# HawkOpen — Questions and answers (English)
> Short, checked answers about email tracking, read receipts, campaigns, documents and signatures, plans, privacy and the law. Each answer says what the product does today.
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq
JSON: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq.json
Checked: 2026-11-13
## Accuracy of opens and clicks
False opens from Apple Mail, clicks made by security scanners and what an open really tells you.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy
### Does Apple Mail Privacy Protection create false opens?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/apple-mail-privacy-protection-false-opens
Yes. Apple Mail can download the tracking image through Apple’s servers without the person opening the email. HawkOpen labels such requests as a privacy proxy instead of classifying them as likely human activity.
With Mail Privacy Protection switched on, Apple Mail loads remote images through Apple’s relay servers, whether or not the message is ever opened. A tracker that counts every image request therefore shows opens that nobody made.
HawkOpen checks each image request against named rules. A request that matches the Apple rule gets the category **privacy proxy** and the rule code R-OPEN-APPLE, so you can see why it was classified that way. The category is an estimate; it does not tell you whether the person later read the message.
Mail Privacy Protection loads images, not links. A click on a tracked link is therefore not caused by it, although company security scanners can still click; HawkOpen rates every click with its own rules.
Related questions: [What is Apple Mail Privacy Protection?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-is-apple-mail-privacy-protection), [Are open rates still reliable after Apple Mail Privacy Protection?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/open-rate-after-apple-mpp), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending
Most likely a security scanner did it. Many company mail systems open the links in an incoming email to check them before the person sees the message. HawkOpen counts these as signs of a scanner, never classifies them as likely human activity on that basis, and lists the rule codes behind the verdict.
Signs of a scanner include a click within seconds of delivery, several links opened almost at once, requests from the network of a security vendor or a data centre, and requests that do not behave like a real browser. HawkOpen has a named rule for each of these signs.
Every click gets a category, such as **security scanner**, **link preview** or **human**, a confidence of “possible” or “likely”, and the list of rules that matched. A click that comes from a data-centre network is never classified as likely human activity.
Related questions: [Are bot clicks inflating my click rate, and how do I filter scanner clicks?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/bot-clicks-inflate-click-rate), [How do I track link clicks in my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/how-to-track-email-clicks), [Why does an open appear seconds after I send the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-open-appears-seconds-after-send)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does an open prove that someone read my email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read
No. An open means that the tracking image was requested. The request can come from a person, a privacy proxy, a mail provider’s image cache or a scanner, and HawkOpen never presents it as proof of reading.
HawkOpen classifies each request and gives the verdict a confidence of “possible” or “likely”, never “certain”. When there is too little information, the category is **unknown** rather than human activity.
The strongest sign that a person engaged with your message is something they did themselves, such as a reply.
The same goes for a read receipt or a “read” status: it shows that a program reported the message as opened, which can also happen in a preview pane or when the message is marked as read, and the recipient can refuse to send one.
Related questions: [How do I know if someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/how-to-know-if-someone-read-my-email), [How accurate is email open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/how-accurate-is-email-open-tracking), [Does Apple Mail Privacy Protection create false opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/apple-mail-privacy-protection-false-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How accurate is email open tracking?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/how-accurate-is-email-open-tracking
It accurately records that a tracking image was requested, but that is not the same as a person reading. It overcounts when Apple Mail, a mail provider’s proxy or a scanner loads the image, and undercounts when images are blocked, so HawkOpen labels each request instead of counting every one as an open.
**Too many opens:** Apple Mail Privacy Protection loads images in advance, Gmail, Outlook.com and Yahoo fetch them through their own servers, and company filters open messages to check them. **Too few opens:** the recipient blocks images, reads in plain text, or reads a copy the image was already cached for.
HawkOpen gives each request a category, such as **privacy proxy**, **proxy cache**, **security scanner** or **human**, with the rule codes behind it. A verdict is at most “likely”, and a request with no clear signal stays **unknown** rather than human activity. Rules are versioned, and stored signals can be classified again when the rules improve.
In practice, look at opens and clicks classified as likely human activity together with replies, and do not treat any single open as proof.
Related questions: [Why does my tracker say an email was opened when nobody opened it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-tracker-says-opened-when-nobody-opened), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read), [What happens if the recipient blocks images?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-if-recipient-blocks-images)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why does my tracker say an email was opened when nobody opened it?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-tracker-says-opened-when-nobody-opened
Because something other than a person loaded the tracking image: Apple Mail Privacy Protection, the image proxy of Gmail, Outlook.com or Yahoo, a security scanner or a link preview. HawkOpen shows such events with their category and rule code, and does not classify them as human activity.
Typical codes: R-OPEN-APPLE (Apple Mail loaded the image), R-OPEN-GOOGLE, R-OPEN-MSPROXY and R-OPEN-YAHOO (a provider’s image server), R-OPEN-GMAIL-PREFETCH and R-OPEN-GOOGLE-SCAN (Gmail fetched or checked it in advance), and R-OPEN-PREVIEW or R-OPEN-AI-DECLARED (a chat app or an AI assistant built a preview).
To check a message, open its event list and look at the category of each open. Events marked as a machine do not trigger notifications. An open marked **unknown** is only possible, and a click or reply tells you much more.
Related questions: [Why does one email show many opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-one-email-shows-many-opens), [Why does an open appear seconds after I send the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-open-appears-seconds-after-send), [Why do I see an open when I look at my own sent email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/own-opens-notification)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why does one email show many opens?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-one-email-shows-many-opens
Each request for the tracking image is recorded as a separate event. A proxy, a scanner, the recipient opening the message again on a phone and a computer, or other people reading a forwarded copy all add events, and HawkOpen lists each one with its time and category.
A burst of opens within seconds of delivery usually comes from machines. Opens spread over hours or days, from a mail program on a home or mobile network, are more likely a person coming back to the message. Your own views of the message in your Sent folder can also add events.
HawkOpen does not merge these into one number. Look at the category of each event: machine events stay in the list but do not trigger notifications.
Related questions: [Why does my tracker say an email was opened when nobody opened it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-tracker-says-opened-when-nobody-opened), [Can I tell if my email was forwarded?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/can-i-tell-if-email-was-forwarded), [Why do I see an open when I look at my own sent email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/own-opens-notification)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why does an open appear seconds after I send the email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-open-appears-seconds-after-send
Usually a machine loaded the image: Gmail’s scanner or prefetching, Apple Mail Privacy Protection or a company security filter. HawkOpen has rules for these, such as R-OPEN-GOOGLE-SCAN, R-OPEN-GMAIL-PREFETCH, R-OPEN-APPLE and R-OPEN-FAST, and a fast open alone is never classified as likely human activity.
Gmail often fetches the image from Google’s network shortly after a message arrives, before anyone looks at it. Apple Mail loads it through Apple’s servers in the background. Company filters open new mail to check it. All of this can happen within seconds.
These events are listed, but they never fire an alert, and a single open does not send a notification anyway. A later open from a mail program on a home, mobile or office network is a better sign of human activity, though still only “possible”.
Related questions: [Why do opens come from Google’s image proxy, and how do I tell them from real ones?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/google-image-proxy-opens), [Does Apple Mail Privacy Protection create false opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/apple-mail-privacy-protection-false-opens), [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why do opens come from Google’s image proxy, and how do I tell them from real ones?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/google-image-proxy-opens
Gmail does not let the reader’s device fetch images directly: Google’s servers fetch them and pass them on, so you see Google’s network instead of the reader’s. HawkOpen marks such requests as **proxy cache** (R-OPEN-GOOGLE) and marks Gmail’s prefetching and scanning with separate rules.
A proxy request can be close to a real open, because Gmail often fetches the image when the message is shown, but it is not proof. It also hides the reader’s network and location, and a later reopening may not create a new request.
Clearer machine cases get their own rules: R-OPEN-GMAIL-PREFETCH when Gmail declares that it is fetching in advance, and R-OPEN-GOOGLE-SCAN when an image is fetched from Google’s network shortly after sending. None of these trigger a notification. For a stronger signal, look at clicks and replies.
Related questions: [Why does an open appear seconds after I send the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-open-appears-seconds-after-send), [Do read receipts work between Gmail and Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipts-between-gmail-and-outlook), [Can an email tracker show the recipient’s location?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/can-email-track-location)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does a preview pane count as an open?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-preview-pane-count-as-open
Yes, if the preview shows images: the mail program then loads the tracking image just as when the message is opened, and HawkOpen cannot tell a glance in a preview pane from careful reading. A one-line text preview in the message list, without images, records nothing.
Such an open from a mail program on a home, mobile or office network is classified at most as **possible** human activity. It says the message was displayed, not that it was read.
Previews made by chat apps or AI assistants when someone pastes a link are a different case: HawkOpen recognises many of them by their declared identity (R-OPEN-PREVIEW, R-OPEN-AI-DECLARED) and does not classify them as human activity.
Related questions: [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read), [How accurate is email open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/how-accurate-is-email-open-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What happens if the recipient blocks images?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-if-recipient-blocks-images
Then the tracking image is not loaded and no open is recorded, even if the person reads every word. Clicks on tracked links are still recorded, and so are replies on the Pro and Business plans, so a click without an open usually means images were blocked.
Images are blocked by the recipient’s own settings, by plain-text viewing, by some company mail systems and by privacy tools. HawkOpen cannot and does not try to get around that.
If you need to know whether a message was acted on, include a link worth opening, and ask a clear question so that a reply is natural.
Related questions: [How accurate is email open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/how-accurate-is-email-open-tracking), [How do I track link clicks in my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/how-to-track-email-clicks), [How do I block email tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-block-email-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is Apple Mail Privacy Protection?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-is-apple-mail-privacy-protection
It is a feature of Apple Mail on iPhone, iPad and Mac that loads remote content of emails privately through Apple’s servers, often in advance, and hides the recipient’s IP address. For the recipient it means more privacy; for the sender, an open from Apple Mail no longer shows whether the person read the message.
The recipient switches it on in the Mail settings, under Privacy Protection, with the option to protect Mail activity. Because content is loaded whether or not the message is opened, trackers that count every image request show opens that nobody made, and the network address no longer reveals the reader’s location.
HawkOpen recognises these requests by the way Apple fetches the image and by Apple’s network, gives them the category **privacy proxy** and the rule code R-OPEN-APPLE, and does not classify them as human activity or notify you about them. The protection does not click links, so clicks and replies remain useful signals.
Related questions: [Does Apple Mail Privacy Protection create false opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/apple-mail-privacy-protection-false-opens), [Are open rates still reliable after Apple Mail Privacy Protection?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/open-rate-after-apple-mpp), [How do I turn on Mail Privacy Protection on iPhone or Mac?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/protect-mail-activity-iphone)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Are open rates still reliable after Apple Mail Privacy Protection?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/open-rate-after-apple-mpp
Not as a raw count. For recipients who use Apple Mail with the protection on, an open no longer shows whether they read the message, and no tool can recover their real opens. Look instead at observed opens and clicks, which HawkOpen counts apart from machine and proxy ones, and at replies, and compare them over time.
HawkOpen separates Apple’s privacy proxy opens (R-OPEN-APPLE) from other opens and counts them as machine or proxy opens, so they do not inflate the observed opens. That removes false opens, but it cannot add the real ones that Apple hides.
Clicks are a better signal but not a clean one: company security filters also click links. HawkOpen rates each click with its own rules and classifies a click as likely human activity only with signs such as a visible browser page on a home or mobile network. Replies, available on the Pro and Business plans, remain the strongest signal.
