Do emails say when they are read?
You probably suspect the bad news: by default, email systems do not have a built-in feature that tells the sender when an email is read. This functionality has to be added. The good news is that this is relatively simple to do.
Why don’t emails automatically notify you when they are opened? Because email protocols (SMTP, POP, and IMA) aren’t designed for monitoring recipient activity. This helps them focus on reliability, interoperability, and simplicity, avoiding “spying” on recipients.
Nowadays, with marketing and analytics requirements, email tracking relies on workarounds. Broadly speaking, there are two major ways for finding out if your email has been read:
- Read receipts (the old way).
- Email tracking (the modern way).
Let’s break down each one.
The Old Method: Request a Read Receipt
A read receipt is a notification that confirms that the person to whom the email was intended has received it. When you request it, the recipient will see a pop-up telling them that a read receipt was requested. However, it won’t be sent unless the recipient allows it.
In other words, this method requires explicit consent from the recipient to let the sender know the email was received. This makes it great for privacy-concerned individuals and work-related emails, but not for cold leads, as a person who doesn't know you is unlikely to be interested in returning your request
Also, it isn’t that reliable since the recipient can simply click "No", preventing you from knowing your email has been opened. This makes it ineffective for sales, marketing, or when accurate information is required.
Still, if you want to give it a try to this method, keep in mind that:
- Read receipts are available to all Outlook users.
- Gmail only provides them for Google Workspace core services accounts.
- While Apple Mail doesn’t support read receipts by default, you can enable this feature through the Terminal.
The Modern Solution: Email Tracking Tools
How do you tell if an email has been read without a read receipt? Simple: use email tracking tools. These are software monitors that automatically indicate to the sender if an email has been opened or not. They can also feature advanced capabilities such as:
- Tracking when the email was read, and how many times.
- Indicating whether any links were clicked inside the email.
- Retrieving email addresses and validating them.
- Analytics, to conduct A/B testing and refine your outreach strategies.
Most tools used to find out if an email has been read use pixel tracking: they embed a tiny, invisible 1x1 pixel image into your email. When the recipient opens it, their email client loads this image from the tool's server. This signals to the sender when and where the email has been opened, without notifying the recipient, which makes it ideal for outreach campaigns.
Email trackers can be found as a built-in feature in email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp, Mailerlite, and SendGrid. However, most email tracking tools are simple browser extensions that you simply install and connect to your Gmail account. Popular ones include:
- HubSpot Sales. This tracker has a free version that notifies you as soon as someone opens your emails. It allows you to send tracked emails from Gmail, Outlook, or HubSpot.
- YesWare. This extension integrates with either Gmail or Microsoft Outlook. Once installed, you can see who opens emails, clicks links, and views attachments with real-time notifications.
- MailerTrack. A Chrome extension for Gmail. It offers real-time notifications, follow-up email alerts, no-reply alerts, and link tracking.
Why Use Email Trackers?
Knowing if someone has read your emails has several applications, especially business ones. Direct mail advertising is one of the most cost-effective online marketing strategies, and email trackers are a key part of its success.
Finding out if your emails have been read or if a recipient has clicked on a link helps you craft emails that resonate with your audience, fostering user engagement, optimizing your marketing budget, and increasing your click-through rate.
However, users must know what you are tracking and have the option to unsubscribe from your contact list to comply with privacy regulations. It’s also important to only use tried-and-true, reputable tracking services to avoid exposing your users' data.
How Do I Confirm an Email Was Received?
Email trackers are more accurate than read receipts, but they have a blind spot. If the emails aren’t received (that is, if they are not successfully delivered to the recipient's server), your opening metrics’ accuracy gets compromised.
Put it in another way: your tracking data becomes meaningless if half your contact list is invalid and consists of fake or misspelled email addresses. This can hurt your sender reputation, making it more likely that your future emails will go to spam.
The only built-in way to know an email wasn't received is bounce notifications. Still, to protect your email delivery rate and sender reputation, it is best to prevent email bounces by validating the email addresses in your contact list.
Implementing Email Validation
Email validation consists of verifying that an email address is real and can receive messages. It helps you ensure your emails reach their recipients, drastically reducing bounce rates. Other benefits include:
- Protecting your sender score.
- Ensuring accurate tracking, as your "open rate" will be based on emails that were actually delivered.
- Saving time and resources since you will stop wasting outreach efforts on dead ends,
Some CRMs integrate email verification functionalities, but you can also use a dedicated email validation API (such as Abstract API’s) for enhanced accuracy and custom verification, based on rules. These tools instantly tell you if an email address is real, correctly formatted, and can actually receive mail.
FAQs
How Accurate is Email Tracking?
Email tracking is highly accurate. It can tell you down to the nanosecond when an email was opened, how many times it was opened, and which links were clicked.
However, the accuracy of opening metrics can be compromised if your messages bounce or are flagged as spam.
Can you Track if an Email was Forwarded?
No. Email platforms and tracking tools do not include features that allow you to track whether an email was forwarded.
Can Email Tracking be Turned Off?
Yes. Email tracking can be blocked if the recipient disables images in their emails. Most email tracking works by loading an image pixel. This will stop the pixel from being loaded and prevent tracking.
Can Email Tracking be Blocked?
Yes. There are browser extensions and plug-ins for most major email platforms that allow users to block email tracking.
How do I Confirm an Email was Received?
You can confirm that an email was received by checking for bounce notifications or analysing your bounce rate. To ensure your messages reach their recipients, validate and clean your contact list before sending them.
Conclusion
Email tracking gives you visibility into who opens and engages with your messages, an invaluable advantage for sales, marketing, and professional communication.
There are different ways to see if someone has read your email. While unreliable read receipts are still used, the definitive method is using email trackers that leverage tracking pixels and let you know when someone opens your email, in real-time.
But tracking alone isn’t enough. Before being opened, an email has to be received. Without deliverability, tracking is pointless. This means that the first step in any outreach campaign is validating your contact list.
By ensuring your contacts are real, active, and ready to receive your messages, you not only protect your sender reputation but also make your tracking data meaningful and accurate.
The good news? You don’t need a complex setup. Tools like Abstract API’s Email Validation API make it easy to verify addresses in real time, helping you reduce bounces, safeguard deliverability, and maximize the impact of your campaigns.
Get your free Abstract API key and start verifying your contact lists before hitting send. Strengthen your outreach campaigns with emails that work. Validate first. Track then.
