Summary
Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) and Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) are significant privacy features, but their impact on email click tracking is often misunderstood. While MPP primarily affects the accuracy of open rate metrics by preloading images, it generally does not interfere with actual clicks on links within an email. Similarly, ITP, a Safari browser feature, focuses on limiting cross-site tracking via cookies and does not directly block or alter how click tracking URLs function within emails themselves. The key distinction lies in what each technology is designed to protect: MPP protects user privacy by masking IP addresses and pre-fetching content, while ITP prevents persistent cross-site tracking in the browser environment.
Key findings
- MPP focus: Mail Privacy Protection is designed to prevent senders from knowing when or if an email has been opened, primarily by preloading all images, including tracking pixels. This skews open rates, but not click rates.
- ITP focus: Intelligent Tracking Prevention in Safari is aimed at limiting third-party cookie tracking across websites, not directly at email link clicks. Once a user clicks an email link, they are taken to a browser environment where ITP might then come into play for subsequent browsing activity.
- Click tracking mechanism: Email click tracking typically works by redirecting users through a tracking domain before sending them to the final destination. This process is generally unaffected by MPP or ITP within the email client itself.
- No direct blocking: Neither MPP nor ITP are designed to block or restrict the functionality of click tracking URLs embedded in emails.
Key considerations
- Redefining engagement: Given the impact of MPP on open rates, marketers should shift their focus to more reliable engagement metrics like clicks, conversions, and replies. For more on this, see our article on how internet service providers track email engagement.
- Understanding MPP: It is crucial for marketers to understand that MPP affects open tracking, not click tracking. Dive deeper into how MPP impacts email opens and clicks for a comprehensive view.
- Safari's ITP: While ITP does not directly affect email click links, it can impact how user behavior is tracked on the landing pages linked from emails, particularly concerning third-party cookies. For more details on ITP's broader impact, consider this article on how ITP changed marketing data tracking analytics.
- Distinguishing pixels: A 'click tracking pixel' is not a standard term. Marketers should differentiate between open tracking pixels (affected by MPP) and URL-based click tracking (generally unaffected).
What email marketers say
Email marketers are continuously adapting to privacy changes introduced by Apple. While there's initial confusion about the scope of Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) and Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP), the consensus among marketers who understand these technologies is that click tracking in emails remains largely unaffected. The main challenge posed by MPP is the invalidation of open rates as a reliable engagement metric, shifting the focus towards clicks and conversions. Marketers are also concerned about potential impacts on broader website tracking post-click, where ITP might play a role.
Key opinions
- MPP misconceptions: Many marketers initially confused MPP's impact on opens with its effect on clicks, leading to unnecessary concern.
- Focus on clicks: Marketers are increasingly relying on click-through rates (CTRs) as a primary measure of email engagement, given the unreliable nature of open rates post-MPP.
- ITP's browser scope: It's understood that ITP's influence is predominantly within the browser environment for cross-site tracking, not directly on email link mechanics.
- No click tracking pixel: The term click tracking pixel is a misnomer; click tracking uses URL redirects, while pixels are for opens.
Key considerations
- Data interpretation: Marketers need to adjust their analytics and reporting to account for the changes introduced by MPP, specifically separating genuine engagement from preloaded content. This is part of the broader discussion on identifying and mitigating bot clicks.
- Testing email performance: Regular testing of email performance using actual click data is essential to understand real audience engagement, rather than relying on potentially inflated open rates.
- Tracking domain setup: While subdomains for click tracking don't bypass MPP, ensuring your tracking domains are properly configured for deliverability is always a best practice. Learn more about email link cloaking and click tracking best practices.
- Adapt strategies: Marketers need to adapt their strategies to focus on metrics that are not impacted by privacy changes, moving beyond open rates. This includes focusing on downstream conversions and engagement directly related to clicks. The Newsletter Newsletter details what marketers need to know about link tracking and iOS 17.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks indicates that they are still trying to interpret their client's questions about Apple's domain restrictions on click tracking, especially concerning alias click tracking performance. They are trying to determine if using a subdomain for an alias would affect tracking performance, although their initial thought is that it would not change MPP.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Digital Hill states that if MPP is enabled, Apple Mail users cannot be tracked by email senders regarding their opens. This means marketers can't track their results or target particular recipients based on open data, which could have a significant impact on campaign analysis.
