It's a common question that comes up frequently in discussions about email marketing: Do clicks on links within an email directly improve its chances of landing in the inbox? This isn't just about whether an email is opened, but whether the recipient takes the next step to interact with its content. Many of us intuitively believe that positive interaction, like clicking, must signal to email providers that our messages are valuable and desired, thus boosting future deliverability.
The truth is a bit more nuanced than a simple yes or no. While email clicks are undeniably a strong indicator of positive engagement, and engagement is absolutely critical for inbox placement, the relationship isn't always a straightforward causation. Email service providers (ESPs) and mailbox providers (MBPs) use sophisticated algorithms that look at a wide array of signals to determine sender reputation and, consequently, where an email should land. Clicks are certainly part of that complex equation, but they are rarely the sole factor.
The role of engagement in deliverability
Email deliverability goes beyond just whether an email is successfully delivered to a server. It's about ensuring your emails reach the recipient's primary inbox, avoiding the spam folder or complete rejection. MBPs act as gatekeepers, analyzing various signals to decide if an email is legitimate and desired, or if it might be unsolicited or even malicious. This assessment heavily relies on the sender's reputation, which is built over time through consistent sending practices and, crucially, recipient engagement.
Positive engagement signals tell MBPs that recipients find your emails valuable. These signals include not just clicks, but also opens, replies, forwarding emails, adding a sender to their contacts, or marking an email as not spam. Conversely, negative signals like spam complaints, unsubscribes, or emails being deleted without being opened (or read for a very short time) can severely damage your sender reputation and lead to poor inbox placement. Understanding what email engagement metrics affect inbox delivery is key.
Clicks, in this broader context, are a very strong positive signal. They demonstrate that the recipient not only opened your email but was also compelled enough by its content to take further action. This active engagement is a powerful indicator to MBPs that your content is relevant and desired by the subscriber. Without these positive interactions, even if your emails technically deliver, they might consistently land in the spam folder or promotional tabs if engagement is low. High engagement, including clicks, can significantly improve your email sending reputation.
Positive engagement signals
Opens: The recipient viewed the email content, indicating interest.
Clicks: Clicking a link within the email, showing deeper interaction.
Forwards: Sharing the email with others, indicating high value.
Adding to contacts: Explicitly trusting the sender.
Clicks as a signal versus a direct factor
While it's true that a high click-through rate (CTR) often correlates with good deliverability, it's essential to understand that clicks are usually a symptom of good email practices, not the sole cause of improved inbox placement. When your emails consistently generate clicks, it often means your content is relevant, your audience is engaged, and your sender reputation is already strong. Mailbox providers see these clicks as confirmation of positive sender behavior, reinforcing their trust in your emails.
Consider a scenario where an email provides all necessary information directly within the message, requiring no clicks. If recipients find this email highly useful and engaging, perhaps spending a long time reading it, but don't click a link, should that negatively impact deliverability? Logically, it shouldn't. ISPs use a multi-factor approach to evaluate engagement. A short read time with an immediate click might be just as positive as a long read time without a click, depending on the email's purpose. The key is genuine interest and interaction, regardless of whether it manifests as a click.
Focusing solely on driving clicks just to game the deliverability system can be counterproductive. If you create artificial reasons for clicks, or force clicks through incomplete content, it can lead to a poor user experience. While it might temporarily boost click rates, it could ultimately lead to higher unsubscribe rates or spam complaints, both of which are far more detrimental to your sender reputation than a low click rate on an otherwise engaging email. This highlights why understanding best practices for improving email click rates matters.
Focus on clicks only
Prioritizing only click-through rates, potentially leading to incomplete emails or misleading calls to action just to force a click. This can annoy recipients and lead to negative feedback. It's an artificial boost that isn't sustainable.
Focus on holistic engagement
Creating genuinely valuable content that naturally encourages interaction, whether through a click, a reply, or even just extended read time. This builds a strong, long-term sender reputation.
How mailbox providers interpret click behavior
Mailbox providers are incredibly sophisticated. They don't just count clicks; they analyze the nature of those clicks. For instance, a click that immediately follows a long read time might be viewed differently than a click on a verification link within a transactional email. They also differentiate between clicks on tracking links used by ESPs and direct clicks on the content itself. This granular analysis helps them understand the true intent and value of the interaction.
For example, Google and Outlook.com (and Yahoo Mail) use sophisticated machine learning models that weigh multiple factors, including engagement metrics like clicks, to determine where an email should be placed. A user consistently clicking on your emails signals that they want to receive them, which positively impacts your sender reputation over time. However, this is combined with factors like email authentication, spam complaint rates, and whether your IP or domain is on any blocklists or blacklists.
