Cold email link tracking
one link per prospect, on your domain.
In cold email, the link's domain can decide whether you reach the inbox, and a shared link can't tell you which prospect clicked. Put tracked links on your own domain, give each prospect their own, and learn to read the scanners that open links first.
Quick answer
To track links in cold emails, connect a subdomain of your sending domain to Track Link, create one tracked link per prospect named after them, and put it in their email. A click on it can only come from their inbox or someone they forwarded it to. Never use a public shortener domain in cold email. Expect security scanners to open links within seconds of delivery; a later click from a device and place that fit the prospect is the person.
Acme · demo
go.yourbrand.com/acme-demo
Opened 2 times · Austin · Desktop2 h after sending, then again the next morning
Example Co · demo
go.yourbrand.com/exampleco-demo
Likely a security scanner · 3s after sendOne hit from a data-centre city, then nothing: ignored
Sample Ltd · demo
go.yourbrand.com/sampleltd-demo
Not openedNo clicks yet
Deliverability comes first
Spam filters judge every link in a message by its domain. Public shortener domains are shared with millions of senders, spammers among them, and a cold email has little reputation to spare. Put your links on a subdomain of the domain you send from, such as go.yourbrand.com, rather than a brand-new domain that starts with no reputation at all.
One link is usually enough: the one you want clicked. The email link shortener page has the detail and the setup steps.
Free includes 1 custom domain, but Free links show a short Track Link notice for about two seconds before forwarding. In a cold email that is the wrong first impression. Starter ($5.60/mo) and above forward straight to the page.
One link per prospect is the only honest way to know who
A shared link counts clicks, and anyone holding it can click. Track Link never shows names, email addresses or IP addresses, and doesn't guess identity from location or device. To know who clicked, the link has to belong to one person.
So create one tracked link per prospect and name it after them and their company. A click on it then came from their inbox, or from a colleague they forwarded it to.
- Keep the slug neutral, such as
go.yourbrand.com/acme-demo. The prospect sees it, so it shouldn't read like a file on them. - Keep names and email addresses out of UTM values. Tags travel into your analytics, and Google Analytics doesn't allow personal information to be sent to it.
- Each prospect uses one link: 10 tracked links on Free, 25 tracked links on Starter, 100 tracked links on Pro and 500 tracked links on Agency.
- For larger lists, Agency and Business can create links through the API, and many sending tools can merge a per-contact field into the email.
Scanners open links before prospects do
Many companies run email security, such as Microsoft Defender Safe Links, Mimecast or Proofpoint, that opens the links in incoming mail to check them. It often happens within seconds of delivery, and to a link tracker it looks like a click.
Track Link drops bots that identify themselves and redirect clicks from the major cloud-compute networks. Scanners on networks we don't filter, Microsoft's among them, can still be recorded. The full picture is in why a link is opened seconds after you send it.
No single clue proves which is which; two or three together usually do. Location from an IP address is approximate, and a VPN or a company network can place a real person somewhere else.
| Clue | Looks like a scanner | Looks like the prospect |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Seconds after you send | Minutes or hours later |
| Location | A data-centre city, or far from the prospect | Roughly where the prospect works |
| Device | A desktop browser and nothing else | A phone, or the kind of computer they use |
| What happens next | One hit, then nothing | Often comes back, sometimes from a second device |
Open alerts for the click that matters
On Agency and Business, open alerts email you when a link you chose is opened, with the time, city and country, device and browser. On a prospect's link, use the every-open rule and expect the first alert to be a scanner; the second one is usually the person.
Each plan has a monthly allowance of alert emails, larger on Business, and each link an hourly cap; opens past either are still recorded. Webhooks on the same plans can post each click to your own systems.
When you follow up, don't mention the click: awkward if they opened it, worse if it was their firewall. Use clicks to time a call, not to decide whether to make it.
How to track links in cold emails
- 1Connect a subdomain of your sending domain, such as
go.yourbrand.com. It takes one CNAME record, and HTTPS is set up for you. - 2Create one tracked link per prospect, pointing at the page you want them to see. Name it after the prospect and company, and keep the slug neutral.
- 3Put each prospect's link in their email, by hand or through a per-contact field in your sending tool.
- 4Note when you send. Treat a click within seconds of delivery as a scanner until a later click says otherwise.
- 5Follow up on the clicks that look like a person: later, from a device and place that fit the prospect, and often more than once.
What cold email tracking won't do
- Tell you who clicked a shared link. Knowing who comes only from giving each person their own link; we never show names, email addresses or IP addresses.
- Filter every scanner. Some run on networks we don't filter and look like a person.
- Track opens. A link records clicks. Image pixels are a poor stand-in for opens: see how accurate an email tracking pixel is.
- Separate a prospect from a forward. A colleague clicking a forwarded email shows up on the prospect's link.
- Cover your legal obligations. Follow the consent and unsubscribe rules that apply to you, such as CAN-SPAM or GDPR.
Questions people ask
How do I track cold emails?
Track the links, not the opens. Put one tracked link per prospect, on a subdomain of your sending domain, in their email. Every click is recorded against that prospect's link with its time, approximate location, device and browser.
Can I see which prospect clicked my link?
Only by giving each prospect their own link. A click on a link named after one prospect came from their inbox or from someone they forwarded it to. Track Link doesn't show names, email addresses or IP addresses.
Do link shorteners hurt cold email deliverability?
Public ones can. Filters judge each link by its domain, and shared shortener domains carry the history of every sender, spammers included. A short link on a subdomain of your own sending domain carries only your reputation.
Why was my cold email link clicked seconds after I sent it?
Almost always because the prospect's email security checked it. Services such as Microsoft Defender Safe Links, Mimecast and Proofpoint open links as mail arrives. Wait for a later click from a device and place that fit the prospect. More on spotting scanners.
Can I get notified when a prospect clicks?
Yes, with open alerts on Agency and Business. You get an email when the link is opened, with the time, city, country, device and browser. Expect the first alert on a company address to be a scanner.
Which plan do I need for cold email tracking?
You can start free with 10 tracked links, signing in with Google or Microsoft and no credit card, but Free links show a short notice before forwarding. Starter ($5.60/mo) forwards instantly on your own domain, and Agency adds open alerts.
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Start free with 10 tracked links and click analytics, no credit card.
Create a tracked link