How suspected bot activity is filtered from email stats
Every open and click on a campaign email is checked for signs of automated activity. Opens and clicks that look automated are marked as suspected bots and left out of your open and click rates.
Why bots open and click emails
Not every open or click comes from a person. Software often opens an email before the recipient sees it:
- Security scanners: many company mail servers open every link in an incoming email to check that it's safe. Each check looks like a click.
- Privacy features: Apple Mail Privacy Protection downloads the images in every email in advance. Every email looks opened, whether or not the recipient read it.
- Spam filters and link checkers: some inbox providers and antivirus tools load an email's images and links when it arrives.
Without filtering, this activity makes open and click rates look higher than they are.
How suspected bots are identified
Each open and click goes through four checks. If any check matches, the event is marked as a suspected bot.
- Known scanner addresses: the network address matches a list of addresses that belong to email scanners.
- A hidden link: every email includes an invisible link with no text or image. Recipients can't see it, so they don't click it. Scanners that open every link do.
- Scanners caught before: when a scanner clicks the hidden link, its network address and browser signature are remembered for 30 days. Any open or click from the same source during that time is treated as automated, on any email.
- Apple machine opens: opens that come from Apple Mail Privacy Protection, rather than from the recipient, are treated as automated.
Only opens and clicks are checked. Deliveries, bounces, unsubscribes, and spam reports are always counted.
Where flagged activity is left out
Suspected bot activity is kept, not deleted. It's left out of your reported numbers.
| Where | What you see |
|---|---|
| Campaign stats (open rate, click-to-open rate) | Suspected bot opens and clicks aren't counted. |
| Link activity for a campaign step | Suspected bot clicks aren't counted. |
Campaign Activity page | The Exclude suspected bots filter, under Recipient, is on by default. Turn it off to see every event, including suspected bots. |
Limits of bot filtering
No email platform can perfectly tell a person from a bot. These checks catch the common cases, but your numbers are still estimates.
- Some scanners get through: a scanner that skips the hidden link and isn't on the known list is counted as a real open or click.
- Some real Apple Mail opens are left out: Apple doesn't report whether a person read the email, so Apple machine opens aren't counted. If many of your recipients use Apple Mail, your open rate can look lower than it is.
- A shared network can be flagged: a person who clicks from the same network and browser as a scanner caught in the last 30 days can be treated as automated.
- Blocked images hide real opens: opens are tracked with a small image. If the recipient's email app blocks images, the open isn't recorded.
Clicks are a more reliable sign of interest than opens. Replies, form submissions, and bookings are better still.
Frequently asked questions
Can I turn off bot filtering?
Not for campaign stats. On the Campaign Activity page, turn off the Exclude suspected bots filter to see every event.
Does the hidden link change how my email looks?
No. The link has no text or image, so recipients don't see it. It's added at the end of every email.
Why did a contact click within seconds of delivery?
A click within seconds of delivery usually comes from a security scanner. If the scanner wasn't caught by the checks above, the click counts as a real click.
Is suspected bot activity deleted?
No. Every open and click is stored. Suspected bot activity is left out of your stats, and you can still see it on the Campaign Activity page.
Why is my open rate lower than I expected?
Apple machine opens aren't counted, so open rates are lower when many recipients use Apple Mail. Compare clicks and replies over the same period to judge engagement.