Summary
A comprehensive analysis of various expert, marketer, and documentation sources reveals a consensus: Constant Contact does not separate Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) 'machine' opens from genuine user opens. Constant Contact's official documentation confirms this. This lack of separation results in inflated open rates, rendering them unreliable for accurately measuring campaign performance. The industry-wide impact of MPP is acknowledged, with recommendations to shift focus towards alternative engagement metrics, such as click-through rates, website visits, and conversions, and to employ segmenting strategies to better understand audience behavior.
Key findings
- No MPP Separation: Constant Contact's platform and the majority of other major ESPs do not distinguish between MPP and genuine opens.
- Inflated Open Rate Problem: MPP inflates open rates across email marketing, reducing the reliability of this metric.
- Industry-Wide Impact: MPP's effect is not unique to Constant Contact; it is a broad industry challenge affecting measurement and strategy.
Key considerations
- Shift to Alternative Metrics: Prioritize click-through rates, conversions, and website visits as primary indicators of email engagement.
- Employ Segmentation: Utilize segmentation to better understand user behavior and mitigate MPP inaccuracies.
- Re-evaluate Deliverability Measurement: Explore new strategies to measure deliverability and email success in light of the impact of MPP on traditional open rate metrics.
- Analyse Email Program Data: Account for the presence of MPP Opens when analysing campaign effectiveness
What email marketers say
7 marketer opinions
Multiple sources indicate that Constant Contact does not separate Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) 'machine' opens from genuine user opens. This means that open rates within Constant Contact are likely inflated due to MPP, making it difficult to accurately gauge recipient engagement. Experts and marketers recommend focusing on alternative metrics such as click-through rates, website visits, and conversions to better assess email campaign performance.
Key opinions
- MPP Open Inflation: Constant Contact counts MPP opens as legitimate opens, leading to inflated open rates.
- Lack of Separation: Constant Contact does not currently offer a feature to differentiate between MPP opens and actual user opens.
- Reporting Inaccuracy: This lack of separation can cause confusion and inaccurate reporting on campaign performance.
Key considerations
- Alternative Metrics: Rely on engagement metrics like click-through rates, website visits, and conversions to gauge email effectiveness.
- Segmenting Strategies: Explore segmenting strategies to better understand audience behavior and mitigate the impact of MPP.
- Impact on all reporting: Understand and accept that Apple MPP impacts overall email reporting, and adjust expectations accordingly.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Sendinblue warns that Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection will affect open rates. It suggests that marketers should focus on other engagement metrics, such as click-through rates and website visits.
1 May 2025 - Sendinblue
Marketer view
Email marketer from Quora explains that Apple's MPP inflates open rates in platforms like Constant Contact because all emails are opened by Apple's proxy servers, whether or not the recipient actually reads them.
19 Feb 2022 - Quora
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Experts generally agree that Constant Contact does not filter out or separate Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) 'machine' opens from genuine user opens. While Constant Contact's specific capabilities are a focus, external experts offer insights on the wider impact of MPP on email reporting and provide advice on adapting email marketing strategies to account for inflated open rates.
Key opinions
- No MPP Filtering: Constant Contact does not filter out MPP opens.
- Inflated Open Rates: Apple MPP inflates email open rates due to privacy measures.
- Industry Impact: The broader email marketing landscape is impacted by MPP, requiring adjustments to strategy.
Key considerations
- Data Analysis: Analyze email program data to account for MPP-inflated open rates.
- Deliverability Measurement: Explore new ways to measure deliverability in light of MPP.
- Adapt Strategies: Adjust email marketing strategies to mitigate the impact of MPP on reported metrics.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks confirms Constant Contact doesn't filter out MPP opens after checking.
22 Jul 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Spamresource discusses the potential impact of Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection and suggests ways to measure deliverability in light of Apple MPP. It does not specifically mention Constant Contact's ability to separate opens.
4 Feb 2024 - Spamresource
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Based on documentation from Constant Contact and other email marketing resources, Constant Contact does not separate Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) 'machine' opens from genuine user opens. This means open rates are likely inflated. These resources recommend focusing on alternative metrics like clicks and conversions for a more accurate assessment of campaign performance. Even other email platforms warn of similar MPP inflation within their systems.
Key findings
- No Separation: Constant Contact does not distinguish between MPP opens and genuine user opens.
- Inflated Open Rates: Apple MPP significantly impacts and inflates open rates.
- Alternative Metrics Needed: Reliance on open rates alone is not reliable for campaign analysis.
Key considerations
- Focus on Clicks: Prioritize click-through rates and conversions to measure engagement.
- Platform Wide Problem: Be aware that other email marketing platforms may also experience similar MPP-related inflation.
- Re-evaluate Performance: Re-evaluate how email campaign performance is assessed given the changes brought by Apple MPP.
Technical article
Documentation from Mailchimp warns that when using Mailchimp your email open rates may be inflated by Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection feature, as MPP loads emails, even if the recipient does not open it.
8 Jan 2023 - Mailchimp
Technical article
Documentation from Litmus shares that Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) can impact open rates, but doesn't provide specifics on whether Constant Contact offers a solution to separate MPP opens. It suggests focusing on other metrics like clicks and conversions to evaluate email performance.
27 May 2023 - Litmus
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