How to Track Email Opens in Gmail: A Step-by-Step Guide

At the start of 2023, email outreach campaigns were almost 40 times more effective than social media in securing new customers.

It is all the more heartbreaking that less than 25% of cold emails are ever opened.

Yet, even though Gmail doesn’t have a built-in feature for tracking email opens, sales professionals shouldn’t despair. In this article, we will share life hacks on how to track email opens in Gmail with the help of email tracking tools that integrate seamlessly with Gmail, such as Yesware. 

Not only that but with efficient use, Yesware becomes a motherlode of valuable information about prospects’ engagement with emails, including how many recipients open attachments, how long they take to read every page of the attached documents, and from which cities the recipients check their emails.

Gaining intelligence on what types of sales emails resonate the most with prospects and leads and which remain unanswered can help you optimize email outreach to ensure higher open rates.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What Is Email Tracking?
• Why Email Tracking Is Important for Sales
• How to Track Email Opens in Gmail
• Advanced Email Tracking Features with Yesware
• How to Track Email Opens in Gmail Using Yesware
• How Yesware’s Email Tracking Works
• How to Interpret Email Tracking Data
• Best Practices for Email Tracking in Sales
• Email Tracking FAQs

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What Is Email Tracking?

Email tracking is a strategy for gathering analytics to improve marketing and sales efficiency. 

One of the tools in this strategy’s toolkit is an image, a.k.a. a tracking pixel with dimensions no larger than 1px by 1px, which is invisible to the naked eye. This pixel is placed into the email content: header or footer.

When the recipient opens the email, their email client requests this image from the sender’s server, triggering a notification that the email has been opened.

Another tool for email tracking is a UTM (Urchin Traffic Monitor) code. This code can be attached to links in the email’s text body. Users can set up Google Analytics to gain information about how many email recipients click on the link.

Email tracking can provide a wide range of information, including:

• Date and time the email was opened
• Recipient’s IP address
• The device and browser used to access the email
• Number of times the email was opened
• Links clicked within the email
• Attachments viewed

Brief History of Email Tracking

The concept of email tracking has its roots in the early days of email technology, but it has evolved significantly over time.

With early forms of email tracking emerging in the 1990s, the technology has progressed in leaps and bounds over the next two decades. 

From embedded images for rudimentary tracking to single-pixel GIFs for more accurate open rate tracking, from the need to manually analyze the collected data to integrations with customer relationship management (CRM) systems, the email tracking technology has become comprehensive enough to provide marketing and sales teams with plenty of information to maximize marketing and sales ROI.

Why Email Tracking Is Important for Sales

Prioritize High-Engagement Prospects

Remember those 25% of cold emails we mentioned that get seen by leads? 

Out of this 25%, how can sales professionals know which ones are opened because the recipients are genuinely interested in the company’s products and services and which emails receive clicks only because the prospects or leads want to minimize the number of unopened emails in the inbox?

The best practice for cold emails is for them to provide value to recipients. This valuable content can come in the form of attachments such as white papers, infographics, or presentations, as well as links to resources that the prospects might appreciate. 

This is precisely the moment when email tracking comes in handy. You can see exactly which prospects open attachments and which pages they spend the most time on. Based on this information, you can decide who to follow up with. No need to sweat with manual follow-ups, though! 

Modern email marketing software has progressed so much that you can set up rules that send out follow-up emails automatically when the prospects or leads engage with attachments or click on the links.

Improve Follow-Up Timing

Follow-up strategies can increase the conversion rate of potential clients by up to 50%. Any follow-up strategy should start with defining exactly when the follow-up needs to be initiated. In the current fast-paced world, the general rule of thumb is the sooner, the better. In fact, 30-50% of sales go to a services provider that responds to an interested prospect first. 

With immediate notifications about viewed emails, downloaded attachments, and clicked links, you  can ensure timely follow-ups, sending out follow-up emails or making follow-up calls when the prospects’ interest in the company’s products and services is still fresh.

Enhance Personalization

Not only do modern clients expect lightning-fast customer service, but they also highly value hyper-personalized engagement from marketing and sales teams. This personalization needs to go beyond leveraging customizable fields in the email body to insert clients’ personal names in the greeting lines. 

