Articles on: Troubleshooting

Open and Click Tracking Issues

Open and Click Tracking Issues


Purpose


Open and click counts seem wrong — too low, too high, or missing. This article explains how tracking works and how to fix common issues.


How Tracking Works


  • Opens — A tiny tracking pixel is embedded in the email. When the recipient's email client loads images, it requests that pixel from the tracking domain. SuperSend records an open.
  • Clicks — Links in the email are rewritten to go through the tracking domain. When clicked, SuperSend logs the click and redirects to the real URL.


Both rely on the tracking domain being reachable. If it's misconfigured, tracking fails.



Common Causes of Wrong or Missing Data


1. Tracking Is Turned Off


Fix: Campaign Settings → find the Tracking toggle. Turn it on. When off, no opens or clicks are recorded (replies and bounces are still tracked).



2. Custom Tracking Domain Not Set Up


If you're using a custom domain (e.g., track.yourdomain.com):


  • Add a CNAME record: track → trail.supersend.io
  • Wait 24–48 hours for DNS propagation
  • Click Re-check DNS in SuperSend
  • Status must show ✓ "Domain is set up"


Fix: See Tracking Domains (Setup and Troubleshooting).



3. Inflated Open Counts (Apple Mail, etc.)


Apple Mail Privacy Protection and some other clients pre-load images to hide whether the user actually opened the email. That generates an "open" even if the recipient never read it. Opens can be inflated.


What to do: Use clicks and replies as better engagement signals. Opens are still useful for trends but less reliable for individual contact engagement.



4. Missing Opens or Clicks


  • Images blocked — Some clients block images by default. No image load = no open. Recipient must enable images.
  • Links not tracked — Ensure links are in the sequence body. Manually pasted links outside the template may not be rewritten.
  • Tracking domain DNS wrong — If the CNAME is wrong, the pixel and redirect fail. Fix DNS and Re-check.



5. Tracking Domain Format Error


If you entered example.com instead of track.example.com, SuperSend may show a warning. Use a subdomain. Correct: track.example.com. Incorrect: https://track.example.com, example.com.



Re-check DNS


After fixing the CNAME, use Re-check DNS in Campaign Settings → Custom Tracking Domain. Message: "DNS re-check initiated. Status will update shortly." Give it a minute, then refresh. When status is ✓, tracking should work for new sends.



What About Old Emails?


Fixes apply to new emails. Already-sent emails use whatever tracking setup existed at send time. You can't retroactively add tracking to past sends.



Expected Result


You've confirmed tracking is on, the custom domain (if used) is correctly configured, and you understand why opens can be inflated. Clicks and replies are more reliable engagement metrics.



Updated on: 17/03/2026

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