How to tell if an email is tracked
Most tracked emails give themselves away in the source code, even when they look normal on screen. There are three things to look for:
- A tracking pixel. A tiny image, usually 1 by 1 pixel or hidden with CSS, loaded from the sender’s tracking server. When your mail app loads it, the server logs the open.
- Tracked links. Links that point at a redirect server first, often with a code unique to you, so the sender knows who clicked what.
- A read receipt request. A header asking your mail app to confirm you read the message. Your app usually asks before sending one.
Reading raw email source by hand is slow, because the HTML is often encoded. The checker decodes it and does the looking for you.
How the checker works
- It unpacks the message. Emails are split into parts and usually encoded as quoted-printable or base64. The checker decodes every text and HTML part, including forwarded messages inside the email.
- It checks every image. Images that are 1 by 1 pixel, zero size, transparent, pushed off screen or hidden with CSS are flagged, as are images from about 100 domains used by known tracking services such as Mailchimp, HubSpot, SendGrid, Klaviyo, Mailtrack, Superhuman, Yesware and Mixmax.
- It checks every link. Links that go through click-tracking redirects, or that carry a subscriber id or your email address, are counted as tracked. Plain links and simple campaign tags are not.
- It reads the headers. It notes read receipt requests and which bulk sending service the email came through.
All of this happens in JavaScript on your device. The email is never shown as a web page, so the trackers inside it never get the chance to load.
What the results mean
| Result | What it means |
|---|---|
| This email is tracked | It has at least one tracking pixel. If images load, the sender learns when and how often you opened it, your device type and your IP address, which points to your rough location. |
| Your clicks are tracked | No pixel was found, but some links report back when you click them, or the sender asked for a read receipt. |
| Possibly tracked | No known tracker, but an image address contains a long unique code. A unique image address can work just like a pixel. |
| No tracking found | No pixels, tracked links or read receipt requests were found in this message. |
Links rewritten by Microsoft Safe Links, Proofpoint or Mimecast are shown separately. Those are added by your employer or mail provider to check links for malware, not by the sender.
How to stop email tracking
Turn off automatic loading of remote images in your mail app, and visit websites directly instead of clicking links in marketing emails.
Stop tracking before it starts
Secria Mail removes tracking pixels automatically and senders never see your IP address. It is free, encrypted, and works on the web, iPhone and Android.
Questions about email tracking
How can you tell if an email is being tracked?
Look at the email’s original source for tiny or hidden images loaded from another server, and for links that pass through a redirect before reaching the real site. Paste the source into this checker and it finds both for you. If your mail app asks whether to load remote images, that prompt is there because those images can report back.
Can someone see when I open their email?
Yes, if the email contains a tracking pixel and your mail app loads images. The pixel tells the sender’s tracking service when you opened it and how often, and usually your IP address and device. Blocking remote images stops it.
Does blocking images stop email tracking?
It stops tracking pixels, because a pixel is an image. It does not stop link tracking: a tracked link still records your click. To avoid that, check the email here first and visit the website directly instead of clicking.
Can someone track my location through an email?
Roughly. When a tracking pixel loads, the sender’s server sees your IP address, which usually reveals your city and internet provider. It does not reveal your exact address. Mail apps that load images through a proxy keep your IP address hidden from senders.
Is it safe to paste my email into this tool?
Yes. The checker runs in your browser and nothing you paste is uploaded, saved or logged. The email is read as plain text and never displayed as a web page, so no pixel in it can load. You can even disconnect from the internet after the page loads and it still works.
How do I check if an email is tracked on iPhone?
The iPhone Mail app can’t show an email’s original source. Open the same email in your provider’s website on a computer, copy the original source there, and paste it into this checker.