Over the past years, open tracking in email outreach has been a widely discussed and debated topic.
The rise of privacy-focused features such as Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP), along with tighter anti-tracking measures from many email providers, has led many to declare that open tracking is no longer reliable or relevant.
And while it's true that open rates are no longer a fully reliable or accurate metric, that doesn't mean open tracking is entirely useless.
In fact, open tracking can still offer a basic directional signal, helping you spot general trends in your outreach, such as whether emails are landing in inboxes, being ignored, or potentially going to spam.
It's especially helpful during initial domain warm-up or when troubleshooting a sudden drop in performance.
Here are some practical tips to help you get more opens and better results from your campaigns:
Use creative subject lines
Your subject line is the first thing recipients notice — make sure it leaves an impact.
Keep it clear and concise. Include up to 6 words in your subject line to express the goal of your email
Personalize your subject lines by including the recipient’s name, company, or something relevant to them
Spark curiosity to capture attention or offer value
A/B test: Try different options to see which works best for you
For more information, check this article: How to create high-performing subject lines
Avoid Spam Triggers
Crafting the perfect email won’t help if it doesn’t reach the inbox.
Avoid excessive use of capital letters and exclamation points (e.g., “FREE!!!”)
Minimize the usage of words that can flag your email as spam, like “Free” or “Buy now.”
2024–2025 Deliverability Requirements (Gmail, Yahoo, and Office 365):
Authenticate your domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
Add a one-click unsubscribe link
Maintain a spam complaint rate under 0.3%
Learn how to monitor your spam complaint rate using Google Postmaster Tools:
Focus on building a strong, targeted list of prospects
Segment your list by different factors, such as industry, behaviour. etc
The more customized your email is, the more likely it is to be opened.
Maintain the quality of your list by removing unengaged users (no opens in 3–6 months)
Use additional validation tools to keep your list clean and up to date, and reduce bounces
Optimize the sending time
Timing plays a big role in whether your email gets opened.
Test a range of send times. Tuesday mornings are commonly effective, but your results may differ.
Skip weekends and holidays unless your audience tends to engage during those periods.
✅ Best days:
Tuesday and Thursday tend to perform best overall, especially for B2B audiences.
Wednesday is also strong, often just slightly behind.
For B2C audiences, Saturday mornings can sometimes outperform weekdays, depending on the product.
✅ Best times:
Late morning (10–11 a.m.) — people have cleared early tasks and are more likely to check email.
Early afternoon (1–2 p.m.) — right after lunch, when inboxes get another check.
Midweek evenings (around 7–9 p.m.) can work for B2C if you’re catching people relaxing at home.
⚠ Avoid:
Monday mornings (inbox overload)
Friday afternoons (people mentally checked out)
Late nights (low engagement, often buried by morning)
But here’s the key: testing matters. Different audiences, industries, and geographies can behave very differently, so A/B testing your send times is essential.
Respect Consent & Compliance (GDPR, CAN-SPAM, etc.)
Key CAN-SPAM Compliance Rules (from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission):
Use accurate sender info. Don’t mislead with your “From,” “To,” or reply-to addresses.
Be honest in subject lines. They must reflect the actual content of the email.
Clearly identify ads. If your message is promotional, make that obvious to recipients.
Include your physical address. A valid business mailing address must be visible in every email.
Provide a clear unsubscribe option. Let recipients easily opt out of future emails.
Honor opt-outs promptly. You must process unsubscribe requests within 10 business days and keep the opt-out link active for at least 30 days.
Stay responsible — even when outsourcing. You're still legally accountable for email campaigns sent by third-party vendors on your behalf.
Monitor your sending reputation
Your sending reputation isn’t the same across all email providers. Gmail, Outlook, and others evaluate it based on how their users interact with your emails.
Understanding which providers your audience primarily uses allows you to focus your monitoring efforts more effectively.
Regularly review your performance with each major provider to identify and address any deliverability issues early.
To assess how you're performing with a specific provider, you can use the "Contact email provider" filter to segment prospects accordingly:
