How do redirect/tracking domains record clicks?
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When you send a campaign, the links in your email aren't pointing directly to your website. They're pointing to a tracking URL on your ESP's click-tracking domain (or your own custom tracking domain if you've set one up). When a subscriber clicks, here's what happens:
- The browser sends a request to the tracking domain URL, like
https://clicks.myesp.com/track?id=abc123&url=... - The tracking server logs the click event, including timestamp, recipient identifier, IP address, and user agent
- The tracking server immediately redirects the browser to the actual destination URL
The whole thing takes milliseconds. The subscriber doesn't notice the redirect. They just land on your website.
The tracking domain is important for deliverability. If your tracking domain has a bad reputation, it can affect your inbox placement even if your sending domain is clean. That's why it's worth setting up a custom tracking domain that matches your brand rather than using your ESP's shared domain.
One thing that can distort your click data: security link scanners. Some corporate email gateways from providers like Proofpoint or Mimecast click every link in an incoming email to check for malware. These bot clicks register in your analytics and can significantly inflate your click numbers, especially for B2B audiences.
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