

Ask HN: How can I tell when someone read an email I sent them? - Brian_Curliss


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shail
When you receive their response.

Is it only me or someone else too feel that tracking through invisible image
etc. is kind of violating privacy?

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the_economist
You can't, unless the recipient's email client displays images. Most do not do
this by default.

If the user chooses to display images, you can include a link to a 1x1 image
in the email, and then monitor your server logs to see who opens it. There are
plenty of software packages that do this.

More information here: [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/973143/tracking-
email-bou...](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/973143/tracking-email-
bounces-opens-clicks)

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tokyonoise
Check out <http://www.rightinbox.com>

Right Inbox puts a small invisible image in your email. If the recipient’s
email client does not particularly block remote images, then tracking takes
place. Plus, if you include links in your email, they are also included in
tracking. If the recipient clicks a link, then it is notified to you
regardless of their email client or so.

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aiurtourist
MailChimp does something similar, too. We found that a surprising number of
recipients display images by default in email.

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fitandfunction
1\. Make it short 2\. Add a link to your domain 3\. Add getClicky to your
domain

A large number of readers will click on your link. As a recipient of some of
these emails, I almost always click on a company name just to get more info on
the company. So, if you keep the message tight, you can usually see if they
read the email because there's a hit on your website.

~~~
apetresc
You're in the minority. Marketers WISH the majority of people clicked on a
company name "just to get more info"

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toddrew
<http://www.yesware.com/> is free to use and also works with the 1x1 image to
track opens. You can also add trackable links.

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helen842000
BananaTag.com. They alert you to when the e-mail has been opened and if they
click any of the links within the e-mail you sent them

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goneyukon
You could use read receipts, but those are super annoying for the person
receiving the e-mail.

