Is Gmail changing how it tracks email opens and dotted opens?

Email marketer from SparkPost blog explained back in 2018 that Gmail uses an image proxy which can affect open tracking because all images are fetched via Google's servers. This means that every email appears to be opened by Google, skewing the data.

Email marketer from ActiveCampaign Blog discusses the evolution of email marketing in response to privacy changes. They highlight the need for marketers to adapt and use more reliable metrics beyond open rates to gauge campaign performance.

Email marketer from MailerLite Blog explains that Gmail's privacy changes, including caching images, impact open rates. They mention that marketers may see a decrease in open rates due to this change, but it doesn't necessarily mean emails aren't being seen. They advise focusing on other metrics like click-through rates and conversions.

Email marketer from Reddit discusses how Gmail's image caching impacts open rates, potentially making them less accurate for tracking user engagement. They suggest this is a privacy-focused change.

Email marketer from Gmass states that changes to Google Workspace regarding email tracking might affect how marketers measure opens. They suggest that Google is moving towards a more privacy-focused approach, potentially limiting tracking capabilities.

Marketer from Email Geeks suspects that the screenshot shared is not from Gmail but rather from a Google Workspace account and the individual is attempting to mislead others by falsely claiming that this is a new Gmail experiment. The presence of "external" label in the widely shared screenshot further supports the idea that it originates from Google Workspace rather than Gmail.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares information from Google stating that Gmail is not tracking opens and Google cannot verify the accuracy of open rates reported by third parties. Also, low open rates are not necessarily an accurate indicator of deliverability or spam classification issues.

Email marketer from Litmus shares that privacy changes are making open rates unreliable, and marketers need to adapt their strategies. They advocate for focusing on metrics that indicate genuine engagement and value.

Email marketer from MarketingProfs suggests in light of email privacy changes, marketers should shift focus from open rates to more concrete metrics like conversion rates and revenue generated from email campaigns. They state adapting to these changes is crucial for accurate performance evaluation.

Email marketer from Sendinblue Blog suggests that due to changes in how email clients track opens, marketers should focus on other engagement metrics such as click-through rates (CTR), website traffic, and conversions to measure the success of their campaigns.

Email marketer from EmailOctopus Blog discusses how Apple Mail Privacy Protection, which is similar to changes occurring with Gmail, affects open rates by pre-loading images. They note that it can inflate open rates and make it harder to accurately track engagement based solely on opens.

Email marketer from Stack Overflow explains Google ignores dots in Gmail addresses and allows plus addressing for filtering. This is a feature to help users manage their email rather than a universal change to email tracking.

Expert from Spam Resource indicates that due to various factors including image proxying and privacy features, open tracking is becoming increasingly unreliable as a metric for engagement. They suggest focusing on other metrics, such as click-through rates, to better gauge recipient interest.

Expert from Email Geeks says the LinkedIn post about Gmail dotted opens is 'bullshit' and it's an intentional scam post to advertise the author's company.

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that Gmail's image caching significantly impacts the reliability of open rates. Since Gmail caches images through its own proxy servers, an 'open' might simply mean Gmail loaded the image, not that the recipient actually viewed the email. This makes it difficult to accurately track genuine opens.

Documentation from IETF on RFC 822 (the original standard for email) indicates that the local-part of an email address (the part before the @ symbol) can contain dots. This suggests that Gmail's behavior of ignoring dots is a Gmail-specific feature and not a universal email standard.

Documentation from Google Support explains how Google Workspace provides security features that might affect how emails are tracked. Features like image proxying can impact open rate tracking accuracy, as images are loaded through Google's servers.

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that administrators have control over email delivery settings, which can impact how emails are processed and potentially affect tracking mechanisms used by marketers. These settings are intended to enhance security and privacy.