Can link security checkers cause false no-js reports in email analytics?

Key findings

• Bot interaction: Security checkers and email scanners often click links to pre-scan them for malicious content, and these automated processes may not execute JavaScript.
• Immediate clicks: A high volume of immediate clicks, especially from unusual IP addresses or user agents, can indicate automated security scanning rather than human interaction.
• No-JS reports: These automated clicks are frequently reported by analytics as originating from environments where JavaScript is disabled, leading to false 'no-JS' reports.
• Impact on metrics: Such false positives can inflate click rates and distort understanding of actual user engagement with email campaigns. Learn how to identify artificial email opens and clicks.

Key considerations

• Data accuracy: It is crucial to differentiate between bot clicks and genuine user engagement to ensure accurate analytics and campaign optimization. Some bots are designed to click links to identify malware.
• Security protocols: Email security software often involves clicking hyperlinks as part of its scanning process. For more information, read do email security solutions click hyperlinks?
• Filtering strategies: Marketers may need to implement strategies to filter out these bot clicks from their reported analytics to get a clearer picture of human behavior.
• Behavior analysis: Analyzing user behavior patterns beyond initial clicks, such as subsequent page views or conversions, can help distinguish genuine engagement from bot activity.

Key opinions

• Confirmation of issue: Marketers confirm that link security checkers can indeed register as clicks from browsers not supporting JavaScript.
• High immediate clicks: There's a common observation of a high volume of immediate clicks, many of which report as 'no-JS' users.
• Hidden link strategy: Some marketers suggest using hidden links in the email footer/header to identify and filter out bot clicks. This relates to HTTP tracking links.
• Untracked clickers: Marketers also observe 'untracked clickers' or clicks with zero pageviews, often originating from schools and businesses, indicating automated scanning. Marketers can identify and report bot clicks.

Key considerations

• Automated engagement: The prevalence of security clickers necessitates adjusting expectations for email click-through rates, as not all clicks represent human engagement.
• Analytics interpretation: It's important to refine analytics methods to filter or account for these bot interactions to gain accurate insights into campaign performance.
• Platform behavior: Some email platforms may inadvertently create hidden links, leading to accidental bot tracking, as noted by some marketers.
• Security vs. deliverability: Balancing security measures with the need for accurate analytics is an ongoing challenge for email marketers.Clicking a phishing link can compromise devices.

Key opinions

• Microsoft's stance: A key opinion from experts is that Microsoft has warned against using invisible links in emails, a technique sometimes employed to identify security scanner clicks.
• Lack of public information: The warning about invisible links appears to stem from private discussions, meaning there's no widely available public documentation on this specific policy, making it harder to track. This impacts how experts approach email deliverability issues.
• Observed behavior: Despite warnings, some organizations using invisible links have not reported issues, even on large volumes of emails, suggesting the impact might not be universal or immediately apparent.
• Ongoing vigilance: Experts emphasize the need for continued monitoring and awareness of how such tactics could impact deliverability and sender reputation. This is vital to improve domain reputation.

Key considerations

• Hidden link risks: While invisible links can help identify bot clicks, the potential for negative impact on deliverability or being flagged as suspicious content remains a concern for experts.
• Vendor communication: The lack of public advisories from major ESPs regarding hidden links makes it difficult for senders to confirm compliance or understand best practices.
• Evolving policies: Email service providers and security companies continuously update their filtering mechanisms, meaning strategies that work today may not be effective or safe tomorrow.
• Impact on blocklists: Misleading analytics or flagged practices could potentially lead to IP or domain blocklisting, impacting overall email program health. Understanding real-time blocklists is important.

Key findings

• Phishing detection: Phishing analysis guides demonstrate that security systems automatically inspect email headers and links to detect malicious content, which involves clicking. Find out more about inspecting email headers.
• Automated analysis: Tools and AI models are utilized to analyze phishing emails, including detecting malicious links. This automated process can trigger analytic tracking.
• Behavioral simulation: Security checkers often simulate a user's click without fully rendering the page, which explains why JavaScript-dependent analytics might not register correctly.
• Link security: The importance of secure (HTTPS) links for sender reputation is highlighted, indicating that security systems prioritize safe navigation, regardless of JavaScript execution. Learn more about SSL for tracked links.

Key considerations

• Protocol adherence: While security checkers might not execute JavaScript, they typically follow standard web protocols. Ensuring your links are secure (HTTPS) is critical. For instance, does using HTTP links affect deliverability?
• Security implications: Phishing prevention is a primary concern for security systems, so their automated clicks are a necessary evil for inbox protection. Cisco outlines what phishing is.
• Advanced detection: The sophistication of phishing attacks means security checkers must be aggressive in their link analysis, contributing to the volume of 'no-JS' clicks.
• Impact on deliverability: While not directly impacting deliverability through blacklisting for the 'no-JS' itself, the underlying practices (like using hidden links) could be scrutinized.