Related questions: [What is Apple Mail Privacy Protection?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-is-apple-mail-privacy-protection), [Are bot clicks inflating my click rate, and how do I filter scanner clicks?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/bot-clicks-inflate-click-rate), [What is a good email open rate?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/average-email-open-rate)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is a good email open rate?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/average-email-open-rate
HawkOpen does not publish benchmarks, and any single figure deserves caution: since Apple Mail Privacy Protection, raw open rates are inflated and differ widely by audience and mail program. Compare your own results over time, using observed opens and clicks, which HawkOpen counts apart from machine and proxy ones, and replies.
Published averages mix newsletters and personal emails, different industries and different ways of counting, often including machine opens. For one-to-one business emails, a reply tells you far more than any open rate.
In HawkOpen every open and click has a category, so you can see how many events came from Apple Mail, a provider’s proxy or a scanner, and how many showed no sign of a machine (observed, which does not mean a person). Use the same way of counting when you compare two periods or two versions of a message.
Related questions: [Are open rates still reliable after Apple Mail Privacy Protection?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/open-rate-after-apple-mpp), [How accurate is email open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/how-accurate-is-email-open-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can an email tracker show the recipient’s location?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/can-email-track-location
Not precisely. A tracker sees the network address that loaded the image, which at best suggests a country, and with Apple Mail or Gmail it is the address of their servers, not of the person. HawkOpen resolves an address at most to a country, never to a city or street.
A VPN, a company network or a mobile operator can also put the address in another region or country. HawkOpen treats the result as the location of the network, not of the recipient, and uses it mainly to judge whether a request is classified as likely human activity or as a machine.
Recipients who want to hide even that can block remote images or use a mail program that loads images through a proxy, such as Apple Mail with Mail Privacy Protection.
Related questions: [Why do opens come from Google’s image proxy, and how do I tell them from real ones?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/google-image-proxy-opens), [What is Apple Mail Privacy Protection?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-is-apple-mail-privacy-protection), [How do I block email tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-block-email-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I tell if my email was forwarded?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/can-i-tell-if-email-was-forwarded
Not reliably. A forwarded copy usually carries the same tracking image and links, so when the new reader opens it, the event is recorded under the original recipient. HawkOpen does not report forwarding of ordinary emails.
Opens from new places or programs can hint at another reader, but the same person often reads on a phone, a laptop and an office computer, so such a pattern is no proof. Some mail programs also drop or rewrite images and links when forwarding.
If it matters who reads a message, send it to each person separately: from the HawkOpen dashboard every recipient gets their own copy, and a tracked copy has its own tracker. A copy is tracked only where your company has switched tracking on and the recipient has consented.
Related questions: [Why does one email show many opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-one-email-shows-many-opens), [How do I track email opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-track-email-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Why do I see an open when I look at my own sent email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/own-opens-notification
Because your copy in the Sent folder can contain the same tracking image. If your mail program loads it, HawkOpen records an event like any other; it does not recognise that the open was yours.
In Gmail on the web the image is usually fetched through Google’s proxy, so the event gets the category **proxy cache** and never counts towards an alert. In a desktop or phone mail program on your home or office network it can be classified as human activity, and then it can count towards an alert rule, such as several opens in a short time.
To avoid this, do not open your own tracked messages with images shown, or check the time and category of the event. When you test HawkOpen, send to a second address of yours and open it on another device, rather than reading the Sent copy.
Related questions: [Why does my tracker say an email was opened when nobody opened it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-tracker-says-opened-when-nobody-opened), [Why does one email show many opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-one-email-shows-many-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I exclude my own company network or colleagues from tracking?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#exclude-company-network-from-tracking
You can exclude recipients, not networks: in your settings, list addresses or whole domains (for example your company’s) and countries that are never tracked. HawkOpen has no list of IP addresses to ignore, so your own opens are not filtered out.
An excluded address or domain gets a plain email with no tracking image and no tracked links, so internal emails to colleagues create no events at all.
If you open your own tracked message, from the Sent folder or a copy, it is recorded like any other request. Check the time and category of the event, or test by sending to a second address of yours.
Related questions: [Why do I see an open when I look at my own sent email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/own-opens-notification), [Why does one email show many opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-one-email-shows-many-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I tell a bounced email from an unopened one?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#bounce-vs-open-detection
Yes. A bounce is recorded as its own delivery status, separate from opens: a hard bounce shows the message as rejected, while an email that was accepted but never opened simply has no open events.
HawkOpen distinguishes hard bounces (the address does not exist or refuses mail) from soft ones (a temporary problem such as a full mailbox). No open, on the other hand, does not mean nobody read the email: the recipient may block images.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen confirm that an email was delivered?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#delivery-status-confirmation), [What happens if the recipient blocks images?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-if-recipient-blocks-images)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What do “likely”, “possible” and “unknown” mean in a HawkOpen verdict?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#confidence-levels-and-unknown
Every verdict has a category and a confidence of “likely” or “possible”; there is no “certain”. “Unknown” means no rule explained the event, so HawkOpen classifies it neither as a machine nor as likely human activity.
“Likely” means strong signs point one way, such as Apple’s relay network or several human signals together. “Possible” means weaker signs, for example a mail program on a home network: it may be human activity, but that is not settled.
Use “unknown” and “possible” events as hints only. A reply is the only kind of signal that comes from the recipient’s own action.
Related questions: [What categories can an open or click have?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#open-signal-categories), [What counts as a likely human open or click, and what should I do with it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#likely-human-open-or-click), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is the image at the end of the message used for?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#end-of-message-image
It shows whether the mail app displayed the whole message. Gmail, for example, clips long emails; if the second image at the very end loads, the message was shown to the end. It never counts as an extra open.
In the message details you see the time the end of the message was first displayed. If it never appears while opens do, the email may have been clipped, so the end, with any link or signature there, was not shown. Keep important links near the top.
Related questions: [Why does one email show many opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-one-email-shows-many-opens), [What is an email tracking pixel?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/what-is-an-email-tracking-pixel)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen confirm that an email was delivered?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#delivery-status-confirmation
It confirms what it can see: that the sending server accepted the message, or that it bounced. It does not claim that the email reached the inbox, because the receiving side does not report that.
Each recipient has a status: prepared, accepted by the sending server, or rejected. “Accepted” is not delivery to the inbox: the message can still land in spam or bounce later. A delivery receipt from Outlook has the same limit: it depends on the receiving server.
Opens, clicks and replies come on top, each with a category. A reply is the clearest sign the email arrived and was read.
Related questions: [What is the difference between a delivery receipt, a read receipt and open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-vs-open-tracking), [How can I prove that an email was sent or received?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-prove-an-email-was-sent-or-received), [Can I tell a bounced email from an unopened one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#bounce-vs-open-detection)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I see exactly when the email was opened?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#exact-time-of-open
Yes: every event in the message timeline has its own date and time, together with its category and rule codes. The time is when the image was requested, which is not always when a person looked at it.
Apple Mail and Gmail may load the image in advance, and scanners act within seconds of delivery, so the first event is often a machine. Look for later events classified as possible or likely human activity.
Related questions: [Why does an open appear seconds after I send the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-open-appears-seconds-after-send), [Which time zone are times shown in?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#timezones-in-dashboard)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can tracking show how long someone read the email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#how-long-was-email-read
Not for an email. HawkOpen records when the tracking image was requested, not how long the message stayed open. Time per page is measured only for a PDF shared as a link, once the reader agrees on the page, and file sharing waits for the malware-scanning service, which is not switched on yet.
Several opens of one email can mean the person came back to it, or that a proxy, a scanner or a second device loaded the image. Check the category of each event before reading anything into the count.
Related questions: [Why does one email show many opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-one-email-shows-many-opens), [Can I see exactly when the email was opened?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#exact-time-of-open)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How many classification rules are there, and what happens to old events when rules change?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#rules-count-and-versions
More than 40 named rules, and every verdict records the version of the rules that produced it. HawkOpen keeps the signals of each event, so they can be classified again under a newer version; the earlier verdict stays stored next to the new one.
Rules change when mail providers change how they fetch images, for example a new proxy or scanner. A changed threshold always means a new version number, so you can tell which rules a verdict came from. The message details show the newest verdict for each event.
Related questions: [What are rule codes such as R-OPEN-APPLE and R-CLK-BURST?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#rule-codes-explained), [How accurate is email open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/how-accurate-is-email-open-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What counts as a likely human open or click, and what should I do with it?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#likely-human-open-or-click
An event that no rule attributes to a machine and that shows signs of human activity, such as a mail program on a home or office network, or a click with a real, visible browser. It is still an estimate, so treat it as a good moment to follow up, not as proof.
Such an event does not send a notification on its own; on the Pro and Business plans an alert rule, for example several opens in a short time, can tell you about it. A click is usually a stronger signal than an open because a person chose that link.
A good follow-up refers to what the link was about, without saying that you saw the open. If you need a decision, ask a clear question so a reply is easy.
Related questions: [What do “likely”, “possible” and “unknown” mean in a HawkOpen verdict?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#confidence-levels-and-unknown), [What is the difference between an open and a click?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#difference-between-open-and-click), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen recognise Microsoft and Yahoo image proxies?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#microsoft-and-yahoo-proxy-detection
Yes. Requests from Microsoft’s and Yahoo’s image proxies get the category **proxy cache**, with the rule codes R-OPEN-MSPROXY and R-OPEN-YAHOO, and do not trigger notifications.
Such a proxy fetches the image on the reader’s behalf and hides their network. The request may follow a real open, but it may also be the provider caching the image, so HawkOpen does not classify it as human activity. Gmail’s proxy is handled the same way.
Related questions: [Why do opens come from Google’s image proxy, and how do I tell them from real ones?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/google-image-proxy-opens), [What categories can an open or click have?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#open-signal-categories)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does Apple Mail Privacy Protection pre-fetch links or only images?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#mpp-prefetch-links-or-images
Apple’s feature loads remote images, including tracking images, through Apple’s servers; HawkOpen marks those loads with R-OPEN-APPLE. Clicks are judged separately by the click rules, so an Apple image load never turns into a click.
If clicks arrive within seconds of delivery or several at once, they usually come from a company security filter, not from Apple; HawkOpen marks those as a security scanner.
Related questions: [Does Apple Mail Privacy Protection create false opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/apple-mail-privacy-protection-false-opens), [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What categories can an open or click have?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#open-signal-categories
Seven: Apple Mail Privacy Protection, prefetch (such as Gmail’s), link preview, security scanner, proxy cache, human, and unknown. Each comes with a confidence and the rule codes behind it.
The first five are machines: they stay in the list but never fire an alert, and the numbers and reports count them apart, as machine or proxy opens and scanner clicks. **Human** means the event is classified as human activity, at most “likely”. **Unknown** means no rule explained the event. In the numbers an event with no sign of a machine counts as observed, which does not mean that a person was there.
Related questions: [What do “likely”, “possible” and “unknown” mean in a HawkOpen verdict?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#confidence-levels-and-unknown), [What are rule codes such as R-OPEN-APPLE and R-CLK-BURST?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#rule-codes-explained)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I manually correct a classification?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#override-a-classification
No. HawkOpen has no manual override: every verdict comes from the rules, and the same signals always give the same result, with the rule codes shown so you can judge it yourself.
If the rules change, stored signals can be classified again under the new version. To keep internal emails out of tracking altogether, exclude your company’s domain in the settings.
Related questions: [How many classification rules are there, and what happens to old events when rules change?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#rules-count-and-versions), [Can I exclude my own company network or colleagues from tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#exclude-company-network-from-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What are rule codes such as R-OPEN-APPLE and R-CLK-BURST?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#rule-codes-explained
Each code names one rule that matched the event: R-OPEN-… for opens and R-CLK-… for clicks. For example, R-OPEN-APPLE is Apple’s relay, R-CLK-BURST is three or more links clicked within two seconds, R-CLK-HEADLESS a browser with no window, and R-CLK-JS a real, visible browser.
There are more than 40 such rules. Most add points towards a machine; a few, like R-OPEN-CLIENT and R-CLK-JS, point towards human activity. The category comes from all the rules that matched, so read the codes when a verdict surprises you.
