Summary
Inflated click rates in email marketing reports are commonly attributed to bot activity, including security scanners, click fraud, and increased testing by services like Outlook. A surge was observed around May-June, largely from Microsoft. Detecting and mitigating this requires a multi-faceted approach. Bot traffic is sometimes good as its spam filters checking your links.
Various methods are recommended, including identifying patterns (rapid clicks, known datacenter IPs), implementing honeypot techniques, leveraging pre-flight testing, analyzing user agents/click times, using bot detection software (Cloudflare, Akamai, DataDome, Imperva), and utilizing features in Google Analytics. Segmenting audiences, filtering by location/device, and upgrading infrastructure (instead of throttling) are also advised. Scanner clicks are identifiable by their speed and source and should be considered when interpreting engagement metrics.
Key findings
- Bot Activity Surge: Increased bot activity, particularly from Microsoft and security scanners, contributes significantly to inflated click rates.
- Detection Methods Abound: Numerous strategies exist for identifying bot traffic, from analyzing click patterns to employing honeypot techniques.
- Proactive Measures: Pre-flight testing and robust bot detection software are crucial for mitigating inflated metrics.
- Analytics Tools Integration: Tools like Google Analytics, Cloudflare, Akamai, DataDome, and Imperva provide features to filter and manage bot traffic.
- Scanner Clicks: Scanners clicking the links are often the cause of the traffic but is a good sign for deliverability.
Key considerations
- Strategic Segmentation: Segment your audience to exclude bot traffic, focusing on click patterns, IP addresses, and location/device anomalies.
- Infrastructure: Upgrade infrastructure to handle query rates, avoiding throttling, which can hinder spam filters. Invest in a good delivery tool.
- Data Interpretation: When analyzing metrics, account for scanner clicks and adjust interpretations of user engagement accordingly.
- Filter Selection: Implement robust bot filtering solutions, adapting configurations to address evolving bot tactics.
- Holistic Testing: Emphasize thorough pre-flight testing to catch email design issues contributing to unintended clicks.
What email marketers say
12 marketer opinions
Inflated click rates in email marketing reports are frequently attributed to bot activity, including security scanners and click fraud. These bots skew data by rapidly clicking links, often immediately after delivery. While a wave of bot activity was noted around May-June, primarily from Microsoft, this is an ongoing issue requiring mitigation strategies. Solutions involve identifying and excluding bot traffic through segmentation, implementing honeypot techniques, pre-flight testing, analyzing click patterns and user agents, and using dedicated bot detection software.
Key opinions
- Bot Traffic Surge: A surge in bot activity was observed in May-June, primarily attributed to Microsoft scanners, skewing email click metrics.
- Persistent Issue: Bot activity is an ongoing challenge, necessitating continuous mitigation efforts by ESPs and marketers.
- Diverse Detection Methods: Various methods exist to identify bot traffic, including analyzing click speed, IP addresses, user agents, and implementing honeypot links.
- Proactive Testing: Pre-flight testing can reveal issues like broken links or rendering problems that contribute to unintentional clicks, falsely inflating metrics.
- Software Solutions: Dedicated bot detection software offers advanced capabilities for identifying and blocking malicious bot traffic, enhancing data accuracy.
Key considerations
- Segmentation Strategies: Segmenting audiences based on click patterns and IP addresses can help exclude bot traffic, providing a more accurate view of human engagement.
- Honeypot Implementation: Implementing honeypot links can effectively trap bots, enabling their exclusion from overall click metrics.
- Thorough Analysis: Analyze click times, user agents, and other data points to diagnose false clicks, particularly focusing on patterns indicative of bot activity (e.g., clicks faster than humanly possible).
- Software Investment: Investing in bot detection software can provide robust solutions for identifying and blocking malicious bots, ensuring more reliable analytics.
- Pre-Deployment Checks: Routinely conduct pre-flight tests to identify and rectify any email design flaws that might lead to accidental clicks and inflated reporting.
Marketer view
Email marketer from MarketingProfs shares that click fraud, often caused by bots, can inflate click rates. They recommend using click fraud detection software and monitoring IP addresses to identify and block suspicious activity.