More advanced personalization includes providing prospects and leads with more information on products and services based on each future customer or client’s demonstrated interest. You can leverage email tracking tools to craft personalized emails that provide more information about products and services that the prospects spend the longest time reading about in an email attachment. 

Optimize Sales Strategy

Email tracking not only boosts the sales reps’ quality of day-to-day work, but it also helps sales managers enhance their sales strategy. By tracking sales metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and attachment views, sales managers can gather valuable data on the effectiveness of their team’s email outreach. 

This data is a treasure trove of information that helps managers better understand buyer behavior in terms of their decision-making process. For example, some potential customers might base their purchase decisions on the amount of social proof, such as the number of positive reviews and testimonials. Other prospects may want deeper dives into technical specifications as well as additional terms and conditions that apply to every service offered.

If sales managers notice that an email outreach has poor performance, they can offer additional coaching to their sales team, teaching them how to come up with more effective email subject lines or how to make the emails’ content body more appealing. 

Tip: The value of tracking emails is immense. Grab our ebook filled with findings from millions of tracked emails that will help shape your sales strategy.

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How to Track Email Opens in Gmail

Google Read Receipts

As much as sales professionals may be excited about the boundless golden opportunities for sales success that email tracking has to offer, this is worth mentioning that Google’s basic “read receipt” feature won’t hit the mark. 

Specifically, recipients need to manually approve the read receipts first. Sales professionals know all too well that this is unlikely to happen in a cold email outreach when leads and prospects don’t have enough reasons to trust senders from companies they had no previous interaction with.

This is especially apparent in the current society, where people are becoming increasingly concerned about protecting their personal privacy. Major surveys, including the one conducted by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada in 2022-2023, support this statement.

Browser Extensions

The advantage of email tracking tools that come in the form of browser extensions is that they’re invisible to recipients. They’re the marketers’ and salespeople’s secret weapon that helps them significantly improve the quality of their work.

Some sales professionals may be concerned about the legality of email tracking tools.

The GDPR, which applies to the European Union and European Economic Area, has significant implications for email tracking:

• It requires unambiguous consent from recipients before tracking their emails.
• Companies must provide clear and transparent information about how tracking data will be used.

Currently, there’s no law that prohibits the use of email tracking tools in the US. The act that comes the closest to having implications for providers of email tracking solutions is the CAN-SPAM Act. 

It requires that users have a mechanism to opt out of receiving commercial emails. They shouldn’t need to log in or visit more than a single page to unsubscribe. Their unsubscribe request should also be honored within ten days.

If you want to respect the recipients of your tracked emails, you could add information about your use of third-party email tracking providers to the Terms and Conditions of your sales emails.

Advanced Email Tracking Features with Yesware

Here’s a deeper dive into Yesware’s advanced email tracking features.

Attachment Tracking

When sending PDFs or PowerPoints via tracked presentations, Yesware users have two options:

1. Allow the recipient to download and keep the file, but this comes at the cost of losing visibility into who else views the attachment.
2. Ask the recipients to enter their names to track who accessed the file and how long they viewed it, even if the file is forwarded to others.

The attachment is sent as a stylized link, and notifications appear in Yesware’s Activity Feed when it’s viewed. 

For PDFs and PPTs, detailed presentation reports include views, time spent, and recipient engagement per page (image shown below). 

For Word Docs, Excel Sheets, or MP4s, Yesware users only see that the attachment was clicked.

Link Tracking

Yesware’s link tracking feature replaces any URL in an email with a trackable link. When the recipient clicks the link, Yesware records the IP address and notifies the sender of who clicked it, which email it was in, and what device the recipient used (computer or cell phone) to view the attachment. This data helps prioritize follow-ups based on engagement.

To enable Link Click Tracking in Gmail, users should complete the following steps:

1. Open the Yesware drop-down menu.
2. Select “Preferences.”
3. In the “Tracking” section, toggle on “Track Links.”
4. Once enabled, hyperlinks are automatically trackable. This can be verified by hovering the mouse over the link and checking if it includes “https://t.yesware.com/tl…”.

Personal Tracking Report

Yesware’s Tracking Report empowers sales professionals to filter, sort, and search their entire email tracking history with a quick view of the past 30 days. They can filter to see the full communication history with specific prospects and how they interacted with previous emails. Clicking on a subject line gives more detailed information, including location and IP address tied to the event.

