Does Google pre-fetch images differently in Gmail promotions tab vs inbox?
Summary
What email marketers say6Marketer opinions
Email marketer from EmailToolTester notes that preloading of images is common, and distorts open rates, but does not refer to specific differences in tabs.
Email marketer from Quora notes that if images are not automatically pre-loaded then users may not read your message as much. Does not refer to specific differences in tabs.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog explains that image prefetching can inflate open rates, as images are loaded even if the recipient doesn't actually open the email. This is particularly relevant when comparing results across different email clients and tabs.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that Apple Mail Privacy Protection prefetches images, potentially influencing open rates. Although it doesn't specifically focus on Gmail tabs, it highlights the broader issue of prefetching affecting open rate accuracy.
Email marketer from Reddit shares opinions that Apple's Mail Privacy Protection skews open rates due to image preloading, making it harder to determine genuine engagement in email marketing campaigns. Does not refer to specific differences in tabs.
Email marketer from StackExchange talks about tracking email opens without images. Does not refer to specific differences in tabs, only that pre-fetching images distorts results.
What the experts say6Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks shares two theories on the promotions tab: 1) Google wants marketers to be happy there and provides bonuses. 2) Google doesn't preload images until users actually go into the promo tab, which explains why open rates drop in the promo tab but revenue stays the same.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that image proxying impacts open tracking accuracy, and may be implemented differently depending on placement (inbox vs promotions), though it doesn't specifically detail the variations between Gmail tabs.
Expert from Email Geeks shares her theory that Google doesn't pre-fetch images when mail is in the promotions tab, but does when it's in the inbox.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that the discussions around broken opens are overdue and what Apple did was bring the problem out in the open.
Expert from Email Geeks responds to Laura's theory saying it fits with why some have been seeing this behavior for a while.
Expert from Word to the Wise shares insights that Gmail's image caching is a complex process that can affect open rates, and can load images at different times depending on if the user is active or not. It doesn't explicitly state if pre-fetching is different in promotions tab vs inbox.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin explains that certain Gmail settings can affect image display, but doesn't explicitly detail differences in image prefetching between tabs.
Documentation from IETF says that messages will get delivered whether or not the images are pre-loaded. Does not refer to specific differences in tabs.
Documentation from RFC explains that caching mechanisms are used by HTTP, which might influence the way images are prefetched in some tabs vs others depending on cache control headers. Not specific to Gmail.
Documentation from Google Developers explains that Gmail Annotations are specifically designed to enhance the promotions tab experience. This suggests different handling and rendering within the promotions tab, potentially influencing image prefetching behavior.