22 Nov 2021 - MarketingProfs
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that it’s one of those things that is here to stay, so the sooner ESPs invest in mitigation the better. Since in our space data is key.
1 Aug 2022 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
Inflated click rates are often due to automated scanners checking email links for safety. Recent increases in Outlook domain activity have been observed, along with widespread scanner clicks. While some see this as a positive sign (content being scanned), solutions include filtering scanner clicks (as Klaviyo implemented) and massaging reporting numbers. Throttling traffic is discouraged, as it hinders spam filters; instead, infrastructure upgrades are recommended for handling query rates. These scanner clicks happen quickly after delivery and lack genuine engagement.
Key opinions
- Outlook Activity: Increased activity from Outlook domains testing email links contributes to inflated click metrics.
- Scanner Clicks: Automated security scanners clicking links for safety are a primary cause of inflated click rates.
- Detection Methods: Scanner clicks are identifiable by their speed (shortly after delivery) and source (security services).
- Filter Implementation: Solutions like filtering scanner clicks (as seen in Klaviyo) help refine engagement metrics.
- Bot Traffic Benefits: Bot traffic and spam filter checks are a good sign.
Key considerations
- Infrastructure Upgrades: If query rates are problematic, prioritize upgrading infrastructure over throttling traffic.
- Data Interpretation: Massage reporting numbers to provide accurate and meaningful data, considering scanner clicks.
- Client Review: Review across multiple clients to see if Outlook or other increased scanner activity is also observed on other infrastructures.
- Engagement Assessment: Recognize that scanner clicks don't represent genuine user engagement; adjust marketing strategies accordingly.
- Filtering Adoption: Explore implementing filters to exclude scanner clicks from overall response metrics, similar to strategies employed by Klaviyo.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that multiple Klaviyo customers have suggested this is a new thing at Microsoft and they implemented a switch to allow users to filter those clicks out of responses.
23 Dec 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares that others have noticed an increase in Outlook domains testing links and suggests reviewing across multiple clients to see if others are seeing it on your infra too.
1 Jun 2024 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Inflated click rates due to bot activity can be mitigated using various tools and techniques. Google Analytics offers a bot filtering option based on a list of known bots. Cloudflare's Bot Management uses behavioral analysis and machine learning. Akamai employs header analysis, JavaScript challenges, and behavioral analysis. DataDome utilizes advanced bot detection technologies like machine learning and browser fingerprinting. Imperva's approach includes behavioral analysis, reputation analysis, and challenge-response techniques. These solutions aim to distinguish between legitimate users and bots to improve the accuracy of analytics reports.
Key findings
- Google Analytics Filtering: Google Analytics provides built-in bot filtering based on a maintained list of known bots.
- Cloudflare Bot Management: Cloudflare employs behavioral analysis and machine learning to identify and mitigate bot traffic.
- Akamai Bot Detection: Akamai utilizes header analysis, JavaScript challenges, and behavioral analysis for bot detection.
- DataDome Advanced Techniques: DataDome uses machine learning and browser fingerprinting for advanced bot detection and blocking.
- Imperva Traffic Management: Imperva manages bot traffic using behavioral analysis, reputation analysis, and challenge-response techniques.
Key considerations
- Tool Selection: Choose the appropriate bot management tool based on your specific needs and technical capabilities.
- Integration Requirements: Consider the integration requirements of each solution with your existing infrastructure and analytics platforms.
- False Positive Management: Implement strategies to minimize false positives and ensure legitimate users are not blocked or filtered out.
- Ongoing Maintenance: Regularly review and update bot detection rules and configurations to adapt to evolving bot tactics.
- Behavioral Analysis: Focus on behavioral analysis to detect sophisticated bots that can evade simpler detection methods.
Technical article
Documentation from DataDome details how advanced bot detection technologies use machine learning to analyze user behavior patterns, browser fingerprints, and other data points to identify and block sophisticated bots that can evade simpler detection methods.
25 Apr 2022 - DataDome
Technical article
Documentation from Imperva explains their bot traffic management approach, involving behavioral analysis, reputation analysis, and advanced challenge-response techniques, to discern and manage bot traffic to ensure accurate website analytics.
28 Jul 2022 - Imperva
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