Tracking Report is invaluable in helping sales professionals make their email outreach hyperpersonalized. For example, knowing that a prospect has just returned from a vacation based on their changed location data could solicit a friendly check-in about how the vacation went. Such humanized communication is invaluable for building rapport. 

Team Performance Insights

Yesware has a powerful dashboard for sales managers to keep tabs on their team’s sales engagement performance. 

The extensive reporting capabilities pull data about the email activity, such as sends, the percentage of opened emails, and the percentage of emails that get replies.

Yesware’s dashboard allows sales managers to zoom in on the performance of various email templates and campaigns. 

All this data helps sales managers get a better grasp on their team’s efficiency and identify bottlenecks at any stage of the sales pipeline.

How to Track Email Opens in Gmail Using Yesware

If you decide to go with Yesware as your email tracking tool, we have a step-by-step guide to help you make the most out of Yesware to maximize your sales success.

Step 1: Install Yesware

To begin with, sign up for Yesware to add Yesware’s Chrome extension for Gmail. This is a simple integration process that takes only a few minutes to get started.

Step 2: Enable Tracking

Enable email tracking in Yesware preferences to be always on.

Step 3: Send Emails as Normal

Send emails as normal. Yesware’s tracking option will be automatically checked off when you compose an email. You can uncheck this option for emails you don’t want to track.

Heads up: your email won’t look any different, and your recipient will have the same experience reading your email as they would reading an email sent by someone who doesn’t use Yesware’s tracking. The only difference is that we embed the invisible tracking pixel to gather intelligence about recipients’ interactions with emails.

Step 4: See All Tracked Activity in Your Inbox

It’s not enough to just collect data. It’s important to interpret it to make the most out of it. But how do you get access to data to begin with? 

Click “Activity” at the top of your inbox.

Here, you will see all tracking activity, including the location and device of the recipient, as well as link clicks and attachment views.

You can also see activity next to each individual message as you scroll your inbox.

As you can see from this guide, Yesware is an intuitive, time-saving solution for busy sales professionals. No more need to rely on your intuition when conducting email outreach. No more need to go through an extensive trial and error period when formulating your sales strategy. 

Yesware makes gathering, accessing, and interpreting analytics a breeze with its user-friendly interface and extensive integration capabilities.

How Yesware’s Email Tracking Works

Yesware embeds invisible pixels at the end of outgoing emails. When recipients open emails,  the tracking pixel loads, triggering a notification on your end that the email was opened.

If you prefer for your prospects not to know that their engagement with your emails is tracked, Yesware caters to your preference. Unlike read receipts, Yesware’s tracking pixels are completely invisible. Sales professionals gain insights while email recipients have the same experience with their email boxes as usual.

How to Interpret Email Tracking Data

Here’s a table that summarizes how sales professionals can make the most of their email tracking data: 

Here are a couple of scenarios that further elaborate on what you, as a sales professional, can do with the email tracking data that you have at your fingertips.

Open Notifications

When you see that the prospect has opened your email several times, there are two possible root causes for this. The prospect is either highly interested or confused. If you suspect the former, acknowledge the prospect’s interest by sending a timely message that aligns with the content of your original email. 

Alternatively, if you suspect that the prospect may have opened the email several times due to confusion, you could edit your email and refine your messaging so that your prospects don’t get confused in the future.

Time and Location of Opens

If you see that a prospect often opens emails late in the evening, consider sending your next message during that timeframe for better visibility.

If your prospect engages with your emails while traveling based on their location data, consider writing mobile-friendly brief emails with short email subject lines. 

For instance, mobile opens might indicate the recipient is on the go, so sending a concise follow-up could be more effective. 

Device and Platform Information

Frequent mobile opens might indicate the recipient is on the go, so sending a concise follow-up could be more effective.

If your recipients predominantly access emails from laptops and tablets, you may consider infusing the email body with white papers, presentations, or other valuable attachments.

Link Clicks and Attachment Views

If someone clicks a link or opens an attachment, use this opportunity to follow up with related content or a more direct ask. For example, if they open a pricing sheet, it may be time to move forward with a demo or sales proposal.

No Activity

If an email remains unopened for an extended period, it may indicate that the recipient is not interested or the email was buried in their inbox. This is important to track, as it may signal that you need to adjust your messaging or timing.

