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Email tracking

Email open tracking — and what it can honestly tell you

See roughly how many people opened, with automatic mail-app fetches counted separately so the number means something.

Track opensSee the Business plan

No-code setup available — free on the 30-day Business trial. No card required.

What is email open tracking?

Email open tracking places a tiny invisible image in a message. When the mail app loads that image, an open is recorded. It is an estimate rather than a count: some apps load the image automatically without anyone reading, and others block it entirely.

Why it matters

01

Machine fetches separated

Apple and Gmail prefetches are identified and reported on their own line, so they never quietly inflate your open rate.

02

Counted per person

A recipient who reopens a message five times is one open, not five — every figure counts distinct people.

03

Stated as an estimate

The dashboard labels it "Opens (est.)" and explains why in place, so nobody builds a forecast on a number that cannot support one.

Set it up

Three steps, no developer

  1. 01

    Add your recipients

    Each one gets a token that identifies them in the pixel URL.

  2. 02

    Paste the pixel

    An invisible 1×1 image at the end of your HTML email body.

  3. 03

    Send as usual

    Your provider merges each recipient’s token into their copy.

  4. 04

    Read opens with the caveat

    Human opens headline; machine fetches are shown separately.

Watch it end to end: recipients, snippets, per-person results

1/6 · Add your recipients
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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Why is my open rate suddenly higher than it used to be?+

Almost certainly Apple Mail Privacy Protection, which pre-loads tracking images for Apple Mail users whether or not they read the message. We detect those fetches and keep them out of the headline figure.

Can I track opens without images?+

No. Open tracking depends entirely on loading an image, so a plain-text message or a reader who blocks images cannot be measured. Click tracking still works in both cases.

Does a high open rate mean the campaign worked?+

Not on its own. Since opens are inflated by automatic fetches and depressed by image blocking, the click rate is the better signal — it only moves when a person deliberately taps.

More on conversion tracking

directinapp BusinessThe full conversion-tracking product: pricing, setup and a live demo.Click trackingWrap the links in your email and see exactly who tapped what. Works in every email, including plain text.For GmailAdd tracking to the mail you already send from Gmail — no extension to install, no change to how Gmail delivers.Without an ESPYou do not need a marketing platform to know whether anyone read your email. Keep your normal inbox and add tracking to it.Apple Mail PrivacyApple loads tracking images for every message, read or not. Here is what that broke, and what still works.For OutlookAdd open and click tracking to the mail you already send from Outlook, with no add-in to install. Clicks are reliable; opens are an estimate.Cold emailFor cold outreach, a per-recipient view beats an aggregate rate. See who clicked, reliably, and treat opens as a rough signal, so you follow up with the right people.

Get started

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