# The Definitive Guide to Email Tracking with Google Analytics

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## Table of contents

- What is email tracking?
- Why should you use email tracking?
- How to set up Google Analytics for email tracking
- Limitations of Google Analytics email tracking
- An alternative to Google Analytics email tracking
- Final takeaway

As a professional in the digital marketing industry, you must understand the importance of tracking and analyzing email performance data. It allows you to understand how your emails are performing so you can optimize them for better ROI. Google Analytics email tracking allows you to gather data on your email campaigns to track the effectiveness of your email marketing efforts, and make data-driven decisions to improve your overall email strategy.

  

In this ultimate guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know about Google Analytics email tracking.

## What is email tracking?

Email tracking, also known as email analytics, is a process of monitoring and analyzing the performance of your email campaigns. It involves gathering data on various metrics such as open, click-through, bounce, and conversion rates to understand how your emails resonate with your audience.

  
  

By tracking these metrics, you can determine which subject lines perform best, identify the most engaging content, and assess the impact of different call-to-action buttons. This enables you to create better, more personalized and targeted email campaigns, ultimately increasing your chances of success.

  
  
  

## Why should you use email tracking?

Email tracking provides you with insights into how recipients engage with your emails. You can evaluate the effectiveness of your campaigns and make informed decisions to improve future results. Here are some key reasons why email tracking is essential:

**1.  Measure campaign performance:** Email tracking provides valuable data on how your campaigns are performing, allowing you to identify which campaigns are performing well and which aren’t. This allows you to learn from the good-performing ones and improve those who aren’t performing well.
    
**2.  Understand recipient behavior:** Tracking metrics like open rates and click-through rates provide insights into how recipients interact with your emails. Combining that with [A/B testing](https://www.mailmodo.com/guides/ab-testing/) can help you understand what works with your audience and tailor your content and design to better resonate with them.
    

  

**3.  Improve email deliverability:** Tracking email metrics can help you identify potential deliverability issues, such as high bounce rates or spam complaints. Addressing these issues can improve your email deliverability and ensure your messages reach the intended recipients’ inboxes.
    

  
  
  
 



## How to set up Google Analytics for email tracking

Google Analytics is a widely used tool for tracking website performance, but it can also be leveraged for email tracking. While it may not provide individual user metrics, it can still offer valuable insights into your email campaigns. We’ve discussed two things that you must set up when you’re using Google Analytics to [track your emails](https://www.mailmodo.com/guides/email-tracking/).

### 1.  Tracking email opens with Google Analytics
    

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to set up tracking email opens with Google Analytics:

**Step 1: Sign up for a Google Analytics account**

If you don't already have a Google Analytics account, sign up for one. If you already use Google Analytics to analyze your website's traffic, you can use the same account for email tracking.

**Step 2: Create a tracking pixel**

To track email opens with Google Analytics, you need to add a "tracking pixel" to your email. The tracking pixel is a small JavaScript code that sends information about the email open to Google Analytics. Here's how you can create a tracking pixel:

-   Start with the following code snippet:
    

 
```
img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/collect?v=1&..."/
```

-   Add additional parameters to the tracking pixel code. These parameters include:
    

**1.  User ID (&uid):** If you're using a[ user ID](https://reteno.com/glossary/user-id) to track users cross-device, you can include it for email tracking as well.
    
**2.  Events (t=event):** Email opens should be tracked as events.
    
**3.  Event category (&ec):** Represents the category of the event, such as "emails."
    
**4.  Client ID (&cid):** A tracking ID you can assign to recipients.
    
**5.  Event action (&ea):** Represents the event action, such as "email open."
    
**6.  Document title (&dt):** Specifies the subject line of the email.
    
**7.  Document path (&dp):** Specifies the path of the tracked item.
    
**8.  Event label (&el):** Allows you to assign a unique ID to the recipient of the email.
    

The final version of your tracking pixel will look something like this:

    <img src="https://www.google-analytics.com/collect?v=1&tid=UA-XXXXXXXX-1&cid=555&t=event&ec=emails&ea=open&dt=your%20email%20subject%20line">

**Step 3: Embed the tracking pixel in the email body**

Once you have created the tracking pixel, you need to embed it in the body of your email. Place the tracking pixel at the bottom of the email to minimize loading time. Keep in mind that some email programs, like Gmail, don't support HTML email composition. In such cases, you can use Chrome's Developer Tools to paste the HTML code into the Gmail Compose window.

**Step 4: Send a test email**

After embedding the tracking pixel, send a test email to yourself. Open the test email to check if Google Analytics captures the email open event. You can monitor real-time stats in Google Analytics by navigating to Realtime > Events.

### 2. Tracking email clicks with Google Analytics

In addition to tracking email opens, Google Analytics can also track email clicks. Here's how you can set up email clicks tracking with Google Analytics:

**Step 1: Open Mailmodo URL builder**

To track email clicks, you need to create trackable links with UTM parameters. You can use the [Mailmodo URL Builder tool](https://www.mailmodo.com/tools/utm-builder/) to generate these trackable URLs.

**Step 2: Build your custom tracking URL**

![UTM Builder](https://res.cloudinary.com/mailmodo/image/upload/f_auto,q_100/v1747808135/strapi/UTM_Builder_by_Mailmodo_eb112ce802.png)

In the Mailmodo URL Builder, enter the website/landing page URL, campaign ID, campaign source, campaign medium, campaign name, campaign term, and campaign content. This will generate a unique tracking URL for your email clicks.

