technological changes.

Why engagement endures: it directly measures recipient value. No other signal as reliably indicates whether email serves recipients. As AI improves at detecting preferences, engagement signals become more nuanced, not less important.

What may change: how engagement is measured (privacy changes), which engagement signals matter most (clicks over opens), and how quickly filters adapt to engagement patterns. The principle that wanted email reaches inbox and unwanted email doesn't will persist.