If you’re sending cold emails, newsletters, or follow-ups, you know it’s not enough to just hit “send.” You want to know: did anyone open my email? Did they click my link, or did it get lost in a sea of other pitches? This guide is for anyone using Gmass who wants real answers about their email performance—without getting buried in dashboards or chasing vanity metrics.
Forget the magic numbers and buzzwords. Let’s cut through the noise and see what Gmass tracking actually does, how to use it, and what’s worth paying attention to.
Why Track Email Opens and Clicks?
Let’s be blunt: tracking opens and clicks won’t magically make your campaigns better, but it’ll tell you what’s working (and what isn’t). Here’s why it matters:
- See if your emails even get read. Opens tell you if your subject lines or timing are doing the job.
- Find out if your links are tempting enough. Click data shows if people care enough to find out more.
- Spot problems fast. If your open rate tanks, you might be hitting spam folders or boring your list.
- Iterate, don’t guess. Data gives you a direction for tweaking your copy or targeting.
But don’t fall for the trap: opens and clicks are just signals. They’re not gospel. Opens can be wrong (more on that soon), and clicks don’t equal conversions. Use tracking to guide your next move, not to pat yourself on the back.
How Does Gmass Track Opens and Clicks?
Before you start, here’s how it actually works—no smoke and mirrors.
- Opens: Gmass adds a tiny, invisible pixel to your emails. When someone loads the message, the pixel loads, and Gmass counts it as an open.
- Clicks: Gmass rewrites your links to route through their tracking server first. If someone clicks, Gmass logs it and then forwards them to your real link.
What’s the catch?
- Some email clients block images by default—if that happens, your open won’t get tracked.
- Privacy-focused users or extensions can block tracking pixels or link tracking.
- Sometimes, bots or spam filters “open” or “click” your emails, inflating your numbers.
Bottom line: Treat the numbers as a rough guide, not hard truth.
Step-by-Step: Tracking Opens and Clicks in Gmass
Ready to actually set this up? Here’s what you need to do.
1. Install Gmass and Connect Your Account
If you haven’t already, you need to:
- Add the Gmass Chrome extension.
- Connect it to your Gmail or Google Workspace account.
- Give the permissions it asks for (yes, you have to).
Pro tip: Gmass only works in Chrome, and only with Gmail. If that’s a dealbreaker, stop here.
2. Compose Your Campaign Email
- Open Gmail as usual.
- Click “Compose” to start a new email.
- Write your subject and message. Add links you want to track—just use normal URLs.
3. Enable Tracking Options
Here’s where most people get it wrong: Gmass tracks opens and clicks by default, but you should still check the settings before sending.
- Click the little red Gmass button at the bottom of your compose window.
- In the Gmass settings panel (the arrow next to the button), make sure “Track Opens” and “Track Clicks” are checked.
- These are usually on by default, but double-check.
- If you want to only track opens or clicks, you can toggle them separately.
Ignore: “Track replies” and open tracking for plain text emails—these aren’t as reliable, and for most people, the default settings are fine.
4. Send a Test Email
Before you blast out your campaign:
- Add your own email address as a recipient.
- Click the Gmass button to send just to yourself.
- Open the test email on your phone, in Gmail web, and maybe a different email client (like Outlook) to see how it looks and if tracking works.
- Click your own links to make sure they resolve correctly and tracking isn’t breaking anything.
Heads up: Sometimes, your own opens and clicks get tracked too. Don’t freak out if you see “opens” before you’ve sent the real campaign.
5. Send the Real Campaign
- Add your recipients—use a Google Sheet, Gmail label, or type/paste addresses.
- Hit the Gmass button to send. (Don’t use regular Gmail “Send”—tracking won’t work.)
That’s it. Gmass handles the rest.
Reading Your Gmass Analytics
Now for the fun part: seeing what actually happened.
Where to Find Your Stats
- After sending, Gmass emails you a Campaign Report.
-
You’ll get a summary with:
- Number of emails sent
- Open rate (how many unique people opened)
- Click rate (how many clicked a link)
- Bounces, replies, unsubscribes—if you care
-
Or, click the “GMass Reports” label in Gmail’s left sidebar to see detailed reports for all campaigns.
What the Numbers Actually Mean
Opens:
- If your open rate is above 30% for cold emails, you’re doing well. For newsletters to opt-in lists, 20–40% is common.
- Under 10%? You might be hitting spam, or your subject line stinks.
Clicks:
- Anything above 2–3% for cold outreach is decent.
- For newsletters, aim for 3–5%, but don’t obsess—clicks depend on your offer.
But remember:
- Some “opens” are bots or filters.
- Some clicks are just curiosity, not real interest.
- Don’t fixate on tiny percentage changes. Look for big swings or clear trends.
How to Get More (and Better) Tracking Data
If you want more accuracy or depth, try these:
1. Warm Up Your Domain
Cold sends from a brand-new Gmail account are more likely to hit spam, meaning your open rates will suck (and you’ll get false negatives).
2. Personalize Your Emails
Emails that look generic often go unread or ignored. Personalization (real first names, relevant hooks) usually bumps open rates.
3. Test Subject Lines and Content
Send the same email to two small groups, each with a different subject line. See which gets more opens. Do the same with link placement or call-to-action.
4. Watch Your Sending Volume
Blasting thousands of emails at once? Google gets suspicious. Smaller, more targeted batches help keep your deliverability (and tracking) honest.
5. Use UTM Parameters in Links
If you’re driving traffic to your website, add UTM parameters so you can see what happens after the click in Google Analytics—not just in Gmass.
What Not to Waste Time On
Here’s where people get stuck chasing their tails:
- Obsessing over “unique opens” vs “total opens.” Unique is what matters. If one person opens five times, it doesn’t mean much.
- Trying to track every single recipient. Some people just won’t load images or click your links. Let it go.
- Panicking over small dips. Spam filters, holidays, and random chance affect open rates. Look for real patterns, not blips.
And please, don’t build your whole strategy around open rates. They’re a guide, not a scoreboard.
Honest Pros and Cons of Gmass Tracking
What Works: - Dead-simple setup—no code, no separate dashboards. - Reliable click tracking (most of the time). - Good enough reporting for most small and medium senders.
What Doesn’t: - Open rates can be way off if recipients block images or use privacy tools. - Some links might get flagged as “redirects” by cautious IT filters. - Advanced segmentation or multi-step funnels? Gmass won’t do that out of the box.
If you need super granular analytics, or you’re sending millions of emails, you’ll want a more complex tool.
Keep It Simple (and Keep Improving)
Don’t get lost in the weeds. Use Gmass tracking to get a feel for what works, tweak your emails, and send smarter next time. Track opens and clicks, but don’t read too much into them. The goal is to learn, not just to watch numbers go up.
Send, track, learn, repeat. That’s how you get better—no dashboard rabbit holes required.