Related questions: [What categories can an open or click have?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#open-signal-categories), [How many classification rules are there, and what happens to old events when rules change?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#rules-count-and-versions), [How does HawkOpen detect headless browsers and bots?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#headless-browser-detection)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How are opens and clicks from VPN, cloud or hosting networks treated?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#vpn-cloud-and-hosting-networks
As likely machines. A request from a cloud or hosting network counts towards a scanner (rules such as R-OPEN-CLOUD and R-CLK-HOSTING), and a click from such a network is never classified as likely human activity, whatever other signs it shows.
Activity of a real person on a VPN that runs in a data centre will therefore not be classified as human activity. This is deliberate: it is better to miss human activity than to classify a scanner as human. A reply still counts.
Related questions: [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending), [What are rule codes such as R-OPEN-APPLE and R-CLK-BURST?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#rule-codes-explained)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why are my email open rates going down?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#why-open-rates-going-down
Often because of measurement rather than readers: more people and companies block remote images, and tools that count machine and proxy opens apart from observed ones, as HawkOpen does, show fewer opens than tools that count every image load.
Compare periods with the same way of counting, and watch clicks and replies alongside opens. If bounces rise at the same time, check delivery as well.
Related questions: [What is a good email open rate?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/average-email-open-rate), [Are open rates still reliable after Apple Mail Privacy Protection?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/open-rate-after-apple-mpp), [What happens if the recipient blocks images?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-if-recipient-blocks-images)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is the difference between an open and a click?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#difference-between-open-and-click
An open is a request for the invisible tracking image; a click is a request for a tracked link. Each gets its own category, and a click usually tells you more because someone, or something, chose a link.
Opens disappear when images are blocked, and privacy proxies create opens without a person. Clicks still work with images blocked, but company security filters click links too. Read both together, and the category of each.
Related questions: [What counts as a likely human open or click, and what should I do with it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#likely-human-open-or-click), [What happens if the recipient blocks images?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-if-recipient-blocks-images), [How do I track link clicks in my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/how-to-track-email-clicks)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Plans and billing
What HawkOpen costs, what the Free plan and Intro include, how yearly and monthly billing compare, and how to cancel.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing
### How much does HawkOpen cost?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-much-does-hawkopen-cost
HawkOpen has three plans. Free: €0, with no time limit. Pro: €48 a year (€4 a month, 33% less than paying monthly) or €6 a month, plus VAT. Business: €90 a year (€7.50 a month, 31% less than paying monthly) or €11 a month, plus VAT.
All prices are net. Consumers in the EU pay the VAT of their country on top: the pricing section of the home page shows the price with VAT for your country, and checkout shows the total before you pay. Prices in US dollars use the same numbers and are shown before tax.
You can also start with HawkOpen Intro: €1 plus VAT for the first 20 days with full Business access. From day 21, Business continues with yearly billing at €90 a year plus VAT and renews every year until canceled. You can choose monthly billing at €11/month instead.
Related questions: [Is it cheaper to pay for HawkOpen yearly or monthly?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/yearly-or-monthly-billing), [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include), [What are HawkOpen prices in US dollars?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/hawkopen-prices-in-us-dollars)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is it cheaper to pay for HawkOpen yearly or monthly?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/yearly-or-monthly-billing
Yearly is cheaper. Pro costs €48 a year or €6 a month, and Business costs €90 a year or €11 a month, all plus VAT.
Paid yearly, Pro works out at €4 a month, which is 33% less than twelve monthly payments. Business works out at €7.50 a month, which is 31% less.
Both plans can be bought for a month or for a year. The pricing page shows the yearly price first because it has the lowest monthly equivalent.
Related questions: [How much does HawkOpen cost?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-much-does-hawkopen-cost)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I use the HawkOpen CRM on the Free plan?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/crm-on-the-free-plan
Yes, as a paid add-on. It starts with a 21-day trial for up to 1,000 contacts; a card is needed to start. Then it costs €3 a month or €30 a year plus VAT, for up to 5,000 contacts, and you can cancel at any time. Pro and Business include the CRM.
Nothing is charged during the trial. We send you an email 3 days before the first payment; if you do not cancel, the first payment then follows by itself. There is one trial per workspace, card, mailbox and company domain.
If you cancel or a payment fails, the CRM becomes read-only: for 90 days you can still view and export your contacts. After that the CRM data is deleted; we warn you twice by email before it happens. Pro includes the CRM with up to 25,000 contacts and Business with up to 250,000.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include), [What does the HawkOpen Pro plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#what-is-in-pro), [What are the differences between HawkOpen Free, Pro and Business?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#free-pro-business-differences)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include
The Free plan costs €0 and has no time limit. It includes open tracking with a classification for every open, link-click tracking in 10 emails a month, 1 mailbox and 7 days of history.
It also includes 3 email templates and 5 PDF links a month. On Free, emails sent with a chosen look (a mail design) carry a short HawkOpen line in the footer; plain emails do not.
Scheduled sends, reply detection and reminders start with Pro. The address book is included: up to 1,000 contacts, CSV import, saved recipient lists and campaigns to them, up to 50 recipients each. The CRM comes with Pro and Business; on Free it is a paid add-on with a 21-day trial.
Related questions: [How much does HawkOpen cost?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-much-does-hawkopen-cost), [Can I use the HawkOpen CRM on the Free plan?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/crm-on-the-free-plan)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What are HawkOpen prices in US dollars?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/hawkopen-prices-in-us-dollars
In US dollars Pro costs $6 a month or $48 a year, and Business costs $11 a month or $90 a year. These prices are before tax.
The numbers are the same as the euro prices, and both are net: in euros the VAT of your country is added, in dollars any tax for your billing address is calculated at checkout.
Related questions: [How much does HawkOpen cost?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-much-does-hawkopen-cost)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is there a free email tracker for Gmail?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/free-email-tracker-for-gmail
Yes. The HawkOpen Free plan costs €0 with no time limit and works in Gmail through the browser extension: opens are tracked without a limit, each with a classification, and link clicks in 10 emails a month.
The Free plan includes 1 mailbox and 7 days of history. Emails sent on it with a chosen look (a mail design) carry a short HawkOpen line in the footer, and every tracked email ends with a short notice about tracking. After the monthly link limit, opens are still tracked but links are left untracked.
Each open is labelled, for example as likely human activity or as a mail-provider proxy such as Apple Mail Privacy Protection, because an open alone does not prove reading. The extension also works in Outlook on the web and Yahoo Mail, in Chrome and Firefox.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include), [How much does HawkOpen cost?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-much-does-hawkopen-cost), [Does Apple Mail Privacy Protection create false opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/apple-mail-privacy-protection-false-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How does the HawkOpen Intro offer work?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-does-hawkopen-intro-work
You pay €1 plus VAT and get full Business access for the first 20 days. From day 21, Business continues with yearly billing at €90 a year plus VAT and renews every year until canceled. You can choose monthly billing at €11/month instead. If you cancel during Intro, it does not renew.
Intro is a paid start, not a free trial: the €1 plus VAT is charged when you begin. During those days you can use everything in Business, including campaigns, polls, the CRM and webhooks.
To stop it from turning into the Business subscription you chose at the start (yearly unless you chose monthly), cancel before the first regular charge; you keep Business access until the end of the paid days and then move to the Free plan. You can also start directly on Free, Pro or Business.
Related questions: [How much does HawkOpen cost?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-much-does-hawkopen-cost), [How do I cancel my HawkOpen subscription?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-do-i-cancel-my-subscription)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How many mailboxes can I connect on each HawkOpen plan?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-many-mailboxes-per-plan
Free: 1 mailbox. Pro: 3 mailboxes. Business: as many as you need. A plan belongs to one user, so one person can track several of their own addresses within the limit.
A mailbox is a Gmail or Outlook account connected with your Google or Microsoft sign-in, or any other account connected through IMAP/SMTP. Prices are per user (seat).
For colleagues, buy a team plan with one seat per person. Teams of 5 seats or more get a volume discount, up to 20% for large teams; the checkout shows the exact price before you pay.
Related questions: [How much does HawkOpen cost?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-much-does-hawkopen-cost), [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I cancel my HawkOpen subscription?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-do-i-cancel-my-subscription
In the HawkOpen dashboard, open your plan and choose to cancel, or open the billing portal from there. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the period you already paid for; until then you keep your plan.
After the paid period ends, your account moves to the Free plan; it is not deleted. A team plan is cancelled by the person who manages billing for the team. During HawkOpen Intro, cancelling stops the move to the Business subscription chosen at the start.
HawkOpen does not give voluntary refunds for a period that has already started, except where mandatory law or a withdrawal right applies. Consumer contracts also have a separate 14-day withdrawal right, wherever the consumer is billed.
Related questions: [Do I have a 14-day right to withdraw from a HawkOpen purchase in the EU or the UK?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/eu-14-day-withdrawal-right), [How does the HawkOpen Intro offer work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-does-hawkopen-intro-work)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Do I have a 14-day right to withdraw from a HawkOpen purchase in the EU or the UK?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/eu-14-day-withdrawal-right
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
Whether you can withdraw from the contract or get a refund depends on your status as a customer, the law that applies and the terms of your contract. If the law or your contract gives you that right, you can use the procedure described in your purchase confirmation and the withdrawal function in HawkOpen. Cancelling the renewal of a subscription is a separate step.
The withdrawal function: where your contract records a right of withdrawal, the button **Withdraw from contract here** is in your HawkOpen settings, and the email confirming your purchase has a link that works without signing in. You confirm your decision for that contract, and HawkOpen sends you an email with the text of your statement and the date and time it was submitted. You can also send HawkOpen a clear statement in any other form.
HawkOpen gives the withdrawal function to every consumer contract, wherever you are billed; a purchase as a business (with a VAT ID entered at checkout) has none. The period is 14 days from the day the contract is concluded. If you start with the CRM trial, the trial and the paid continuation are one contract, so the 14 days count from the start of the trial. If the law that applies gives you a longer period or other rights, they apply.
Refund after a withdrawal: if you did not ask for the service to start during the withdrawal period, you get back everything you paid; if you expressly asked for an early start, you pay for the part of the service provided until you withdrew and get the rest back. HawkOpen refunds to the same payment method. Starting a subscription does not by itself take away a right of withdrawal you have.
Cancelling the renewal: in Settings you can cancel your plan at any time, and it then ends at the end of the paid period. That stops future payments; it is not a withdrawal and does not by itself refund the current period.
Related questions: [How do I cancel my HawkOpen subscription?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-do-i-cancel-my-subscription), [How much does HawkOpen cost?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-much-does-hawkopen-cost)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Can I get a refund from HawkOpen, for example if I cancel a yearly plan mid-year?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#can-i-get-a-refund
Usually not. HawkOpen gives no voluntary refunds once a paid period has started, except where mandatory law or a withdrawal right requires otherwise. If you cancel a yearly plan mid-year, it simply does not renew, and you keep it until the end of the year you paid for.
There is no partial refund for the months left in a yearly plan. Cancelling stops the next renewal; until then your plan keeps working, and afterwards the account moves to the Free plan.
If you bought as a consumer in the EU, you also have a 14-day right of withdrawal, which works differently and is described in its own answer. The same refund rule applies to customers in the United States; HawkOpen does not describe the consumer rules of individual US states.
Related questions: [How do I cancel my HawkOpen subscription?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-do-i-cancel-my-subscription), [Do I have a 14-day right to withdraw from a HawkOpen purchase in the EU or the UK?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/eu-14-day-withdrawal-right)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Who do I contact about a billing problem with HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#billing-help-contact
For your card and renewal, open “Manage billing” on the Pricing page of the HawkOpen dashboard, which takes you to the billing portal run by Stripe. For anything else, contact us through the HawkOpen app; a contact form on hawkopen.com is coming soon.
