Key facts
- Open tracking works by adding a hidden image to each email, which makes a plain message look like marketing mail and can hurt inbox placement.
- Many mail apps also load images automatically, so open counts are unreliable.
- Buzz Send uses no open tracking pixels and does not track clicks, and measures replies instead.
- Others block images, so a real read shows as unopened.
Why are open rates unreliable?
Some mail apps fetch every image as soon as the email arrives, so an "open" can be a machine. Others block images, so a real read shows as unopened.
What should I measure instead?
Replies, positive replies and bounces. Those are real signals. The Scoreboard in Buzzlist shows what was sent and who replied.
What about click tracking?
Click tracking rewrites your links through a tracking domain, which can also look suspicious. In Buzz Send, links go straight to where they point, with no redirect.
How to judge a campaign without open tracking
- Turn tracking off
In whatever tool you use, switch off open and click tracking.
- Count replies
Positive, neutral and no thanks.
- Watch bounces
Keep them low. Buzz Send pauses a mailbox at 5 percent.
- Test subjects by replies
Compare subject lines by the replies they bring, not opens.
When does Buzzlist fit, and when does it not?
It fits when
- You care about inbox placement more than open charts.
It does not fit when
- You need open rates for a report. Buzz Send does not track opens.
Questions people ask next
Does open tracking really cause spam?
It is one signal among many. For cold email, a plain message with no tracking image is the safer choice.
How do I know if anyone read it?
Replies are the only reliable sign.
Can I test subject lines without opens?
Yes. Compare reply rates. Buzzlist runs subject tests.
Does Buzz track link clicks?
No. Links go straight to their page, with no redirect.