- 40+
- named rules for opens and clicks
- 500
- recipients per campaign batch
- 3
- ways to connect: Google, Microsoft, IMAP
- €1 + VAT
- for the first 20 days of the Business plan
How to track email opens with HawkOpen
Connect your mailbox
Sign in with your Google or Microsoft account, or enter the details of any IMAP/SMTP mailbox, such as Yahoo.
Send your message
Write as usual in Gmail, Outlook on the web or Yahoo Mail with the HawkOpen extension. You can also send from the HawkOpen dashboard. Tracking works once your company’s owner or administrator has switched it on, and only for recipients whose consent is recorded; everyone else gets an ordinary email.
See what happened
You see image loads, clicks and replies. Each event shows a category and the code of the rule that classified it.
What HawkOpen records
- Tracking image loads, meaning a possible open. Each recipient who agreed to tracking gets their own unpredictable image address.
- An image at the end of the message. It shows whether the email app displayed the whole message or clipped it.
- Link clicks. Links go through a short redirect, and rules separate scanner clicks from human clicks.
- Replies. For IMAP/SMTP mailboxes, HawkOpen checks for a reply every minute (Pro and Business plans).
Why an open is not proof that someone read your email
Apple Mail Privacy Protection loads images from messages before anyone opens them. Gmail loads them through its own proxy server. Corporate filters such as Proofpoint, Mimecast, Barracuda and Microsoft Safe Links open emails and click links to check that they are safe.
A simple open counter then shows “opened” even when nobody read a thing. HawkOpen calls these events what they are. We explain how in how HawkOpen classifies opens.
Mailboxes and browsers
| Mailbox or app | How to connect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail and Google Workspace | Sign in with Google | The extension works in Gmail in the browser. |
| Outlook and Microsoft 365 | Sign in with Microsoft | The extension works in Outlook on the web. From the Outlook desktop app, you send through the HawkOpen dashboard. |
| Yahoo and other mailboxes | IMAP and SMTP | The extension also works in Yahoo Mail. |
| Browsers | Extension | Separate versions for Chrome and for Firefox (version 109 and later). The Chrome version is also intended for Edge, Brave and Opera. |
Campaigns, reminders and scheduled sending
- A campaign sends each recipient a separate message. Recipients who agreed to tracking get their own tracker, so you know which of them opened it, not just that “someone in the group” did.
- One batch holds up to 500 recipients, with up to 60,000 a month (Business plan). You can pause, resume and cancel a campaign.
- Schedule an email for later and set a reminder in case nobody replies within the number of days you choose.
- The extension also strips tracking pixels and tracking parameters from the emails you receive.
Frequently asked questions
Can you tell if someone read your email?
No tool can tell for certain. You can see that the image in a message was loaded or a link was clicked. HawkOpen assesses whether that was likely a person, a privacy proxy or a scanner, and shows the reason. Only the recipient’s own action, such as a reply, is certain.
Does HawkOpen work with Outlook on the desktop?
The extension works in Outlook on the web. If you use the Outlook desktop app, connect your Microsoft mailbox in HawkOpen and send tracked emails from the dashboard.
Are opens from an iPhone real?
Often not. Apple Mail Privacy Protection loads images in advance, so an “open” can appear before anyone looks at the inbox. HawkOpen marks these events with rule R-OPEN-APPLE.
Can the recipient see that the email is tracked?
Yes. The tracking image is invisible and links go through a short redirect, but every tracked email ends with the notice “This message contains HawkOpen tracking elements.” and the link “Do not track my activity”, with which the recipient refuses tracking by that company. HawkOpen tracks only recipients whose consent is recorded, and that link lets them withdraw it later. Every email, tracked or not, also ends with “Do not send me messages”.
How much does HawkOpen cost?
Pro costs €48 a year (€4 a month, 33% less than paying monthly) or €6 a month, plus VAT. Business costs €90 a year (€7.50 a month, 31% less than paying monthly) or €11 a month, plus VAT. To start, you can get 20 days of the Business plan for €1 + VAT. There is also a free plan: opens without a limit, link clicks in 10 emails a month and 7 days of history.