Stripe is HawkOpen’s payment provider, so payment details and the subscription itself are handled on Stripe’s pages. HawkOpen does not publish support hours or a response time yet. When you write, mention the email address of your HawkOpen account and what you see, but never send your card number.
Related questions: [Where can I update my card or manage the renewal of my HawkOpen plan?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#update-card-or-manage-renewal), [Do I get invoices for my HawkOpen subscription, and where do I find them?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#invoices-for-my-subscription)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Do consumers and businesses buy HawkOpen on different terms?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#consumers-and-businesses-buying
The plans and prices are the same for everyone. A business can enter its VAT ID in the HawkOpen panel before buying, and every consumer has a 14-day right of withdrawal.
A consumer answers one question at checkout: whether the service should start right away. This decides how a withdrawal within 14 days is refunded. A buyer who enters a VAT ID buys as a business, has no right of withdrawal and is not asked; a business can cancel at any time, and the plan ends at the end of the paid period. Every consumer gets a confirmation of the contract by email.
HawkOpen checks a business’s VAT ID in VIES before the purchase and passes only a valid number to Stripe. Prices are net: a consumer pays the VAT of their country on top. A business with an EU VAT ID confirmed in the VIES register pays the net price without VAT under the reverse charge; a business in Spain pays Spanish VAT. Prices in US dollars are also shown before tax.
Related questions: [Do I have a 14-day right to withdraw from a HawkOpen purchase in the EU or the UK?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/eu-14-day-withdrawal-right), [How does the VAT reverse charge work for EU companies, and where do I enter my VAT ID?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#eu-vat-reverse-charge)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I pay for HawkOpen in euros or in US dollars?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#pay-in-euros-or-us-dollars
Yes. Pro and Business can be bought in euros, the default, or in US dollars, with the same numbers. Both are net prices: the VAT of your country is added to euro prices, and any tax for your billing address to dollar prices. HawkOpen Intro is sold in euros only.
You choose the currency on the pricing page before you go to checkout, and the subscription then stays in that currency. In US dollars, Pro costs $6 a month or $48 a year, and Business $11 a month or $90 a year, plus any tax calculated at checkout for your address.
Related questions: [What are HawkOpen prices in US dollars?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/hawkopen-prices-in-us-dollars), [Do HawkOpen’s euro prices include VAT?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#do-euro-prices-include-vat)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Where can I update my card or manage the renewal of my HawkOpen plan?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#update-card-or-manage-renewal
Open the Pricing page in the HawkOpen dashboard and choose “Manage billing”. It opens the billing portal run by Stripe, HawkOpen’s payment provider, where your subscription and payment details are handled.
In the portal you can cancel the renewal; the plan then ends at the end of the period you paid for, and you can also cancel with the button on the Pricing page. The portal does not offer a switch to another plan or billing period.
For a team plan, the portal is opened by the person who manages billing for the team. The portal is on billing.stripe.com; HawkOpen itself never asks for your card number.
Related questions: [How do I cancel my HawkOpen subscription?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-do-i-cancel-my-subscription), [Can I switch between Pro and Business, or from monthly to yearly billing?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#change-plan-or-billing-period)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Which company and VAT number appear on HawkOpen invoices, and can I change my details?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#invoice-seller-and-vat-number
The seller is TriStiX S.L., a company in Spain; its VAT ID is listed on the Terms / Imprint page of hawkopen.com. Your name and billing address come from what you enter at checkout, and your VAT ID from the HawkOpen panel, where it is checked in VIES before the purchase.
At checkout a billing address is required. A VAT ID that VIES did not confirm before the purchase is not used, so that invoice includes VAT; once the number is confirmed, the following invoices are without VAT. The first invoice is not corrected automatically. If a name, address or VAT ID on an invoice needs correcting, ask through the help in the HawkOpen panel.
Related questions: [Do I get invoices for my HawkOpen subscription, and where do I find them?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#invoices-for-my-subscription), [How does the VAT reverse charge work for EU companies, and where do I enter my VAT ID?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#eu-vat-reverse-charge)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How does the VAT reverse charge work for EU companies, and where do I enter my VAT ID?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#eu-vat-reverse-charge
Enter your VAT ID in the HawkOpen panel before you buy. HawkOpen checks it in the EU VIES register; only a valid number is passed to Stripe, so you pay the net price right away and account for the VAT in your own country under the reverse charge.
If VIES says the number is not valid, or does not answer, the purchase goes ahead with VAT, as for a consumer. If the number is confirmed later, the following invoices are without VAT. The first invoice is not corrected automatically; you can ask for a correction through the help in the HawkOpen panel. The seller is TriStiX S.L. in Spain, so a business in Spain pays Spanish VAT, with no reverse charge.
This describes how HawkOpen handles VAT IDs; it is not tax advice. Whether and how you must report the purchase depends on the rules of your country.
Related questions: [Do HawkOpen’s euro prices include VAT?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#do-euro-prices-include-vat), [Do consumers and businesses buy HawkOpen on different terms?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#consumers-and-businesses-buying)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Do HawkOpen’s euro prices include VAT?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#do-euro-prices-include-vat
No. Prices in euros are net. A consumer in the EU pays the VAT of their country on top: the pricing section of the home page shows the net price and the price with VAT for your country and its rate, and checkout shows the total with the VAT of your billing address before you pay.
Pro costs €48 a year (€4 a month, 33% less than paying monthly) or €6 a month, plus VAT, and Business €90 a year (€7.50 a month, 31% less than paying monthly) or €11 a month, plus VAT. The country is guessed from your connection and the page language; you can change it, and nothing is saved in your browser.
A business sees the net price plus VAT. With an EU VAT ID entered in the HawkOpen panel before buying and confirmed in VIES, it pays the net price under the reverse charge right away; a business in Spain pays Spanish VAT. Outside the EU no EU VAT is added; a local tax, if any, is shown at checkout. The VAT rates were last checked on 12 November 2026, and Stripe calculates the final amount from your billing address.
Related questions: [How does the VAT reverse charge work for EU companies, and where do I enter my VAT ID?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#eu-vat-reverse-charge), [Can I pay for HawkOpen in euros or in US dollars?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#pay-in-euros-or-us-dollars)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What happens if my HawkOpen payment fails or is disputed?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#payment-failed-or-disputed
Paid features stop and your account uses the Free plan until the payment is sorted out. Your account is not deleted, and changing to Free does not delete your tracking data.
This applies when a renewal payment fails, stays unpaid or a charge is disputed with your bank. On Free you see only the last 7 days of history; older data is still kept for your workspace’s retention period.
To fix it, open “Manage billing” on the Pricing page of the dashboard and update your payment details in Stripe’s billing portal. When Stripe reports the subscription as active again, your plan comes back.
Related questions: [Where can I update my card or manage the renewal of my HawkOpen plan?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#update-card-or-manage-renewal), [What happens to my HawkOpen account and history after I cancel, and can I come back later?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#what-happens-after-cancelling)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I try HawkOpen’s paid features without a credit card?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#try-paid-features-without-a-card
No. HawkOpen has no free trial of Pro or Business. The Free plan needs no card, while HawkOpen Intro is a paid start of €1 plus VAT and always requires a payment method.
With Intro you get full Business access for the first 20 days. From day 21, Business continues with yearly billing at €90 a year plus VAT and renews every year until canceled. You can choose monthly billing at €11/month instead. If you cancel during Intro, it does not renew.
If you only want to see how tracking works, start on Free: it has no time limit and tracks opens without a limit, but scheduled sends, reminders, reply detection and Business features such as polls, reports and webhooks are not included.
Related questions: [How does the HawkOpen Intro offer work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-does-hawkopen-intro-work), [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Do I get invoices for my HawkOpen subscription, and where do I find them?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#invoices-for-my-subscription
Payments are billed through Stripe, HawkOpen’s payment provider, not in the HawkOpen dashboard itself. To see your billing details, open “Manage billing” on the Pricing page, which takes you to Stripe’s billing portal.
The name and billing address on your billing documents are the ones you entered at checkout; the VAT ID is the one confirmed in VIES in the HawkOpen panel before the purchase. Consumers also receive a confirmation of the contract by email after buying.
If you cannot find an invoice, or need a copy or a correction, ask through the help in the HawkOpen panel.
Related questions: [Which company and VAT number appear on HawkOpen invoices, and can I change my details?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#invoice-seller-and-vat-number), [Who do I contact about a billing problem with HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#billing-help-contact)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Which payment methods does HawkOpen accept, and can I pay by bank transfer or purchase order?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#which-payment-methods-are-accepted
You pay on Stripe’s checkout page with one of the methods Stripe offers for your country and currency, such as a card. HawkOpen does not offer payment against an invoice, purchase orders or a bank transfer after an invoice.
HawkOpen does not fix a list of payment methods: the checkout page shows the ones available to you. Subscriptions renew automatically with the payment method you entered, so a method must be able to pay again each month or year. Larger teams also buy through the same checkout, one seat per person.
Related questions: [Who processes HawkOpen payments, and does HawkOpen store my card details?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#who-processes-payments), [How many mailboxes can I connect on each HawkOpen plan?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-many-mailboxes-per-plan)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Who processes HawkOpen payments, and does HawkOpen store my card details?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#who-processes-payments
Stripe processes the payments. You type your card details on Stripe’s checkout page, not on a HawkOpen page, and HawkOpen keeps only a reference to your Stripe customer and subscription, not your card number.
Managing payment details and cancelling renewal also happen on Stripe, in the billing portal on billing.stripe.com that you open with “Manage billing”. Before opening it, HawkOpen checks that the link really leads to Stripe’s billing portal. If anyone asks you for your card number by email, it is not HawkOpen.
Related questions: [Where can I update my card or manage the renewal of my HawkOpen plan?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#update-card-or-manage-renewal), [Which payment methods does HawkOpen accept, and can I pay by bank transfer or purchase order?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#which-payment-methods-are-accepted)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Will the price of my HawkOpen subscription change later?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#will-my-price-change
HawkOpen has not published a rule about future price changes or notice periods. The current price list, with net prices, was approved on 12 November 2026. Subscriptions bought at an earlier price keep it; nothing moves them to the new list automatically.
Prices from earlier lists are still recognised for the subscriptions that were bought with them, but they are no longer sold. A team volume discount is set for the life of the subscription. For the prices that apply today, see the pricing page.
Related questions: [How much does HawkOpen cost?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-much-does-hawkopen-cost), [Does HawkOpen offer discounts for students, non-profits, agencies or resellers?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#discounts-for-students-nonprofits-or-resellers)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does HawkOpen offer discounts for students, non-profits, agencies or resellers?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#discounts-for-students-nonprofits-or-resellers
No. HawkOpen has no student, non-profit, agency or reseller pricing, and the checkout does not accept promotion codes. The only discounts are the lower yearly price and a volume discount for teams.
Paid yearly, Pro is 33% cheaper than twelve monthly payments and Business 31%. Teams of 5 seats or more get a volume discount that grows with the team, up to 20%; the checkout shows the exact price. If a smaller budget matters most, the Free plan has no time limit.
Related questions: [Is it cheaper to pay for HawkOpen yearly or monthly?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/yearly-or-monthly-billing), [How many mailboxes can I connect on each HawkOpen plan?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-many-mailboxes-per-plan)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I switch between Pro and Business, or from monthly to yearly billing?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#change-plan-or-billing-period
Not by yourself yet. HawkOpen has no self-service switch: the billing portal offers no plan changes, and a new purchase is not possible while a subscription is running. You cancel, and when the paid period ends you buy the plan or period you want.
Between the end of the old plan and the new purchase your account is on Free for a moment; your data is not deleted, and older history shows again on the new plan while it is still kept.