It's also worth noting how different types of links might be perceived. For instance, email providers track clicks on verification links differently than regular marketing links. Technical factors, such as whether you're using HTTP tracking links or secure HTTPS links, or even link shorteners with ESP click tracking, can also play a subtle role in how these interactions are processed by the receiving server. The primary goal is to ensure that the user genuinely wants and interacts with your mail, and clicks are a strong indicator of this. The more opens and clicks your emails receive, the better your sender reputation becomes, which directly impacts your inbox placement. Good email content leads to high engagement, which in turn supports good deliverability.
Engagement metric
Impact on deliverability
How MBPs view it
Clicks
High positive impact, strong indicator of interest
Signals active recipient engagement and content relevance.
Recipient found subject line and sender appealing enough to open.
Replies
Very high positive impact, strongest form of engagement
Direct user-initiated communication, indicates deep interest and trust.
Spam complaints
Extremely negative, severe damage to reputation
Clear signal of unwanted mail, often leads to blocking or spam folder placement.
Unsubscribes
Negative, indicates loss of interest
Recipient no longer wishes to receive mail, but less severe than a spam complaint.
Strategies to genuinely improve engagement and deliverability
Instead of chasing clicks for their own sake, focus on comprehensive strategies that naturally foster genuine engagement. This holistic approach is what truly improves your inbox deliverability. It's about building and maintaining a strong sender reputation through consistent positive interactions and adherence to best practices. If you're wondering how to improve your email deliverability, start with these foundational elements.
Content relevance and value: Ensure your emails provide genuine value to your subscribers. Relevant content naturally leads to higher engagement rates, including clicks. Personalization and segmentation can significantly improve open rates and keep subscribers coming back for more.
List hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or invalid addresses. Sending to engaged users helps demonstrate positive interaction to ISPs. Consider implementing a double opt-in process to ensure you're only emailing highly engaged subscribers.
Sender authentication: Properly configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. These are fundamental to proving your legitimacy as a sender and are prerequisite for good deliverability. Without these, even high clicks might not get your emails through.
Monitor blocklists (blacklists): Keep an eye on your sending reputation and ensure your IP or domain isn't listed on any major email blacklist (or blocklist). Being on a blacklist will severely impact deliverability, regardless of click rates.
Focus on the user experience
Ultimately, the goal is to send emails that recipients genuinely want to receive and interact with. This leads to positive engagement signals, which then contribute to a strong sender reputation and, as a result, improved inbox placement. When emails consistently drive real value, clicks will follow naturally, reinforcing your positive standing with mailbox providers.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Maintain a clean and engaged email list by regularly removing inactive subscribers.
Craft compelling and relevant content that organically encourages recipients to click and interact.
Ensure proper sender authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for a strong foundational reputation.
Monitor all engagement metrics, not just clicks, to get a holistic view of your email performance.
Common pitfalls
Sending emails with low engagement rates, leading to negative signals and reputation damage.
Attempting to force clicks through incomplete content, which can backfire with recipients.
Ignoring spam complaints or high bounce rates, which are critical deliverability red flags.
Failing to implement proper email authentication protocols.
Expert tips
Mailbox providers use complex, multi-factor algorithms, so no single metric is the 'holy grail'.
A click is a strong indicator of engagement, but it's often a correlation, not direct causation.
An email that provides all information directly, without a click, can still be positive if read time is long.
Some specific, niche mail types or mailbox providers might weigh clicks more heavily.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says clicks are the highest level of engagement with a campaign, and ISPs likely consider this when deciding where to place messages.
2021-08-27 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says that a perfect email might not need a click, providing all information directly. It would be strange to be penalized for sending the most user-friendly email. Clicks count as engagement, but are not the sole factor.
2021-08-27 - Email Geeks
Understanding the interplay of clicks and deliverability
In conclusion, email clicks do not directly improve inbox deliverability in isolation. Instead, they serve as a powerful signal of positive recipient engagement, which is a critical factor in how mailbox providers assess your sender reputation. A high click rate indicates that your emails are relevant, valuable, and desired by your audience, reinforcing your trustworthiness as a sender. This, in turn, contributes to better inbox placement over time.
The key is to focus on creating genuinely engaging content and maintaining a healthy email list. When you prioritize the user experience and provide true value, clicks will follow naturally. This organic engagement, combined with robust technical foundations like email authentication, is the most effective path to consistently landing in the inbox. Remember, a holistic approach to email deliverability, where clicks are one of many important signals, is far more sustainable and effective than chasing any single metric in isolation.
Google and 
Outlook.com (and 
Yahoo Mail) use sophisticated machine learning models that weigh multiple factors, including engagement metrics like clicks, to determine where an email should be placed. A user consistently clicking on your emails signals that they want to receive them, which positively impacts your sender reputation over time. However, this is combined with factors like email authentication, spam complaint rates, and whether your IP or domain is on any blocklists or blacklists.