**Step 3: Insert the URL in the email**

Once you have generated the tracking URL, insert it as a hyperlink anywhere in the body of your email. This trackable URL will now be set up for email click tracking.

**Step 4: Check the link clicks in Google Analytics**

To view the link click data, you can check the real-time reports in Google Analytics. Navigate to the Realtime section and monitor the events related to email clicks.

While Google Analytics provides some level of email tracking capabilities, it does have its limitations. Let's explore these limitations and introduce an alternative solution, Mailmodo, that offers advanced email tracking features.



## Limitations of Google Analytics email tracking

Google Analytics email tracking relies on a unique one-pixel image being downloaded to track email opens. However, with the introduction of the Google Image Proxy, the specifics of an "open" are obfuscated, making it challenging to gather accurate data. Here are some limitations of Google Analytics email tracking:

-   **Pixel blockers:** If recipients have pixel blockers enabled in their email clients, Google Analytics won't be able to track email opens.
    
-   **Limited user metrics:** Google Analytics doesn't provide individual user metrics essential for understanding recipient behavior and personalizing email campaigns.
    
-   **No real-time notifications:** Google Analytics doesn't offer immediate notifications or instant reports of email click activity in real-time.
    
-   **Limited reporting:** While Google Analytics provides basic email tracking reports, they are not as comprehensive as those offered by specialized email marketing platforms.
    

  
  

## An alternative to Google Analytics email tracking

To overcome the limitations of Google Analytics email tracking, you can use an ESP like Mailmodo. It offers advanced email performance tracking features that help you understand performance faster and take action with confidence.

- AI Assistant: Ask questions in plain language to get instant insights from your campaign data.
- Dashboard: See all your metrics in one visual, easy-to-read view.
- Performance memory: Track historical performance to spot trends and understand what works best.
- Smart recommendations: Receive AI-driven suggestions to optimize subject lines, CTAs, visuals, and overall email strategy.

![AI analytics final (1) (1).gif](https://res.cloudinary.com/mailmodo/image/upload/f_auto,q_100/v1761113990/strapi/AI_analytics_final_1_1_d66f022f87.gif)

<div class="inline_cta"><div class="ctaBox"><div class="leftdiv"><p>Your AI Assistant for Everything Email Marketing</p><div class="button_container"><a href="https://manage.mailmodo.com/auth/signup?utm_content=inline-cta-s&utm_term=/guides/google-analytics-email-tracking/"><button class="primary_button">Try Mailmodo AI for Free</button></a></div></div><div class="rightdiv"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/mailmodo/image/upload/v1760533119/strapi/image_907_1_ce416d5a3f.png" width="290" height="230" alt="cta-img"/></div></div><div class="gradient"></div></div>  


## Final takeaway

In conclusion, email tracking is a crucial aspect of email marketing, allowing businesses to evaluate the success of their campaigns and optimize them for better results. While Google Analytics offers some email tracking capabilities, it has limitations that can be overcome by using specialized email marketing platforms like Mailmodo. By leveraging advanced email tracking features, you can gain valuable insights into recipient behavior and make data-driven decisions to enhance your email marketing strategy. If Mailmodo sounds like a platform that suits your needs, [book a call with one of our email experts](https://www.mailmodo.com/demo/?utm_content=inline-d&utm_term=/guides/google-analytics-email-tracking/) today.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is Google Analytics email tracking, and how does it work?

Google Analytics email tracking is a feature that allows you to monitor the performance of your email campaigns. It works by adding specific tracking parameters (UTM parameters) to the links in your emails. This enables Google Analytics to capture data on user interactions, providing insights into email open rates, click-through rates, and user behavior on your website after clicking the email links. 

### Can Google Analytics track individual user interactions within an email?

No, Google Analytics provides aggregated data and does not offer individual-level tracking within emails. It primarily focuses on overall campaign performance metrics, such as the number of opens, clicks, and conversions. For more detailed and granular tracking, consider using specialized Email Service Providers (ESPs) like Mailmodo, which may offer more advanced tracking capabilities.

### What are the limitations of Google Analytics email tracking?

Google Analytics email tracking has limitations in providing real-time data, tracking individual user interactions, and offering detailed insights into email engagement. It may not capture certain user actions, leading to a partial view of the overall email performance. To overcome these limitations, businesses often opt for dedicated ESPs like Mailmodo for more comprehensive tracking and analytics.

### How does Mailmodo enhance email tracking compared to Google Analytics?

Mailmodo goes beyond the basic metrics offered by Google Analytics. It provides a centralized platform for email creation, eliminates the need for coding, and offers advanced tracking metrics such as delivery rates, bounce rates, and engagement over time. With graphical representations and data export capabilities, Mailmodo enhances the depth and usability of email tracking data for marketers and businesses.

### Why should I use email tracking?

Email tracking helps you assess the success of your email campaigns, understand recipient behavior, segment your audience, and improve email deliverability.

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---

**Author: Sakshi Chandwani**

Sakshi loves writing, painting, and reading. She has worked as a Content Strategist, Editor, and SEO Executive. She has written newsletters, case studies, long-form blogs, listicles, website content, and product descriptions.