During HawkOpen Intro it is different: you can choose what Intro turns into, including Pro monthly or yearly. If you need to change sooner than the end of your paid period, contact us through the HawkOpen app; a contact form on hawkopen.com is coming soon.
Related questions: [How do I cancel my HawkOpen subscription?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-do-i-cancel-my-subscription), [Can HawkOpen Intro turn into a yearly plan instead of a monthly one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#intro-then-yearly-business)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Do US customers buy HawkOpen from a US company?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#who-sells-hawkopen-to-us-customers
No. All customers, including those in the United States, buy from TriStiX S.L., the company in Spain that runs HawkOpen. There is no US company.
US customers can pay in US dollars. Those prices are shown before tax, and any tax for your billing address is calculated at checkout and shown before you pay. The terms of sale are on the Terms / Imprint page of hawkopen.com.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen charge US sales tax?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#does-hawkopen-charge-us-sales-tax), [What are HawkOpen prices in US dollars?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/hawkopen-prices-in-us-dollars)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen charge US sales tax?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#does-hawkopen-charge-us-sales-tax
Dollar prices are shown before tax. At checkout, Stripe Tax calculates any tax that applies to your billing address, and you see the amount before you pay.
A billing address is required at checkout because the tax depends on it. Whether software sold as a service is taxed depends on the rules of each US state; HawkOpen does not describe them, and this is not tax advice.
Related questions: [Is SaaS taxable in my US state?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#is-saas-taxable-in-my-us-state), [Do US customers buy HawkOpen from a US company?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#who-sells-hawkopen-to-us-customers)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is SaaS taxable in my US state?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#is-saas-taxable-in-my-us-state
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
It depends on your state’s rules, and HawkOpen does not give tax advice or describe each state. When you buy HawkOpen in US dollars, the checkout calculates any tax that applies to your billing address.
For questions about your own business, ask a tax adviser or your state’s tax authority. HawkOpen’s dollar prices are shown before tax, and the tax amount appears on the checkout page before you pay.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen charge US sales tax?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#does-hawkopen-charge-us-sales-tax)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What happens to my HawkOpen account and history after I cancel, and can I come back later?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#what-happens-after-cancelling
You keep your plan until the end of the paid period; then the account moves to the Free plan and is not deleted. Free shows only the last 7 days of history, but older data is not erased by the plan change, so it shows again if you subscribe again while it is still kept.
On Free you have the Free plan’s limits: 1 mailbox, link tracking in 10 emails a month and a short HawkOpen line in the footer of emails sent with a chosen look (a mail design). Paid features such as campaigns stop, and on Free the CRM is a paid add-on.
Tracking data itself is deleted after your workspace’s retention period, 365 days by default, which an administrator can change. To come back, choose a plan on the Pricing page of the dashboard once the old subscription has ended.
Related questions: [How do I cancel my HawkOpen subscription?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-do-i-cancel-my-subscription), [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include), [Can I use the HawkOpen CRM on the Free plan?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/crm-on-the-free-plan)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can HawkOpen Intro turn into a yearly plan instead of a monthly one?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#intro-then-yearly-business
Yes. When you start Intro you choose whether it turns into Business monthly or Business yearly (€90 a year plus VAT). During Intro you can still change it to Pro monthly, Pro yearly or Business monthly, but Business yearly can only be chosen at the start.
Paid yearly, Business works out at €7.50 a month instead of €11, plus VAT. The chosen plan starts after the 20 days of Intro and renews automatically until you cancel; cancelling during Intro stops it from starting at all.
Related questions: [How does the HawkOpen Intro offer work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-does-hawkopen-intro-work), [Can I switch between Pro and Business, or from monthly to yearly billing?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#change-plan-or-billing-period)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is there a HawkOpen Enterprise plan with custom terms?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#enterprise-plan-and-custom-terms
No. HawkOpen sells only Free, Intro, Pro and Business, on the same published terms for everyone; larger teams buy Pro or Business with one seat per person and get a volume discount.
A team plan can have up to 10,000 seats. From 5 seats the price per seat goes down, up to 20% for the largest teams, and the discount stays for the life of the subscription. The checkout shows the exact price before you pay.
There is no individual contract, no special price list and no payment against an invoice or purchase order: you pay at checkout with a method that Stripe offers there. If you have a question before buying, contact us through the HawkOpen app; a contact form on hawkopen.com is coming soon.
Related questions: [How many mailboxes can I connect on each HawkOpen plan?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-many-mailboxes-per-plan), [How much does HawkOpen cost?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-much-does-hawkopen-cost)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How many PDF links and signature requests do I get on each HawkOpen plan?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#pdf-and-signature-limits-per-plan
Free gives 5 PDF links and 1 signature request a month, Pro 10 PDF links and 5 signature requests, and Business has no limit. All of these are a preview until external malware scanning of files is switched on.
Each PDF link or signature request counts when you create it, and deleting it does not give it back. The counters are per user and start again at the beginning of each calendar month (in the time zone set in your settings, UTC if none is set).
Settings for a PDF link, such as an expiry date, a limit on opens and a watermark, are part of Business. Proposal links also work only once file scanning is on, and the price list does not yet name a plan for them.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen Business plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#what-is-in-business), [Is HawkOpen a cheaper alternative to DocuSign or PandaDoc for e-signatures?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/docusign-alternatives)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Why does the HawkOpen Free plan add a line to my email footer?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#free-plan-footer-line
It is how the Free plan is paid for: on Free, an email sent with a chosen look (a mail design) ends with a short line, “Sent with HawkOpen”, in the language of that look, with a link to the site. A plain email without a look gets no such line, and Pro and Business never add it.
The line is added only on the Free plan. To avoid it, send without a look, or move to Pro or Business; you can also try Business with HawkOpen Intro.
Separately, every tracked email on every plan ends with a short notice that it contains tracking elements, with a link where the recipient can turn tracking off. That notice stays when you upgrade.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include), [What are the differences between HawkOpen Free, Pro and Business?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#free-pro-business-differences)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What are the differences between HawkOpen Free, Pro and Business?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#free-pro-business-differences
Free tracks opens without a limit and links in 10 emails a month, for 1 mailbox. Pro adds 3 mailboxes, 365 days of history, unlimited link tracking, scheduled sends, reminders, reply detection and the CRM with up to 25,000 contacts, and Business adds polls, reports, webhooks, unlimited mailboxes and up to 250,000 CRM contacts. Every plan, Free included, has the address book with recipient lists and campaigns: up to 50 recipients per campaign on Free and 500 on Pro and Business.
Free costs €0 and has 7 days of history, 3 templates, 5 PDF links and 1 signature request a month, and a short HawkOpen line in the footer of emails sent with a chosen look (a mail design). Pro costs €48 a year (€4 a month, 33% less than paying monthly) or €6 a month, plus VAT; it has unlimited templates, your own alert rules, 10 PDF links and 5 signature requests a month, and no footer line.
Business costs €90 a year (€7.50 a month, 31% less than paying monthly) or €11 a month, plus VAT. On top of Pro it has email and Microsoft Teams alerts, Safe Follow-up drafts, Deliverability Guardian and no limit on PDF links or signature requests. PDF links and signature requests are a preview until external file scanning is switched on. Prices are per user and net: the VAT of your country is added. On Free the CRM is a paid add-on with a 21-day trial.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen Pro plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#what-is-in-pro), [What does the HawkOpen Business plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#what-is-in-business), [Which HawkOpen plan is right for a freelancer, a sales team or a company?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#which-plan-do-i-need), [Can I use the HawkOpen CRM on the Free plan?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/crm-on-the-free-plan)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What does the HawkOpen Business plan include?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#what-is-in-business
Everything in Pro, plus polls, a larger CRM (up to 250,000 contacts), weekly and monthly reports, webhooks, email and Microsoft Teams alerts, and no limit on mailboxes. It costs €90 a year (€7.50 a month, 31% less than paying monthly) or €11 a month, plus VAT.
Campaigns, which every plan has, send the same email to up to 500 recipients per campaign on Business and 60,000 a month, each with its own copy, tracked only for recipients with a recorded consent. Business also has Safe Follow-up, which writes a follow-up draft but never sends it for you, and Deliverability Guardian, which can pause bulk sending when too many emails bounce.
The plan sets no limit on how far back you can see your history; tracking data is kept for your workspace’s retention period, 365 days by default, which an administrator can change. PDF link controls and unlimited PDF links and signature requests are included, but files work only once external malware scanning is switched on.
Polls, reports and webhooks are only in Business, not in Pro; Pro has the CRM too, with up to 25,000 contacts. You can try Business with HawkOpen Intro: €1 plus VAT for the first 20 days. From day 21, Business continues with yearly billing at €90 a year plus VAT and renews every year until canceled. You can choose monthly billing at €11/month instead.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen Pro plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#what-is-in-pro), [What are the differences between HawkOpen Free, Pro and Business?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#free-pro-business-differences), [How does the HawkOpen Intro offer work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-does-hawkopen-intro-work)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What does the HawkOpen Pro plan include?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#what-is-in-pro
Pro (€48 a year (€4 a month, 33% less than paying monthly) or €6 a month, plus VAT) gives you 3 mailboxes, 365 days of history and link tracking without a monthly limit, plus scheduled sends, reminders, reply detection and the CRM with up to 25,000 contacts. Emails carry no HawkOpen footer line.
It also includes unlimited templates, your own alert rules, and 10 PDF links and 5 signature requests a month, which are a preview until external file scanning is switched on.
Pro includes campaigns of up to 500 recipients each, with saved recipient lists. It does not include polls, reports or webhooks; those are in Business, which also allows up to 250,000 CRM contacts.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen Business plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#what-is-in-business), [What are the differences between HawkOpen Free, Pro and Business?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#free-pro-business-differences)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does HawkOpen have hidden limits or fair-use rules?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#hidden-limits-or-fair-use
The limits that differ by plan are the ones on the pricing page: mailboxes, history, link-tracked emails on Free, templates, PDF links, signature requests and campaign recipients. HawkOpen publishes no other usage caps by plan.
Monthly limits count per user and calendar month, in the time zone set in your settings (UTC if none is set). Campaigns have a limit per campaign (50 recipients on Free, 500 on Pro and Business), and on Business also per month (60,000).
Your emails go out through your own Gmail, Outlook or IMAP/SMTP mailbox, so your email provider’s own sending limits apply as well, and HawkOpen cannot raise them.
Related questions: [When do HawkOpen monthly limits reset?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#when-do-monthly-limits-reset), [What are the differences between HawkOpen Free, Pro and Business?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#free-pro-business-differences)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### When do HawkOpen monthly limits reset?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#when-do-monthly-limits-reset
On the first day of each calendar month at midnight in the time zone set in your settings, or at 00:00 UTC if none is set. The counters are kept per user, not per mailbox.
This applies to link-tracked emails on Free, PDF links, signature requests and campaign recipients. Without a time zone, in Central Europe midnight UTC is 01:00 in winter and 02:00 in summer. Deleting a PDF link or a signature request does not lower the counter for the month.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen have hidden limits or fair-use rules?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#hidden-limits-or-fair-use), [How many PDF links and signature requests do I get on each HawkOpen plan?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#pdf-and-signature-limits-per-plan)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How long is my tracking history kept on each HawkOpen plan?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#how-long-is-history-kept
The plan sets how far back you can see: 7 days on Free, 365 days on Pro and no plan limit on Business. Separately, tracking data is deleted after your workspace’s retention period, 365 days by default.
An administrator of the workspace can change the retention period. On Business, that period is what limits your history.
Changing plan does not delete data. If you move from Free to a paid plan, older history that is still kept becomes visible again.
