Why are emails showing as opened with Google Image Proxy IP when the recipient hasn't opened them?

Email marketer from MarketingProfs discusses that Google Image Proxy is one of several factors (including Apple MPP) contributing to the unreliability of email open rates. These services pre-load images, making open rates an inaccurate metric.

Email marketer from StackOverflow discusses how Google Image Proxy and other email clients load images for security and caching, leading to inflated open rates. There is no reliable way to differentiate between human opens and proxy-triggered opens using pixel tracking alone.

Email marketer from Reddit mentions that Google Image Proxy inflates open rates because it caches images on its servers. When Google fetches the image, it triggers an open, regardless of whether the user actually opened the email.

Email marketer from Email on Acid clarifies that Google Image Proxy, Apple's MPP, and other security measures load images automatically, impacting open rates. To adapt, email marketers need to focus more on click-through rates and engagement metrics beyond just opens.

Email marketer from SparkPost suggests that Google Image Proxy scans can inflate open rates. Firewalls, virus scanners, and other security measures can trigger the tracking pixel, leading to false positives. Implement strategies to differentiate between bot opens and human interaction.

Email marketer from SendGrid discusses how Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) and Google's image proxy pre-fetch images, leading to inaccurate open rates. These services load images automatically, registering an open even if the recipient hasn't interacted with the email.

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum explains that Google’s proxy server pre-loads images for Gmail users to speed up email loading times and enhance privacy. This can lead to inflated open rates, as the open is registered when Google fetches the images, not when the recipient opens the email.

Email marketer from Quora states that Google Image Proxy pre-fetches images in emails, causing opens to be recorded even if the user has not actually opened the email. This is done to improve security and loading speed.

Email marketer from Mailchimp indicates that opens tracked via pixel tracking can be influenced by Google's image caching. Google Image Proxy loads images to protect users' privacy and enhance performance, potentially registering an open even when the recipient hasn't explicitly opened the email.

Marketer from Email Geeks shares that tracking opens via image-based tracking (open pixels) doesn't track human opens, but rather how machines interact with email content. Machines in the email's path (anti-spam, security, performance) can download images before they reach the recipient. This includes Proofpoint instances and Google for caching. Apple's MPP may also download images for privacy/performance. These interactions occur without a human necessarily opening the email.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that image proxy services like Google's fetch images in emails for various reasons, including security and pre-caching. This can lead to inflated open rates because the open is recorded when the proxy fetches the image, not when the user opens the email.

Expert from Word to the Wise shares that image proxy usage by email clients and security solutions result in opens being reported, despite recipients not actually viewing the email. This happens because the proxy loads the images, triggering open tracking pixels.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that Proofpoint does not run the Google Image Proxy and cannot interact with the Google image cache. Google owns and operates the Google image cache independently. Even with Proofpoint deployed in front of Google Workspace, it cannot load images into the Google image cache. Google pre-fetches images when certain conditions are met, and this is why the ESP might report opens even if the recipient hasn't opened the email. The IP address of the opens won't come from Google Image Cache IPs if Proofpoint requests the images.

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that Google uses image proxy for security and to improve user experience. This proxy fetches images on behalf of the user, which can trigger an 'open' notification even if the user hasn't viewed the email directly.

Documentation from Litmus outlines the impact of privacy changes, including Google's image caching, on email open rates. Google's pre-fetching of images can falsely trigger opens, making it difficult to accurately measure genuine engagement.

Documentation from Microsoft Support explains the advanced privacy settings in Outlook that prevent external content from loading automatically. While this enhances privacy, it can also affect open tracking, as images are not loaded unless the user explicitly allows them.