Should you track email open rate?

Tracking email open rates is becoming less relevant and often unreliable, particularly due to privacy changes and technical limitations across major email providers like Apple, Google, and Microsoft.

1. Privacy features obscure data: Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection, launched with iOS 15, blocks open-tracking by preloading images, which can artificially inflate open rates. Similarly, Gmail preloads images on its servers, logging opens even if a recipient never actually viewed the email. These privacy protections make open rate data less indicative of actual engagement and distort metrics significantly​.
2. Impact on deliverability: Email providers increasingly view tracking pixels (often used to measure opens) as a sign of promotional or spam content, which can lower deliverability. Embedding tracking pixels can increase the likelihood that emails land in spam folders, especially in cold outreach, where unsolicited tracking is even more scrutinized​.
3. Alternative metrics are more reliable: Instead of open rates, focusing on metrics like click-through rates, replies, and actions taken on your website after a click (e.g., purchases or sign-ups) provides more accurate insights. These metrics reflect true engagement with your emails, regardless of open rate inconsistencies, and are not as affected by privacy interventions​.

In short, tracking open rates is no longer the best measure of engagement. Prioritizing clicks, responses, and website activity offers a clearer view of how recipients interact with your emails, making these metrics more valuable for evaluating campaign success.