Related questions: [What are the differences between HawkOpen Free, Pro and Business?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#free-pro-business-differences), [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Who can use the HawkOpen Intro offer, and how often?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#who-can-use-hawkopen-intro
Intro can be used once per customer account, workspace and payment method, and a verified company tax ID also allows only one Intro. It is not available if you already have a HawkOpen subscription.
Intro costs €1 plus VAT for the first 20 days of Business and always needs a payment method. From day 21, Business continues with yearly billing at €90 a year plus VAT and renews every year until canceled. You can choose monthly billing at €11/month instead. Cancel during Intro if you do not want it to continue.
Related questions: [How does the HawkOpen Intro offer work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-does-hawkopen-intro-work), [What does the HawkOpen Business plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#what-is-in-business)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How many opens and link clicks can I track on the HawkOpen Free plan?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#free-plan-open-and-click-limits
Opens are tracked without a limit, each with a classification. Link clicks are tracked in 10 emails a month. Either way, only recipients with a recorded consent are tracked, once your company has switched tracking on.
The link limit counts tracked copies: HawkOpen makes one copy per recipient, so one email with tracked links sent to three people uses three. After the limit, new emails still track opens, but their links are left as they are until the count starts again at the beginning of the next calendar month (in the time zone set in your settings, UTC if none is set).
Pro and Business have no monthly link limit.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include), [Is there a free email tracker for Gmail?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/free-email-tracker-for-gmail)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Which HawkOpen plan is right for a freelancer, a sales team or a company?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#which-plan-do-i-need
Free suits you if you only want to see opens and some link clicks from one mailbox. Pro suits a freelancer or salesperson with several addresses who needs reminders, reply detection, the CRM and a year of history; Business suits teams that need polls, reports, webhooks or more than 25,000 CRM contacts.
For a team, buy one seat per person; from 5 seats there is a volume discount. If you are unsure about Business, HawkOpen Intro lets you use it for 20 days for €1 plus VAT. From day 21, Business continues with yearly billing at €90 a year plus VAT and renews every year until canceled. You can choose monthly billing at €11/month instead.
You can stay on Free as long as you like; if you only need the CRM there, the CRM add-on costs €3 a month plus VAT after a 21-day trial. Changing plans later is not self-service yet: you cancel, and after the paid period ends you buy the other plan.
Related questions: [What are the differences between HawkOpen Free, Pro and Business?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#free-pro-business-differences), [How does the HawkOpen Intro offer work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-does-hawkopen-intro-work), [Can I use the HawkOpen CRM on the Free plan?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/crm-on-the-free-plan)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I see which HawkOpen plan I am on?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#which-plan-am-i-on
Open the Pricing page in the HawkOpen dashboard: your current plan is marked there, and during Intro you also see when it ends.
“Manage billing” on the same page opens Stripe’s billing portal with your subscription. If you have no paid plan, your account is on Free.
Related questions: [Which HawkOpen plan is right for a freelancer, a sales team or a company?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing#which-plan-do-i-need), [How do I cancel my HawkOpen subscription?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-do-i-cancel-my-subscription)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Recipients and privacy
What recipients see in a tracked email, how they turn tracking off and what the rules on email tracking say.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients
### Will recipients know that my email is tracked?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/will-recipients-know-their-email-is-tracked
Yes. Every email that HawkOpen tracks 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 your company. HawkOpen tracks a recipient only when a consent of that person for your company is recorded.
The tracking image itself is invisible, so HawkOpen adds the notice whenever an email carries a tracking pixel or tracked links. An email sent without tracking, for example to a recipient without a recorded consent, gets no notice.
No setting, plan or option removes the notice from a tracked email.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking), [Is email open tracking legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-email-open-tracking-legal), [What does the HawkOpen tracking notice at the bottom of an email say?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/what-does-the-tracking-notice-say)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking
Through the link “Do not track my activity” at the end of a tracked email. Opening it is enough: it refuses tracking by the company that sent the email at once, deletes what was measured about the address before and tells the sender; the page that opens confirms it, and only the recipient can give consent again there. To refuse tracking by every HawkOpen sender at once, the recipient uses the HawkOpen privacy page.
HawkOpen checks these choices for every recipient copy before it adds a pixel or tracked links, and no account setting overrides them. Measuring also stops in emails the company sent before.
The privacy page is linked from the page behind the link. There the recipient confirms the address with a one-time code and can choose “Do not track me” for every sender, which also deletes the earlier tracking data in every company, download their data or request erasure. That general setting can be switched back on later; even then, only a company with a recorded consent of the person tracks them.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Will recipients know that my email is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/will-recipients-know-their-email-is-tracked), [Can I exclude some recipients or countries from tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#exclude-recipients-or-countries-from-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is email open tracking legal?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-email-open-tracking-legal
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
It depends on the country, the purpose and the recipient’s consent, and HawkOpen cannot decide it for you. The data protection authorities of Spain and France say that a tracking pixel in an email generally needs the recipient’s prior consent, with only narrow exceptions.
Two questions are assessed separately: whether you may send the email at all, and whether you may measure its opens and clicks. The rules for sending commercial emails, such as article 21 of the Spanish LSSI, do not answer the second question.
Spain’s authority AEPD (report 0011/2014) said that for pixels in advertising emails a link to a privacy policy and the absence of an objection are not enough: active consent is needed before the first email with such a pixel. France’s CNIL (recommendation adopted on 12 March 2026 and published on 14 April 2026) treats email pixels as trackers that need consent, with narrow exceptions such as authentication security. Under the GDPR, the company that decides why and whom it tracks must have a valid legal basis.
In the case about the Mailtrack tool (PS/00328/2022, upheld in RR/00541/2023), the AEPD sanctioned the tool’s provider. Among other things it looked at how recipients were informed.
What HawkOpen does today: every tracked email carries a notice with a link where the recipient can turn tracking off, and HawkOpen never presents an open as proof that someone read the email.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Will recipients know that my email is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/will-recipients-know-their-email-is-tracked), [What do the CNIL and other EU regulators say about tracking pixels in emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cnil-eu-guidance-on-tracking-pixels), [Does the notice in the email make my tracking GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/does-the-tracking-notice-replace-consent)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I exclude some recipients or countries from tracking?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#exclude-recipients-or-countries-from-tracking
Yes. In your settings you can list addresses, whole domains and countries that HawkOpen never tracks. Emails to them are sent without a tracking pixel or tracked links.
A country is matched by the country ending of the address, such as .de or .fr. Addresses on generic endings such as .com cannot be matched to a country this way, so add them as addresses or domains.
These rules can only switch tracking off, never on, and a recipient’s own refusal always applies as well.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can a sender see if I opened their email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/can-sender-see-if-i-opened-their-email
Only if the sender used a tracking tool, and even then they see that an image in the email was loaded or a link was clicked, not that you read it. Apple Mail, mail provider proxies and security scanners can load that image without you.
A tracking tool puts a small invisible image or redirected links into the email. When your mail app loads the image or you click a link, the tool records it.
If the email was sent with HawkOpen tracking, it ends with the notice “This message contains HawkOpen tracking elements.” and the link “Do not track my activity”, with which you refuse tracking by that sender’s company. HawkOpen tracks you only if your consent for that company is recorded, and classifies an image load at most as likely human activity, never as proof of reading.
To stop tracking images from reporting opens, turn off automatic image loading in your mail app.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read), [What does the HawkOpen tracking notice at the bottom of an email say?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/what-does-the-tracking-notice-say)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What does the HawkOpen tracking notice at the bottom of an email say?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/what-does-the-tracking-notice-say
It says “This message contains HawkOpen tracking elements.” followed by the link “Do not track my activity”. HawkOpen adds it at the end of every email that carries a tracking pixel or tracked links, which it does only for a recipient whose consent for the sending company is recorded.
HawkOpen writes the notice in English, Polish, German, Spanish, French, Italian or Portuguese, picking the language from the text of the email. When it cannot tell, the notice is in English.
Opening the link refuses tracking by the sending company at once; that company cannot switch it back. Separately, every email sent through HawkOpen, tracked or not, ends with the line “Do not send me messages”. No setting or plan removes the notice from a tracked email.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Will recipients know that my email is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/will-recipients-know-their-email-is-tracked), [How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is email tracking a scam or an invasion of privacy?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-email-tracking-a-scam
It is not a scam, but it does collect data about the recipient, which is why HawkOpen tells them. Tracking records that an image was loaded or a link was clicked; HawkOpen tracks a recipient only with a recorded consent for the sending company, shows the result as an estimate, adds a notice to every tracked email and lets the recipient refuse tracking.
Privacy proxies, caches and security scanners cause many of these events, so HawkOpen never presents an open as proof that someone read the email.
Recipients who do not want this can refuse tracking by that company through the link “Do not track my activity” in the notice, or by every HawkOpen sender on the HawkOpen privacy page; either way, what was measured about them before is deleted. Turning off image loading in a mail app also stops tracking images.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking), [Is email open tracking legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-email-open-tracking-legal), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Do I have to tell recipients that I track their emails?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/do-i-have-to-tell-recipients-about-tracking
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
With HawkOpen the recipient is always told: every tracked email ends with a notice and a link to turn tracking off, and it cannot be removed. Whether informing is enough is a separate question: the Spanish and French data protection authorities say a tracking pixel generally also needs the recipient’s prior consent.
A notice is information, not consent. Spain’s AEPD (report 0011/2014) said that for pixels in advertising emails, a link to a privacy policy plus no objection is not enough: active consent is needed before the first email with such a pixel. France’s CNIL (recommendation published on 14 April 2026) also requires consent for email pixels, with narrow exceptions.
In the Mailtrack case (PS/00328/2022, upheld in RR/00541/2023) the AEPD looked, among other things, at how recipients were informed; information that could be removed was one element of that assessment.
The company that decides why and whom it tracks needs a valid legal basis and must give recipients the required information. HawkOpen’s notice helps with informing; it does not replace consent where consent is needed.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Will recipients know that my email is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/will-recipients-know-their-email-is-tracked), [Does the notice in the email make my tracking GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/does-the-tracking-notice-replace-consent), [Is email open tracking legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-email-open-tracking-legal)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is secret email tracking ethical for lawyers and other professionals?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-covert-email-tracking-ethical
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
HawkOpen does not offer hidden tracking. A recipient without a recorded consent gets an email with no tracking pixel and no individually tracked links, and a tracked email ends with a notice that cannot be removed. A notice does not by itself make tracking permissible, and some professional rules require the other side’s prior informed consent.
For example, Illinois State Bar Association Opinion 18-01 says that a lawyer may not use tracking software in emails to another lawyer without that lawyer’s prior informed consent. The opinion concerns specific professional situations and is not a general rule for everyone; check the rules of your own bar or chamber.
Where consent is needed, ask for it in a way that has its own basis under the rules on communications, explain what tracking records, and record the person’s active decision. In HawkOpen you can also switch tracking off for one email before sending, or exclude an address or domain from tracking.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Will recipients know that my email is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/will-recipients-know-their-email-is-tracked), [Can I exclude some recipients or countries from tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#exclude-recipients-or-countries-from-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Can I remove, hide or change the HawkOpen tracking notice, and why not?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#can-i-remove-or-change-the-tracking-notice
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
No. No setting, plan or option removes or edits the notice in an email that carries a tracking pixel or tracked links. The notice informs the recipient; it is not consent, and removing it or never showing it would not make the measurement permissible.
In HawkOpen’s consent-based model only recipients whose consent is recorded are tracked; everyone else gets an ordinary email without a pixel, tracked links or notice. If you do not want the notice, send the email without tracking: switch off opens and links for that email or campaign.
