Click tracking is disabled by default. It is only active on campaigns where you explicitly enable it.
Overview
When tracking is enabled for a campaign, ColdSend applies two changes to each outgoing email:- Link rewriting — HTTP/HTTPS links in the email body are replaced with an opaque tracking-domain URL that redirects to the original destination.
- Open pixel — a small tracking pixel is added so opens can be measured.
click.yourdomain.com). Recipients who click a link are transparently redirected to the intended destination.
What We Track
For each click or open event, ColdSend records only the following:What We Do Not Track
We deliberately minimize collection: there is no raw IP address, no raw User-Agent fingerprint, and no personally identifying network data kept on file.Bot & Scanner Filtering
Many “clicks” and “opens” are generated automatically by security scanners and mail-protection systems rather than real recipients. ColdSend applies three heuristics to distinguish automated traffic:- Timing — events occurring within roughly 7 seconds of send are treated as automated.
- Known-scanner denylist — the User-Agent category is matched against a denylist of known scanners (for example Microsoft ATP, Proofpoint).
- HTTP method —
HEADrequests are treated as automated pre-fetches rather than genuine clicks.
Only verified non-bot clicks count toward your reported CTR. Both the raw count and the verified count are retained so you can audit filtering behavior.
Open Tracking
Open tracking is unified onto the same tracking domain as click tracking and follows the same data-minimization rules described above: UTC timestamp, coarse scanner category, and HTTP method only — no raw IP address.Data Retention
Raw event rows are removed on a rolling 90-day schedule. Only aggregated, non-identifying metrics are kept beyond that window.
Your Rights & Opt-Out
- Off by default — no tracking occurs unless you turn it on.
- Per-campaign toggle — tracking is controlled independently for each campaign.
- Account-level disable — to disable click and open tracking entirely for your account, contact support.
Data Subject Requests & Deletion
ColdSend supports data erasure at the lead level. Deleting a lead cascades to remove all related tracking data:tracked_links— the opaque link mappings for that lead.click_events— the raw click/open event rows.lead_link_clicks— the aggregated click counts for that lead.
Security
Signed Opaque Tokens
Tracking links use HMAC-SHA256 signed, opaque tokens. The original URL is never exposed in the link itself.
No Open Redirects
Redirects resolve only to server-stored original URLs, eliminating open-redirect abuse.
Enumeration Protection
Opaque tokens combined with rate limiting prevent enumeration or scraping of tracked links.
Server-Side Mapping
The destination URL is stored server-side and resolved only via the signed token.
GDPR Alignment
ColdSend’s tracking design follows core GDPR principles:- Data minimization — only a timestamp, coarse scanner category, HTTP method, and an opaque link identifier are stored; no raw IP addresses.
- Storage limitation — raw events are auto-purged after 90 days.
- Right to erasure — deleting a lead cascades to all tracking tables, making erasure straightforward.
- Purpose limitation — data is used solely to compute campaign engagement metrics.
This page describes the technical behavior of the tracking feature. It is not legal advice. You remain responsible for your own lawful basis, notices, and consent requirements when enabling tracking.