Why am I seeing a large uptick in Outlook clicks that appear to be bots?

Key findings

• Automated scanning: The massive uptick in clicks from Outlook.com MX domains suggests Microsoft's automated systems are pre-scanning links within emails. This is a common practice among major mailbox providers (ISPs) to protect users from spam, phishing, and malware.
• Not a deliverability issue (yet): While unusual, this activity often does not immediately indicate a negative deliverability impact. If other metrics like open rates, spam complaints, and actual user engagement remain consistent, the automated clicks might primarily be an issue of skewed reporting.
• Widespread occurrence: Many senders have reported similar increases in bot-like click activity, particularly from Microsoft domains. This suggests it's a systemic behavior by the ISP rather than a specific issue with an individual sender's reputation or infrastructure.
• Focus on reputation: Maintain vigilance over your domain and IP reputation. Even if current metrics seem unaffected, a sudden surge in bot clicks could sometimes precede or indicate changes in how the ISP perceives your sending behavior.

Key considerations

• Distorted metrics: Automated clicks inflate your click-through rates, making it difficult to assess true subscriber engagement. This can lead to misinformed campaign optimization decisions. For more, read about why you might see inflated clicks.
• Monitoring: Continue monitoring your deliverability metrics, including inbox placement, spam rates, and engagement data, to identify any genuine shifts. Pay particular attention to Outlook/Microsoft spam rates for unusual spikes.
• IP address data: While not always available, analyzing the IP addresses associated with these clicks can sometimes reveal patterns. Many bot clicks originate from known security scanner IP ranges.
• Proactive measures: Ensure your email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are correctly configured. This strengthens your sender reputation and signals to ISPs that your emails are legitimate. Learn about how to identify and deal with click bots.

Key opinions

• Reporting inaccuracy: The primary concern for marketers is the distortion of email metrics, making it difficult to differentiate between genuine user engagement and automated activity.
• Not isolated: Many marketers acknowledge that they also observe similar patterns, indicating that it's not an isolated incident but a common challenge across the industry.
• Outlook specific: While other ISPs might have similar mechanisms, marketers frequently highlight Outlook/Microsoft domains as a prominent source of these bot clicks.
• Proactive monitoring: Despite no immediate negative impact, marketers often express concern about these clicks being a 'leading indicator' of future deliverability problems.

Key considerations

• Data analytics: Consider implementing advanced analytics to filter out bot clicks and gain a clearer picture of real user engagement. This might involve analyzing timestamps, IP ranges, or user agent strings.
• Trend analysis: Look for consistent patterns in your bot click activity over time to distinguish between normal ISP scanning and genuinely concerning anomalies.
• Segmenting data: If possible, segment your click data by domain or IP to isolate the impact of these automated clicks, especially from Office 365 or Outlook hosted domains, as discussed in our guide on automatic clicks.
• Beyond clicks: Focus on other engagement metrics like conversions, reply rates, and actual sales to measure campaign effectiveness, as these are less susceptible to bot interference. Learn about why your click rates might be inflated by bot clicks.

Key opinions

• Security measure: Many experts agree that these clicks are a form of security metadata, where ISPs (like Outlook) are pre-scanning links to verify safety before delivering the email to the inbox.
• Common occurrence: The phenomenon is widespread, and it's not just one sender experiencing it. This indicates it's an industry-wide trend related to ISP filtering practices.
• Not always problematic: Unless accompanied by other negative indicators like increased spam complaints or bounces, these clicks might not be a direct deliverability issue but rather a reporting anomaly.
• ISP-specific behavior: Some experts suggest that Microsoft's behavior might be targeting specific ESPs or sending patterns, indicating a more nuanced approach to their scanning processes.

Key considerations

• Metadata analysis: Experts recommend examining metadata about where clicks originate, such as IP addresses, to understand if they belong to known security scanners. For more, see our guide on unusual click activity from EC2 IPs.
• Sender reputation: Continuously monitor and maintain a strong sender reputation. While bot clicks might not be a direct penalty, a good reputation helps ensure legitimate emails continue to reach the inbox.
• Authentication: Ensure all email authentication standards (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are fully implemented and correctly configured. This is crucial for verifying sender legitimacy to ISPs. See our guide to boosting email deliverability rates.
• Contextual analysis: Look at the bigger picture: are there any new spam traps or blocklist issues that could explain a shift in scanning intensity? Sometimes these behaviors are linked.

Key findings

• Advanced threat protection: ISPs (Internet Service Providers) like Microsoft employ sophisticated systems to scan emails for malicious content, including suspicious links. These systems often involve automated clicks to test link safety.
• Link verification: Pre-scanning links is a method to prevent zero-day exploits and ensure that URLs are safe before users interact with them. This is a common practice across the email ecosystem.
• Sender reputation impact: While the clicks themselves are security measures, consistent detection of problematic links could negatively impact a sender's reputation and deliverability over time.
• Dynamic scanning: Scanning processes are dynamic and continuously updated to combat new threats, meaning the intensity or patterns of bot clicks can change over time.

Key considerations

• URL structure: Ensure that your URLs are clean and do not contain any elements that might trigger heightened security scans, such as suspicious parameters or redirects. This can help with issues like hidden links in emails.
• Domain reputation: Maintain a pristine domain reputation by adhering to email best practices. This includes consistent sending volume, low complaint rates, and proper authentication. Our guide on email domain reputation can assist.
• Feedback loops: Participate in ISP feedback loops to receive direct reports on spam complaints, which can help in cleaning your lists and improving sender practices.
• Compliance: Adhere to email compliance standards (like CAN-SPAM, GDPR) to ensure your emails are legitimate and reduce the likelihood of being flagged for heightened security scrutiny.