In the Mailtrack case (PS/00328/2022, upheld in RR/00541/2023) Spain’s data protection authority looked, among other things, at how recipients were informed, and information that could be removed was one element of its assessment.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Will recipients know that my email is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/will-recipients-know-their-email-is-tracked), [What does the HawkOpen tracking notice at the bottom of an email say?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/what-does-the-tracking-notice-say), [Does the notice in the email make my tracking GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/does-the-tracking-notice-replace-consent)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### What does a recipient see after clicking the link in the tracking notice?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#what-does-the-recipient-privacy-page-show
A page of the company that sent the email. Opened through the link “Do not track my activity”, it refuses tracking by that company at once, deletes what was measured before and offers the button “I agree after all”; opened through “Do not send me messages”, it changes nothing until the recipient chooses a button: “Do not track my activity” or “Do not send me messages”, which stops further mail from that company. From there a link leads to the HawkOpen privacy page, which covers every sender.
On the privacy page the recipient confirms the address with an 8-digit code, valid for 10 minutes. Then they can choose “Do not track me” for every sender or undo that choice, download the tracking data about their address once per code, and request its erasure. Here too, opening the page changes nothing by itself; only the buttons do.
Both pages are in English, Polish, German, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese, and the answer to a code request is the same whether HawkOpen holds data about the address or not.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking), [How can a recipient see the tracking data about them or have it erased?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#how-can-a-recipient-get-or-erase-their-tracking-data)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How can a recipient see the tracking data about them or have it erased?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#how-can-a-recipient-get-or-erase-their-tracking-data
On the HawkOpen privacy page for recipients, linked from the page behind the links at the end of a HawkOpen email, after confirming the address with an 8-digit code sent to it. The recipient can download, once per code, a file with the data about that address, or request erasure; erasure is then carried out for every HawkOpen sender that holds data about the address, and further sending to it is stopped.
The file lists the deliveries to the address with their recorded events, signature records, document access and the tracking choice. Erasure removes, for each sender, the deliveries to the address and their events, queued sends, document access, signature records, contacts, list entries and bounce records.
What stays: a coded fingerprint of the address (not the address itself), which keeps further sending from every sender stopped, and the tracking choice. HawkOpen does not publish how long backup copies are kept, and the request is processed in the background, so it is not instant. Choosing “Do not track me” on the same page, without erasure, deletes the earlier tracking data about the address in every company.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What does a recipient see after clicking the link in the tracking notice?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#what-does-the-recipient-privacy-page-show), [As a sender, how do I handle a data deletion request from a recipient?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#how-does-a-sender-handle-a-recipient-deletion-request)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What does the sender see after a recipient turns tracking off?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#what-does-the-sender-see-after-tracking-is-turned-off
The recipient is marked as having refused tracking, and your company is told, also through a webhook event if you use webhooks. You can keep writing to them as usual: HawkOpen sends your emails to that address without a tracking pixel, without tracked links and without the notice.
A refusal through the link “Do not track my activity” takes effect as soon as the recipient opens it and applies to your company until the recipient gives consent again on the same page: no one in the company can switch it back, measuring also stops in emails sent before, and what was measured about the address before is deleted. A “Do not track me” on the HawkOpen privacy page works the same way for every HawkOpen sender, but the recipient can undo it later. Refusing tracking is not unsubscribing: the person still receives your emails.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking), [Is consent to tracking separate from consent to a newsletter?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/separate-consent-for-newsletter-and-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What can a sender see if I use Apple Mail Privacy Protection?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#what-can-a-sender-see-with-mail-privacy-protection
Mostly that Apple loaded the images in advance through its own servers, not when or whether you read the email. HawkOpen classifies such a load as an Apple privacy proxy, not as human activity.
Mail Privacy Protection hides image loads, not link clicks: if you click a tracked link, the sender can still see the click. HawkOpen never presents an image load as proof that someone read an email.
Related questions: [What is Apple Mail Privacy Protection?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-is-apple-mail-privacy-protection), [Can a sender see if I opened their email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/can-sender-see-if-i-opened-their-email)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How does HawkOpen choose the language of the notice, and why was it wrong?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#why-is-the-tracking-notice-in-the-wrong-language
HawkOpen guesses the language from common words and letters in the text of your email and picks English, Polish, German, Spanish, French, Italian or Portuguese. When it is unsure it uses English; an email in another language, or one that mixes languages, may get English or a language that shares common words.
Very short emails give too little text to guess, so they get English. A few full sentences in your language make a correct guess more likely.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen tracking notice at the bottom of an email say?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/what-does-the-tracking-notice-say)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is the tracking notice also added to plain-text emails?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#is-the-notice-added-to-plain-text-emails
HawkOpen adds the tracking pixel, the tracked links and the notice to the HTML version of an email, all in the same step. An email sent only as plain text cannot carry a tracking image.
If a recipient’s mail app shows only the plain-text part of an email, it also does not load the tracking image from the HTML part.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen tracking notice at the bottom of an email say?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/what-does-the-tracking-notice-say), [What happens if the recipient blocks images?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-if-recipient-blocks-images)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can an email signature track me, and does HawkOpen’s signature do that?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#is-there-tracking-in-email-signatures
A signature can carry a tracking image or tracked links like any other part of an email. HawkOpen’s free signature generator works only in your browser and adds no tracking, and the short “Sent with HawkOpen” line that Free adds to emails with a chosen look is a plain link without a tracking image.
When an email sent with HawkOpen is tracked, the tracking comes from the pixel and links that HawkOpen adds, and the email then ends with the HawkOpen tracking notice.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How can I tell if an email I received is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-detect-email-tracking), [What does the HawkOpen tracking notice at the bottom of an email say?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/what-does-the-tracking-notice-say)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How can I report spam or abuse sent with HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#how-can-a-recipient-report-abuse
Write to HawkOpen through the contact details on its Terms / Imprint page. HawkOpen’s terms forbid unsolicited bulk messaging and unlawful surveillance; there is no separate abuse form yet.
You can also act yourself: mark the email as spam in your mail app, stop further mail from that company through the link “Do not send me messages” at the end of every HawkOpen email, or refuse tracking by that company through the link “Do not track my activity” in the tracking notice. Requesting erasure on the recipient privacy page also stops further sending to your address from HawkOpen senders.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking), [How do I stop emails from a sender that has no unsubscribe link?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#how-to-stop-emails-without-an-unsubscribe-link)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How can I check who sent me an email tracked with HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#how-to-check-who-sent-a-tracked-email
The sender is the person or company in the email’s From field: HawkOpen sends through the sender’s own mailbox, not in its own name. The page behind the links “Do not track my activity” and “Do not send me messages” at the end of the email also names the company that sent it through HawkOpen. Opening “Do not track my activity” refuses tracking by that company at once; opening “Do not send me messages” changes nothing until the recipient chooses.
If you do not recognise the sender, check the address carefully before you click any link or open an attachment, or contact the company through a channel you already know.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen tracking notice at the bottom of an email say?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/what-does-the-tracking-notice-say), [How can I report spam or abuse sent with HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#how-can-a-recipient-report-abuse)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### As a sender, how do I handle a data deletion request from a recipient?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#how-does-a-sender-handle-a-recipient-deletion-request
Point the person to the HawkOpen privacy page for recipients, linked from the page behind the links at the end of every HawkOpen email. After confirming their address there, they can request erasure, and HawkOpen carries it out in every sender account that holds data about the address, including yours.
After erasure HawkOpen stops further sending to that address from your account, and keeps only a coded fingerprint of the address needed for that. Data you keep outside HawkOpen, such as your own CRM or mailbox, is not touched, so handle it yourself.
Related questions: [How can a recipient see the tracking data about them or have it erased?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#how-can-a-recipient-get-or-erase-their-tracking-data)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I stop emails from a sender that has no unsubscribe link?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#how-to-stop-emails-without-an-unsubscribe-link
Reply and ask the sender to stop, or block the address or mark the email as spam in your mail app. An email sent through HawkOpen ends with the link “Do not send me messages”, which stops further mail from that company; you can also request erasure on the HawkOpen privacy page, which stops further sending to your address from every HawkOpen sender.
Emails sent from the HawkOpen dashboard and campaign emails also offer that link to your mail program as a one-click unsubscribe. Refusing tracking is different: it stops tracking but not the emails themselves.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Is it safe to click “unsubscribe” in an email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#is-it-safe-to-click-unsubscribe), [How can I report spam or abuse sent with HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#how-can-a-recipient-report-abuse)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is it safe to click “unsubscribe” in an email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#is-it-safe-to-click-unsubscribe
From a sender you know, usually yes. In an email sent through HawkOpen the link “Do not send me messages” first opens a page; nothing changes until you press the button, and then that company sends you no further messages through HawkOpen.
With an email you never asked for from an unknown sender, it is safer to mark it as spam than to click its links. Stopping messages is a different choice from refusing tracking; the same page offers both. The unsubscribe link in older HawkOpen campaign emails still opens a confirmation page that works the same way.
Related questions: [How do I stop emails from a sender that has no unsubscribe link?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#how-to-stop-emails-without-an-unsubscribe-link), [Is consent to tracking separate from consent to a newsletter?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/separate-consent-for-newsletter-and-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
## How email tracking works
Tracking images, tracked links, what HawkOpen records about a sent email and how to start.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works
### What is email tracking and how does it work?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-email-tracking-works
Email tracking adds an invisible image and redirected links to the message you send, and records when the image is loaded or a link is clicked. HawkOpen also checks each event against named rules to tell likely human activity from a privacy proxy or a scanner.
HawkOpen gives every recipient their own copy, and a tracked copy has a unique, hard-to-guess image address. The image is 1×1 pixel and invisible. When the recipient’s mail app downloads it, HawkOpen records a possible open. Links that start with https are replaced by a short HawkOpen address that records the click and then takes the reader to the original page.
A loaded image is not the same as a read email. Apple Mail, Gmail and company security filters often load images or open links without a person. HawkOpen gives each event a category, such as **privacy proxy**, **security scanner** or **human**, and shows the code of the rule behind it.
HawkOpen adds these elements only after your company’s owner or an administrator switches tracking on, and only to the copies of recipients whose consent is recorded, separately for opens and for links; everyone else gets an ordinary email. Every tracked email ends with the notice “This message contains HawkOpen tracking elements.” and the link “Do not track my activity”, where the recipient can refuse tracking by that company.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What is an email tracking pixel?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/what-is-an-email-tracking-pixel), [How do I track email opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-track-email-opens), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is an email tracking pixel?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/what-is-an-email-tracking-pixel
A tracking pixel is a tiny invisible image with an address unique to one recipient. When a mail app downloads it, the sender’s tool learns that the image was requested, which is a possible open, not proof that someone read the email.
In HawkOpen the pixel is a transparent 1×1 GIF image placed at the end of the message. Each recipient gets a different, hard-to-guess address, so a request tells you which copy it came from. Together with the time, HawkOpen keeps technical details of the request, such as the type of network and the mail program, to judge who made it.
The pixel only works when the mail app loads images. If the recipient blocks images, no open is recorded. If Apple Mail, Gmail or a security filter loads the image in advance, an open appears even though nobody looked. That is why HawkOpen labels each request with a category and the rule that decided it.
Related questions: [What is email tracking and how does it work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-email-tracking-works), [What is the difference between a tracking pixel and a cookie?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/tracking-pixel-vs-cookie), [How can I tell if an email I received is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-detect-email-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I track email opens?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-track-email-opens
Create a HawkOpen account and connect your mailbox. Open tracking works only after your company’s owner or an administrator switches it on, and only for recipients whose consent to open tracking is recorded; then send from the extension in Gmail, Outlook on the web or Yahoo Mail, or from the HawkOpen dashboard. Open tracking is included in the free plan without a limit on opens.
1. Connect a mailbox: sign in with Google or Microsoft, or enter the IMAP and SMTP details of another mailbox. 2. The owner or an administrator accepts the Message Tracking Terms and switches open tracking on for the company. 3. Collect consents: a recipient gives one through the HawkOpen consent form behind a link you pass on, or the owner or an administrator records consents your company collected. 4. Install the HawkOpen extension for Chrome or Firefox, or use the dashboard, and write your email. 5. Watch the events: each image load and click appears with a category and a rule code. Recipients without a consent get an ordinary email without tracking.
