Email tracking
Email tracking records what happens to a message after it is sent — typically whether it was opened, whether links were clicked, and sometimes whether it was forwarded. Open tracking works by embedding a tiny image that loads from your server when the message is displayed, which is why it has become substantially unreliable.
How it works
A one-pixel image with a unique identifier is embedded in the message. If the recipient's client loads images, your server records a request and counts an open. Click tracking rewrites links to route through your domain before redirecting, which is more reliable because a click requires deliberate action.
Why open rates stopped meaning much
Apple's Mail Privacy Protection pre-fetches images through a proxy whether or not the recipient reads the message, so a large share of recorded opens are machine-generated. Corporate security scanners do the same. Treat open rate as a rough directional signal at best and never as a scoring input.
Tracking domains matter
Rewritten links carry reputation. Using a shared tracking domain means inheriting the reputation of everyone else on it; a tracking subdomain of your own sending domain, over HTTPS, keeps that reputation yours.
How Autocloz handles it
Autocloz tracks opens and clicks with per-workspace tracking domains rather than a shared one, and reports reply rate as the primary engagement metric precisely because open rate is no longer trustworthy. Sequence exit is driven by replies, never by opens.
FAQ
Is email open tracking still accurate?
Not reliably. Apple's Mail Privacy Protection pre-fetches tracking images regardless of whether a message is read, and corporate scanners do the same, so recorded opens include a large share of machine activity. Clicks and replies are far more trustworthy signals.
Should I use a shared tracking domain?
No. A shared tracking domain means your links carry the reputation of every other sender using it. Use a tracking subdomain of your own sending domain, served over HTTPS, and never a public link shortener.
Related terms
Lead enrichment is the process of automatically adding missing data to a lead or company record — job title, company size, industry, verified email, phone, LinkedIn, technographics — from third-party data sources, so reps can segment, personalize and prioritize without manual research.
An Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is a description of the company that gets the most value from your product and is easiest to win and retain — defined by firmographics like industry, company size, revenue, geography and technology stack. It targets accounts (the company), distinct from a buyer persona, which describes the individual within the account.
Lead scoring is the practice of assigning a numeric value to each lead based on how well they fit your ideal customer profile (demographic/firmographic fit) and how engaged they are (behavioral signals like email opens, site visits, demo requests). The score ranks leads so sales works the hottest ones first.
A Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) is a lead that has shown enough interest and fit — through behaviors like downloading content, attending a webinar or repeated site visits — that marketing deems it worth passing to sales for follow-up. It is more engaged than a raw lead but not yet vetted by a salesperson.