How to ignore/remove link tracking on mailto links

[SuperRadDM]

Is there any function to remove link tracking where a href begins <a href="mailto: ?

Reason being is that those links rather than open in the default email client, open a new web page at the Mailwizz tracking location. e.g :

https://mailwizz.domain/index.php/campaigns/campid/track-url/trackid/linkid

In my use case i do not want an email address link tracked.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[twisted1919]

open a new web page at the Mailwizz tracking location. e.g

Yes but that will open the email client if you have an email client installed. isn't it?

 

[SuperRadDM]

Hi Twisted, thanks for the quick reply. Unfortunately not, it opens a browser window that prompts to open a mail service.

Rather than to just open the default mail service.

Expected behaviour (from previous systems ESPs)

I open the email in Outlook/Gmail/Thunderbird
Click mailto link
Link not tracked
Outlook/Gmail/Thunderbird opens new message window.

Current behaviour.

I open the email in Outlook
Click mailto link
link tracked
browser window opens to register the tracked link.
browser asks what mail program I want to use.

In my opinion Mailwizz is adding an extra step that i think will put subscribers off from engaging with the mailto link, for fear of spam or viruses.

I'm assuming at this stage there is no option to disable tracking on mailto links?

 

[twisted1919]

Unfortunately not, it opens a browser window that prompts to open a mail service.

In my case it opens the email client directly. @laurentiu can you also check this? Anyone else open to check this?

I'm assuming at this stage there is no option to disable tracking on mailto links?

Believe it or not, it was a struggle to make this type of tracking actually work because it was requested heavily at some point in the past, so disabling it now may upset people. In best case scenario, we can add a setting for this in the app to toggle it on/off.

 

[SuperRadDM]

Thanks for looking into this Twisted. I'm assuming your browser already has a default mail client assigned to it which is why your email client opens.

When you click a mailto link does it also open a presumably blank web page with the tracking URL?

Thanks,

J.

 

[twisted1919]

When you click a mailto link does it also open a presumably blank web page with the tracking URL?

If you don't have an email client installed, the page will most likely remain a white page doing nothing.

 

[twisted1919]

Isn't that any OS is now having it's own email client?

 

[SuperRadDM]

Hey Twisted. I've got several mail clients installed. I was asking specifically what happens on your machine when you click a mailto link.

FWIW I've also found an interesting behaviour.

If the mailto link includes subject= it opens the default client right away. If the link doesn't, then it tries to open a browser.

e.g.

href="mailto:mail@mail.com"

- Webpage opened with tracking code, webpage asks which mail client to use

href="mailto:mail@mail.com?Subject=Mail"

- Default mail client opens without link tracking.

 

[twisted1919]

If the link doesn't, then it tries to open a browser.

But the link by default, being a tracking link, will open in browser no matter what, then the browser will redirect. While the redirect happens, the link is tracked. The browser itself will decide how it handles the link, being an email link, it will most likely open the email client. So even if you end up with a white browser page, the email client should pop-up.
In my case, it opens the email client and that's all, no blank page.

 

[SuperRadDM]

Hi Twisted, in addition to the above, I'm attempting to write a lengthy email to client trying to explain why he can see that some mailto: links were clicked but not others.

I have an email template with a number of products and a button saying 'Click here for info' behind all those buttons are mailto: links with subjects. e.g. mailto:email@email.com?subject=More Info

None of these links are tracked (And that's what I'd expect).

At the foot of the template there is a contact us section with a number of mailto: links that are just mailto:email@email.com (no subjects).

These links WERE tracked.

All of the tracked links open a Firefox browser first (my default browser), with Firefox asking to open a default mail program.



Frustratingly I've set the checkbox above multiple times, but the pop up keeps appearing (Firefox's issue, not yours).

I'm trying to explain to my client that mailto: links aren't typically tracked because of the faff above. e.g. Click the link, browser opens, directs to tracking page, mail client tries to open, recipient gives up.

I'd argue the tracking of a successful mailto: link click is whether or not you received an email from your recipient. As i say, i've never seen mailto links tracked in any other system I've used.

So I'm not really sure what I'm asking for here.

Either ALL mailto: links are tracked (including those with 'subject=') OR none of them are. And I'd prefer if it was none, or at least have the option to turn off mailto link tracking.

Thanks as always,

J.