What the experts say
Experts in email deliverability and privacy tech agree that Apple's Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) and Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) have distinct functions, neither of which directly blocks or impedes traditional email click tracking. MPP is explicitly about preloading images to obscure open events and IP addresses, while ITP is a browser-side mechanism targeting cross-site cookie tracking. Any perceived 'domain restrictions on click tracking' often stems from a misunderstanding of these technologies or an attempt to use email for browser-based tracking methods that ITP is designed to prevent.
Key opinions
- MPP's specific role: MPP is focused solely on image preloading and caching, which impacts open tracking, not click tracking.
- ITP's browser context: ITP is a Safari browser feature designed to prevent cross-site tracking and does not affect URLs clicked within emails before they open in the browser.
- No 'click tracking pixel': The concept of a 'click tracking pixel' is incorrect; click tracking is performed via URL redirects, not pixels.
- Browser-based tracking: Any impact on tracking from email clicks would occur in the browser (e.g., cookie setting), where ITP might be relevant, rather than in the email client itself.
Key considerations
- Clarify terminology: It is important to educate clients and marketers on the precise definitions and functions of privacy technologies to avoid confusion. For example, understanding that email tracking pixels affect deliverability primarily through open rates.
- Confirm implementation: If a client experiences issues, confirm how their specific tracking is implemented. It might be related to unusual methods that ITP could block, rather than standard click tracking.
- Differentiate impacts: Clearly distinguish between email open tracking (impacted by MPP) and email click tracking (generally not impacted by MPP or ITP). Our article how iOS 15 affects email marketing privacy provides further context.
- Address misconceptions: Address client concerns about 'domain restrictions' directly by explaining that standard email click tracking isn't typically subject to these, unlike some browser-based tracking. For more on browser impact, refer to Clearcode's explanation of intelligent tracking prevention versions.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks states definitively that Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) has no relevance when it comes to clicks. They clarify that MPP's function is image preloading and caching, which affects open rates, not click events.
Expert view
Expert from Spamresource emphasizes that MPP primarily impacts open tracking by preloading images in the background, making it appear as if an email has been opened regardless of actual user interaction. This fundamentally changes how marketers can measure engagement.
What the documentation says
Official and technical documentation on Apple's privacy features, namely Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) and Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP), consistently outline their distinct functionalities. MPP's primary objective is to enhance email privacy by preloading all email content, including hidden pixels, regardless of whether a user opens the email. This mechanism obscures IP addresses and false open signals. ITP, on the other hand, is a browser-level privacy feature designed to curb cross-site tracking, primarily by limiting the efficacy of third-party cookies in Safari. Neither technology is documented to directly interfere with the function of embedded click tracking URLs within email messages.
Key findings
- MPP's mechanism: MPP works by routing email content through a privacy relay server, preloading images to mask the user's IP address and actual open time. This specifically targets open tracking pixels.
- ITP's browser scope: ITP applies to the Safari browser and limits the ability of websites to track users across different sites, mainly by reducing the lifespan of cookies used for cross-site tracking.
- Click tracking functionality: Click tracking relies on URL redirects, where a user's click takes them through a tracking server before reaching the final destination. This process is distinct from image loading and cookie setting.
- No direct click interference: Documentation does not indicate that MPP or ITP are designed to prevent the registration of a click on an email link itself.
Key considerations
- Impact on metrics: While open rates are rendered less reliable, click-through rates remain a viable metric for email engagement, as highlighted by The Newsletter Newsletter's discussion on link tracking and iOS 17.
- Distinguishing tracking: Understanding the difference between email open tracking (pixel-based, affected by MPP) and click tracking (URL-based, not affected) is crucial for accurate analysis. Digital Hill's blog further details the impact of apple mail privacy protection.
- Post-click implications: While ITP doesn't affect the click itself, it can impact how user behavior is tracked on the landing page once the user has clicked through from the email. This may require adjustments to website analytics.
- Privacy landscape: The introduction of these features underscores a broader industry shift towards enhanced user privacy, prompting marketers to adapt their measurement and attribution strategies across all channels.
Technical article
Documentation from Digital Hill Multimedia, Inc. states that if Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) is enabled, email senders cannot track Apple Mail users, specifically impacting their ability to know if an email was opened. This affects marketers' ability to assess results or target recipients based on open data.
Technical article
Documentation from Vance Bell clarifies that Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) works by preloading remote content in the background. This action makes it appear as though every email is opened, even before the recipient has actually read it, thus invalidating traditional open rate metrics.
Related resources
8 resources
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