Does clicking a link in an email reading pane count as a click with ESP tracking?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Stack Overflow explains that you have to consider if you are an email marketer with a high click rate. It could be prefetch, it could be real.
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign recommends monitoring the click activity and understanding the nature of your audience. While a click in the reading pane may be tracked, its value should be evaluated.
Email marketer from GMass indicates that the click count can be affected by email clients prefetching links in the background, resulting in artificial clicks. This is more apparent with the reading pane.
Email marketer from Reddit responds that there is often some bot activity which can cause extra false clicks that have nothing to do with a user actually clicking the link
Email marketer from Litmus blog shares that the accuracy of click tracking can depend heavily on the email client and the security settings, which may cause prefetching or bot clicks in the reading pane.
Email marketer from Reddit states that whether or not it counts as a click depends on the ESP. Some ESPs only track clicks if the user clicks, others track it when it preloads the link.
Email marketer from Mailjet Blog explains that some email clients prefetch links in the background for security or faster loading, which may be registered as clicks by your ESP even if the user hasn't actively clicked the link.
Email marketer from Sendinblue Blog notes that some clicks may come from bots or automated systems scanning emails. These can occur when an email is opened in a reading pane, and the system automatically checks the links.
Email marketer from EmailOctopus Blog answers that it depends on the ESP; some ESPs might track clicks from the reading pane, while others don't. The key is to check with your specific ESP's documentation or support to see how they handle this interaction.
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that how an email is displayed doesn't matter. Clicking the link will cause an HTTP request that the server hosting the link receives.
Email marketer from Email Geeks clarifies that Yahoo/Google don't influence clicks directly. Clicks generate HTTPS requests recorded regardless of where the email was displayed.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that ESPs use tracking redirectors for clicks and massage the data. Different ESPs handle non-human interaction differently, and spam filters can cause clicks.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that click counting can be inflated due to email clients pre-fetching links in the background and that ESPs may filter out these clicks, but the methods and accuracy vary.
Expert from Email Geeks responds that whether a click in a reading pane counts depends on the ESP, as some might track it while others might not.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Mailchimp explains that clicks are tracked when a recipient clicks a link in your campaign and their server requests a page from Mailchimp's tracking server. Some email clients may automatically prefetch URLs in the background, counting as clicks.
Documentation from SparkPost explains that ESPs use tracking redirects to track the number of email recipients clicking the links contained within your email
Documentation from Campaign Monitor explains that click tracking can be affected by various factors, including email clients pre-loading links in the reading pane, which might inflate click rates.
Documentation from HubSpot notes that ESPs use various methods to filter out non-genuine clicks, but the accuracy may vary. Clicks from reading panes, where links are preloaded, can sometimes be miscounted.