How to track attachment opens and link clicks in Saleshandy for B2B sales

Want to know who’s actually opening your attachments and clicking your links? If you’re in B2B sales, you’re probably tired of sending emails into a black hole. Sales tools promise all sorts of tracking magic, but the reality is a bit messier. This guide cuts through the noise and shows you—step by step—how to use Saleshandy to track attachment opens and link clicks, and what the data really means for your outreach.

Why Track Attachment Opens and Link Clicks Anyway?

If you’re chasing B2B deals, it’s not enough to send a slick deck and hope for the best. You want to know:

  • Did they open that case study you attached?
  • Did they bother clicking your demo link?
  • Who’s just deleting your emails without a glance?

Getting this intel helps you focus your follow-ups and quit wasting time on dead ends.

But here’s the thing: Tracking isn’t perfect. Most tools—including Saleshandy—have some quirks, and your prospects aren’t always as trackable as you’d like. Let’s get into how it works, what you can actually see, and where the gotchas are.

Step 1: Set Up Saleshandy for Email Tracking

Before you can track anything, you’ll need:

  • A Saleshandy account (duh)
  • Integration with your email provider (Gmail, Outlook—most are supported)
  • The Saleshandy Chrome extension or desktop app, depending on your setup

Quick setup checklist:

  1. Sign up or log in: Go to Saleshandy and set up your account.
  2. Connect your email: Follow the prompts to hook up your work email. If you’re using Gmail, the Chrome extension makes this easiest.
  3. Test a tracked email: Send yourself a test message with tracking enabled to make sure everything’s working.

Pro tip: Don’t bother tracking your internal emails. They’ll just clog up your stats with noise.

Step 2: Attachments—How Tracking Actually Works

Saleshandy doesn’t track attachments in the way most folks expect. Here’s what’s really going on:

  • Saleshandy can’t track files you attach directly to an email. (No tool can, for privacy/security reasons.)
  • Instead, it uploads your file to the cloud and inserts a tracked link to it in your email. When someone clicks the link to view/download, Saleshandy logs it.

How to send a trackable attachment:

  1. Compose your email in Saleshandy.
  2. Click the “Attach” or “Insert Attachment” button. (The label may vary depending on the interface.)
  3. Choose your file. Saleshandy uploads it and generates a secure link.
  4. The recipient sees a link or button to access the file, not a traditional attachment.

You’ll get notified when they click that link to view or download.

What works:

  • You’ll know exactly who clicked and when (as long as each recipient gets their own email).
  • It’s great for tracking if someone viewed your proposal, case study, or pricing sheet.

What doesn’t:

  • If you’re sending to a group or CC/BCC multiple people, you won’t know which person clicked.
  • Some folks are suspicious of “click to view” links instead of normal attachments—especially in big companies with strict IT rules. Expect some pushback.

Ignore: Any claim that you can track “opens” of actual file attachments. That’s not a thing. Only link clicks can be tracked.

Step 3: Tracking Link Clicks in Your Email

This one’s simpler. Saleshandy automatically tracks any links you include in your email body, as long as link tracking is enabled.

How to make sure link tracking works:

  1. When composing your email, double-check that “Track Links” is turned on. (There’s usually a toggle or checkbox for this.)
  2. Insert your links as usual. No need for special formatting.
  3. Send your email. Saleshandy rewrites the links behind the scenes to route clicks through their tracking system.

What you’ll see:

  • Each time a recipient clicks a link, you’ll get a notification (or see it in your Saleshandy dashboard).
  • You’ll see which link was clicked, how many times, and when.

What works:

  • It’s reliable for most business email clients.
  • You get a timestamped record of engagement.

What doesn’t:

  • If your recipient has privacy tools, uses Apple Mail privacy features, or clicks from a preview, you might get false positives or miss some clicks.
  • Some firewalls and security bots “test” links for malware—this can trigger fake clicks. If you see a click within seconds of sending, and the recipient hasn’t even opened the email, it’s probably a bot.

Step 4: Reading the Data (And Not Fooling Yourself)

Once you start tracking, it’s easy to get obsessed with notifications. But remember, not every open or click means a real human is interested.

How to interpret the data:

  • One open, one click: Good sign your email made it through and sparked at least a glance.
  • Multiple opens, multiple clicks: Even better—maybe they’re sharing it with others or revisiting.
  • No opens/clicks: Could be in spam, or they just don’t care. Move on.

But…

  • Don’t assume a click means intent. Sometimes it’s just curiosity, or a bot.
  • Don’t pounce instantly after a click. Give it some time—nobody likes an over-eager follow-up.

Best use: - Prioritize follow-ups for people who both open your email and interact with your links/attachments. Don’t waste time on the rest.

Troubleshooting: When Tracking Fails or Gets Wonky

No tool is perfect. Here are the common headaches and what to do:

1. No Open or Clicks Showing Up

  • Double-check that tracking was enabled when you sent the email.
  • Test with your own email address and open in a different browser/device.
  • Some company firewalls block tracking pixels—there’s not much you can do about this.

2. Too Many Clicks (Suspicious Activity)

  • Bots! Spam filters and corporate security systems sometimes “click” every link to scan for threats.
  • Look for patterns: If you see a burst of clicks at weird hours or within seconds of sending, it’s probably not a person.
  • Don’t base your follow-up strategy on these clicks.

3. Recipients Complain About “Weird Links” or Attachments

  • Some people are rightfully wary of cloud-hosted links or unfamiliar URLs.
  • When possible, personalize your message (“Here’s a secure link to the case study—let me know if you have trouble accessing it”).
  • For sensitive prospects, consider sending plain attachments and sacrificing tracking.

Gotchas and Limitations

Let’s be honest about what Saleshandy tracking can’t do:

  • You can’t see if someone actually read your file—just that they clicked the link.
  • Forwarded emails get messy. If your contact forwards your tracked email, and their boss clicks the links, you’ll see activity but won’t know who did it.
  • Mobile email apps sometimes block tracking. Open rates, especially, can be underreported.

Bottom line: Tracking is a directional signal, not a lie detector. Use it to prioritize, not as gospel.

Pro Tips for B2B Sales Teams

  • Use merge tags to personalize each email—then you’ll know exactly who’s clicking what.
  • Set up notifications wisely. Too many pings = alert fatigue. Consider daily digest emails instead.
  • Don’t mention tracking in your emails. It makes people twitchy.
  • A/B test subject lines and content. Use tracking data to see what actually gets clicks.

Keep it Simple and Keep Improving

Don’t get lost in the weeds. Use Saleshandy’s tracking to figure out which prospects are worth your time, but don’t obsess over every stat. The best B2B salespeople use this data as a compass, not a crystal ball.

Keep your emails clear, your files useful, and your follow-ups human. If tracking helps you spot real interest, great—double down. If not, tweak your approach. Iterate, simplify, and move on. That’s how you win.