Open rate and click rate are key metrics for understanding how your audience interacts with emails, each offering unique insights. However, it’s important to know that open rates aren’t always completely accurate.
In this article, we’ll break down how email tracking operates and exactly how open and click rates are calculated to give you a clearer picture.
Open Rates
Email opens are tracked using a tiny, invisible image called a tracking pixel that’s embedded in HTML emails. When a subscriber opens your email, this pixel downloads from our servers, registering the email as opened.
Accuracy of Open tracking
Open rates can sometimes be misleading. For instance, privacy tools like Apple Mail Privacy Protection may artificially inflate opens. Also, some users’ email settings prevent us from tracking, meaning actual opens can be under-reported. If readers view your email without displaying images, that view won’t be counted. However, if a subscriber clicks any link (besides unsubscribe) in your email, we’ll count it as an open.
For plain text emails, neither opens nor clicks can be tracked.
How Open Rates Are Calculated
To calculate your open rate, we divide the number of unique opens by the number of emails delivered (emails sent, minus any bounces). You’ll find the open rate percentage for each campaign in the Overview or Campaigns tabs of your account.
Click Rates
When you add links in your email content, they are directed through our servers. This means we can register each click before sending readers on to their intended destination.
How Click Rates are calculated
The click rate is calculated by dividing the number of recipients who clicked by the number of emails delivered (sent minus bounces).
Click Rate vs. Click-to-Open Rate (CTOR)
The click-to-open rate (CTOR) measures engagement differently by dividing clicks by unique opens. However, due to potential inaccuracies in open tracking, we recommend focusing on the click rate, which measures the percentage of delivered emails that were clicked.
FAQs
Why do I see unusual click patterns?
Why do I see unusual click patterns?
If you’re seeing unexpectedly high clicks from multiple locations, this may result from virus scanners or corporate firewalls testing links for safety, which can impact the accuracy of your click tracking. For better accuracy, try using the non-human click filter to exclude these automated clicks from your reports.
How does Apple Mail Privacy Protection impact my open rates?
How does Apple Mail Privacy Protection impact my open rates?
Privacy tools like Apple’s can boost open rates artificially. While open rates are still helpful, broaden your focus to include click rates, conversion rates, unsubscribes, bounces, and list growth over time for a well-rounded view of your campaign’s performance.
Are multiple opens by the same recipient accurate?
Are multiple opens by the same recipient accurate?
Open counts are generally accurate but may be inflated by factors like:
Preview panes that download images multiple times.
Forwarded emails viewed by others after forwarding.
Shared emails, viewed by people clicking the “view in browser” link.
Should I remove subscribers who haven’t opened my emails?
Should I remove subscribers who haven’t opened my emails?
It’s best to segment subscribers who don't engage rather than deleting them since open tracking isn’t perfect. If you see a downward trend in open and click-through rates, re-engage inactive subscribers to gauge their interest before making any decisions.