If there’s no activity after a reasonable amount of time, consider sending a follow-up with a new angle or offering more value, such as exclusive content or an invitation to a webinar.

Pro Tip: Discover the best time to send emails. 

Best Practices for Email Tracking in Sales

Email tracking is a powerful tool for sales professionals, but to get the most out of it, it’s important to use it strategically. Here are some best practices:

1. Time Your Follow-Ups Based on Engagement

About 90% of recipients open and reply on the day they receive an email, which is why it’s important to follow up within 1-2 days of detecting an email open when your company’s products and services are still fresh in the prospect’s mind.

2. Don’t Overwhelm with Multiple Follow-Ups

Research suggests that excessive follow-ups can be counterproductive. While first follow-up emails are reported to result in a 220% surge in reply rates, total replies decrease by 20% after three total emails. 

3. Personalize Future Outreach Based on Data

Use the data you gather through email tracking analytics to craft personalized follow-up emails. If a recipient clicks on a product demo link, reference that specific action in your next message and offer additional resources to continue the conversation. Tailored outreach based on real engagement shows prospects you’re paying attention to their pain points.

4. Leverage the Power of A/B Testing

Test different email elements using Yesware’s tracking data to find out what works best. Track open rates and click-through rates to see which variations resonate most with your audience.

Here’s a list of some of the items to A/B test in sales emails:

• Subject Lines:
  • Length (short vs. long)
  • Use of emojis vs. no emojis
  • Personalization (including recipient’s name vs. generic)
  • Questions vs. statements
  • Urgency/scarcity language vs. neutral tone

• Call-to-Action (CTA):
  • Button color
  • Button text (e.g., “Buy Now” vs. “Learn More”)
  • CTA placement (top, middle, or bottom of email)
  • Single CTA vs. multiple CTAs

• Email Content:
  • Salutation styles (formal vs. casual)
  • Image-heavy vs. text-heavy content
  • Storytelling approach vs. bullet points
  • Educational vs. promotional content
  • Length of email (short vs. long-form)

• Email Design and Layout:
  • Different email templates
  • Single-column vs. multi-column layout
  • Font styles and sizes
  • Color schemes

• Social Proof Elements:
  • Including testimonials vs. not
  • Displaying star ratings
  • Linking to case studies
  • Mentioning positive press or PR
  • Including client lists

5. Monitor Non-Engagement

If a prospect hasn’t opened your emails after several attempts, it might be time to rethink your messaging. Consider sending a “breakup” email to see if they’re still interested or clean up your contact lists to focus on more engaged leads. Tracking non-engagement is one of the best practices for pipeline management to help you avoid wasting time on cold prospects.

6. Track Attachments and Links for Deeper Insights

When prospects engage with specific attachments or links—like a pricing sheet or product demo—it signals deeper interest. Use this as an opportunity to move the conversation forward. Follow up with more detailed information or offer to schedule a call to discuss their needs further.

7. Respect Privacy and Transparency

Be mindful of how you use tracking data. Avoid confronting a prospect about how many times they’ve opened an email, as this can come across as intrusive. Instead, use the data to guide your follow-ups naturally. If necessary, be transparent about your use of email tracking to build trust.

Conclusion

Learning how to track email opens in Gmail with the help of email tracking tools such as Yesware can enhance your sales game. Sign up to try Yesware for free!

FAQs About Email Tracking in Gmail

Is Email Tracking Legal?

Yes, email tracking is legal in the United States.

There are no federal laws that ban the use of tracking pixels to monitor email activity. However, certain regulations must be followed:

1. Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA): This law protects the content and metadata of electronic communications, including emails.
2. CAN-SPAM Act: This law governs commercial emails. Email tracking must adhere to the act’s requirements, such as using accurate subject lines, including a valid sender address, and complying with other guidelines related to email content and conduct.

Here’s an extensive overview of Yesware’s Privacy policy.

Will the Recipient Know Their Email is Being Tracked?

With Gmail Read Receipts, the recipient must manually accept the receipt request.

With third-party email tracking tools like Yesware, email tracking works invisibly in the background without recipients knowing.

Does Tracking Work on All Email Clients?

Yesware works on both Outlook and Gmail.