Myth-busting: You don’t need to panic about email open tracking on Gmail. Here’s why

Around the end of August 2024, headlines and LinkedIn posts claiming that Gmail killed email open rate tracking started circulating — and causing major panic among marketers. 

We’re here to reassure you that the rumors are unfounded, the panic is unnecessary and, assuming you were already following good email deliverability practices and have a strong domain reputation, there’s nothing you need to change around your usage of images and open tracking for your email marketing. 

Now that’s settled, let’s get into the details. 

What are the rumors saying about Gmail’s warning message and pixel tracking?

Like most rumors, the exact origins of this one are hard to track. 

What we do know is that they started when misinformation around a warning message on Gmail (“Images in this message are hidden. This message might be suspicious or spam.”) started spreading:

The rumors said that this warning message was alerting a recipient to the small, invisible tracking pixels that help track opens in emails — and that it was part of a more widespread effort from Google to clamp down on all forms of open tracking. 

This message was initially spread by people who had something to gain, namely unreputable cold email businesses trying to sell a useless “alternative open rate tracking” technology, and then got traction via posts on LinkedIn.

In fact, this claim that Google is clamping down on open tracking is untrue and the way Google handles images in suspected spam messages has not really changed at all.  

So, what are the Gmail image warnings really about? 

The warning message does exist, and image blocking does happen. But only if an email is suspected spam. 

By blocking images (and, in turn, tracking pixels) in suspected spam messages, Gmail is preventing bad actors from tracking. They do this solely as an extra precaution for security reasons in case the emails are more dangerous than their systems have already perceived, and they've done this for years.

It is simply part of Google’s ongoing efforts to protect recipients from suspicious emails.

Legitimate senders with reputable domains sending emails to opted-in recipients have nothing to worry about here. Images and tracking pixels from safe senders will continue to be supported by Gmail. 

What does this mean for you? 

If you have a well-maintained list of contacts who have consented to receive your emails, a strong domain reputation, and you are sending useful, expected information, you have nothing to worry about. Open tracking will continue as it always has, using the pixels in your emails. 

If a recipient tells you they've seen the warning message on one of your emails, it could be an early sign that you have a poor sender reputation. Start by looking to see whether there are any other signs your sender reputation is damaged, for example:

• Google's free Postmaster Tool shows that your domain reputation has gone down. Learn how to use Google Postmaster Tool in this article.

• Your open rates with Gmail are going down (if you're an Ortto customer, this dashboard template will help you monitor for this)

If you are seeing signs your reputation is dipping, stay calm and start taking active steps to improve deliverability. When you follow deliverability best practices consistently, there’s a good chance Gmail will remove the warning message, and you'll prevent your emails from going to the spam folder.

To reiterate, as Al Iverson, a deliverability expert with over 20 years of experience, said, “Gmail did not suddenly drop an anvil on open tracking/pixel tracking. I myself am signed up for many marketing emails and email newsletters, as watching what folks do with email is a big part of my life. I have yet to see this warning on any message I have received.”

Final word: Continue fighting the good fight

Don’t let scare tactics get to you — at the end of the day, email deliverability is not some complex web of rules. It’s about consistently following best practices. Continue to maintain list hygiene, send useful content to opted-in subscribers, and monitor your engagement rates and you’ll have nothing to worry about. 

If you’re an Ortto customer, our email deliverability team is here to guide you with the understanding email deliverability section of our help docs and advice in the email deliverability hub on The Pulse. If you’re having specific issues or have questions, reach out to support via the live chat and our team can provide assistance.

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