The extension tracks a message sent to one recipient. To send the same email to several people, use the dashboard: each person gets a separate copy with its own tracker, so you know who opened it.
Remember that an open is a signal, not proof of reading. Apple Mail and Gmail often load the image without the person, and HawkOpen marks those events accordingly.
Related questions: [How do I track sent emails and replies?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-track-sent-emails), [How do I track email opens in Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/how-to-track-email-opens-in-outlook), [How can I see if my Gmail message was opened without a Workspace read receipt?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/email-tracking-vs-read-receipt-gmail-free)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I track sent emails and replies?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-track-sent-emails
For each email sent through HawkOpen you see its sending state and, on the Pro and Business plans, replies; for recipients whose copy is tracked (your company switched tracking on and their consent is recorded) you also see image loads and link clicks. Each open and click carries a category; notifications come for replies and fired alerts, not for a single open or click.
The sending state tells you whether the message was only prepared, accepted by the sending server, still waiting or rejected. An email prepared in the extension stays **prepared** until HawkOpen has stronger evidence, because preparing a message does not prove it was sent.
Replies are detected on the Pro and Business plans by checking the connected mailbox. On those plans you can also set alerts, for example when there is no reply after a number of hours. The free plan has one fixed rule: an alert when there is no reply within 24 hours.
Browser notifications from the extension and the dashboard come for replies, bounces, unsubscribes and fired alerts; a single open or click does not send one. Opens by Apple Mail, Gmail’s proxy or a scanner are listed with their category and never fire an alert.
Related questions: [How do I track email opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-track-email-opens), [How can I get a notification when someone opens my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/get-notified-when-someone-opens-outlook-email), [How can I prove that an email was sent or received?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-prove-an-email-was-sent-or-received)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is the difference between a tracking pixel and a cookie?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/tracking-pixel-vs-cookie
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
A cookie is a small file a website stores in your browser and reads again later. A tracking pixel stores nothing: it is an image whose download is recorded by the server that hosts it. HawkOpen’s tracking image and tracked links set no cookies.
A cookie can recognise the same browser across many visits and websites. A pixel in an email works differently: the address of the image is unique to one recipient’s copy, so the request itself says which message was opened. HawkOpen records the time and technical details of that request and gives it a category.
For the law, the difference is smaller than it looks. The legal analysis HawkOpen works from notes that, according to the European Data Protection Board’s guidelines on the technical scope of the ePrivacy rules, a tracked link or a solution without cookies is not automatically outside the assessment of tracking technologies. In a 2014 report, the Spanish data protection authority also treated pixels in advertising emails as needing prior consent. Not using cookies therefore does not by itself settle whether consent or information is needed.
Related questions: [What is an email tracking pixel?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/what-is-an-email-tracking-pixel), [Is email open tracking legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-email-open-tracking-legal)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How can I prove that an email was sent or received?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-prove-an-email-was-sent-or-received
HawkOpen records when the sending server accepted your message, whether it bounced, and later image loads, clicks and replies, each with a time. That is a useful trail, but HawkOpen is not a registered email or qualified electronic delivery service.
**Accepted** means the server you send through took the message for delivery. It does not show that the message reached the inbox, and it is not a read receipt. A bounce shows that delivery failed. An image load or click shows that something requested the tracking elements, which may be a person or a machine.
The strongest sign of receipt is something the recipient does on purpose, such as replying. If you need formal proof for a contract or a court, use a service built for that, such as registered email or a qualified electronic delivery service, and check what your local rules accept.
Related questions: [How do I track sent emails and replies?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-track-sent-emails), [What is the difference between a delivery receipt, a read receipt and open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-vs-open-tracking), [How do I request a confirmation of receipt for an email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/request-email-acknowledgement-of-receipt)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can you track an email after it has been sent?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#can-you-track-an-email-after-sending
No. Tracking works only for emails sent through HawkOpen, because the tracking image and tracked links are added to each copy before it leaves. An email already sent without them cannot be tracked afterwards.
For a message that matters, send a new one, or a short follow-up, through HawkOpen. Its delivery status, opens, clicks and, on Pro and Business, replies are then recorded from that moment.
Related questions: [How do I track sent emails and replies?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-track-sent-emails), [What is email tracking and how does it work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-email-tracking-works)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I generate an email tracking pixel myself?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#email-tracking-pixel-generator
HawkOpen has no standalone pixel generator. It creates a separate tracking image for each recipient when it sends the email, and only then can it link an image load to that person and classify it.
A home-made pixel is a tiny image on a server that logs requests. On its own it cannot tell Apple Mail, Gmail’s proxy or a scanner from a person, and it gives no notice to the recipient. HawkOpen adds the classification rules and a notice in every tracked email.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What is an email tracking pixel?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/what-is-an-email-tracking-pixel), [What is a Meta, Facebook or conversion tracking pixel, and is it the same as an email pixel?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#other-kinds-of-tracking-pixels)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is individual-delivery attribution?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#individual-delivery-attribution
It means every recipient gets their own copy of the email, with their own tracking image and links, so an event can be tied to that one recipient. One message to several people in To or Cc cannot tell them apart.
From the dashboard or a campaign, HawkOpen sends a separate copy to each recipient. The extension tracks one recipient per message. An **open signal** is a recorded request for the tracking image; it is a technical event, not proof of reading.
Related questions: [Can I tell if my email was forwarded?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/can-i-tell-if-email-was-forwarded), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is a Meta, Facebook or conversion tracking pixel, and is it the same as an email pixel?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#other-kinds-of-tracking-pixels
No. An advertising pixel is code on a website that reports visits and purchases to an ad platform. An email tracking pixel is a tiny image inside one email that reports when that image is loaded. HawkOpen works only with email.
Questions about setting up an ad pixel belong with the ad platform. In HawkOpen, each email pixel is unique to one recipient and every tracked email carries a notice that it is tracked.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What is an email tracking pixel?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/what-is-an-email-tracking-pixel), [What is the difference between a tracking pixel and a cookie?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/tracking-pixel-vs-cookie)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What counts as certain evidence in HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#what-evidence-hawkopen-provides
Only something the recipient did themselves, such as a reply. Opens and clicks are assessments of “possible” or “likely”, never certain, because machines can trigger them too.
Reply detection is part of Pro and Business and reads only the headers of incoming messages, not their content. Proposal acceptance and simple e-signatures are also the recipient’s own acts, but they work with files, which wait for the malware-scanning service; until it is switched on they are a preview.
Related questions: [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read), [What does HawkOpen not do or not promise?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#what-hawkopen-does-not-do)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What does HawkOpen not do or not promise?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#what-hawkopen-does-not-do
HawkOpen does not prove that an email was read, does not show where a person is beyond the country of the network, does not track emails sent without it, and its e-signature is a simple, not a qualified one.
It also does not get around image blocking, does not recognise your own opens automatically, and does not yet accept files: PDF sharing, proposals and e-signatures wait for the malware-scanning service and are a preview until then.
What it does is record image loads and clicks in the copies of recipients who consented to tracking, replies on paid plans, and explain each verdict with rule codes.
Related questions: [What counts as certain evidence in HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#what-evidence-hawkopen-provides), [What exactly does HawkOpen record about a sent email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#what-hawkopen-records)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What exactly does HawkOpen record about a sent email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#what-hawkopen-records
For each recipient: the delivery status and, on Pro and Business, replies; in a tracked copy also every request for the tracking image and every click on a tracked link. Each event has a time, a category, a confidence and the rule codes behind it.
It also notes whether the end of the message was displayed and, at most, the country of the network a request came from, never a city or street. For replies it reads only message headers, not the content.
Related questions: [What does the event history for a recipient show?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#event-history-per-recipient), [What does HawkOpen not do or not promise?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#what-hawkopen-does-not-do)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is HawkOpen and who makes it?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#what-is-hawkopen
HawkOpen is an app for tracking the emails you send: it records image loads, link clicks and replies and explains each with a category and rule codes. It is made by TriStiX S.L., a company in Spain.
You connect a Gmail or Microsoft account, or any mailbox with IMAP and SMTP, and send from the dashboard or with the browser extension. PDF sharing, proposals and simple e-signatures are also built in, but they wait for the malware-scanning service and are a preview until it is switched on.
Related questions: [What is email tracking and how does it work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-email-tracking-works), [What does HawkOpen not do or not promise?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#what-hawkopen-does-not-do)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I send a registered or certified email with HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#registered-or-certified-email
No. HawkOpen is not a registered or certified delivery service such as Italian PEC or an electronic registered mail provider. It sends ordinary email and shows its delivery status and signals.
“Accepted” in HawkOpen means the sending server took the message; opens and clicks are estimates. If you need formal proof of delivery, use a service built for that; HawkOpen can sit alongside it for ordinary follow-up.
Related questions: [How can I prove that an email was sent or received?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-prove-an-email-was-sent-or-received), [Does HawkOpen confirm that an email was delivered?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#delivery-status-confirmation)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Read receipts in Gmail and Outlook
How read receipts work, why they often do not arrive, and how to tell whether an email was opened.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts
### How do I know if someone read my email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/how-to-know-if-someone-read-my-email
You can get three signals: a read receipt, if the recipient agrees to send one, a tracking image and a tracked link. None of them proves reading; only a reply or another deliberate action does, and HawkOpen rates opens and clicks as at most “likely” human.
**Read receipt.** Gmail offers it only in Google Workspace accounts; Outlook offers it in many versions. The recipient can refuse, and many programs never send one.
**Tracking image and link.** A tool such as HawkOpen adds an invisible image and redirected links; HawkOpen does so only after your company switched tracking on, and only for recipients whose consent is recorded. You see when they were loaded or clicked, but Apple Mail, Gmail’s image proxy and company scanners also do that without a person. HawkOpen labels these events, and events classified as a machine never fire an alert; a single open or click does not send a notification, while replies do.
**What to do:** send through HawkOpen, look at opens and clicks classified as likely human activity, and treat a reply as the only certain answer. If the answer matters, simply ask the recipient to confirm.
Related questions: [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read), [Does Gmail have read receipts?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-gmail-show-read-receipts), [How accurate is email open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/how-accurate-is-email-open-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does Gmail have read receipts?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-gmail-show-read-receipts
Only in Google Workspace (work or school) accounts whose administrator has turned it on; personal Gmail accounts do not have read receipts. In personal Gmail you can use a tracker such as HawkOpen instead.
In a Workspace account where receipts are allowed, open a new message, choose More options and then Request read receipt. The recipient may be asked whether to send it and can refuse, and some mail programs never answer.
In personal Gmail, the HawkOpen extension for Chrome or Firefox adds a tracking image and tracked links to the copy of a recipient whose consent to tracking is recorded, once your company’s owner or an administrator has switched tracking on; other recipients get an ordinary email. You then see image loads and clicks with a category such as **Gmail proxy** or **human**. Every tracked email ends with a visible notice and the link “Do not track my activity”.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Why is the read receipt option missing or not working in Gmail?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/gmail-read-receipt-not-working), [How can I see if my Gmail message was opened without a Workspace read receipt?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/email-tracking-vs-read-receipt-gmail-free), [How do I enable read receipts in Google Workspace?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-workspace-admin)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Why is the read receipt option missing or not working in Gmail?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/gmail-read-receipt-not-working
Most often the account is a personal Gmail account, which has no read receipts, or the Workspace administrator has not allowed them. When the option is there, a receipt still arrives only if the recipient’s program supports it and they agree.
Check these in order: is it a work or school account in Google Workspace? Has the administrator allowed read receipts, and for which recipients? Did the recipient refuse, or does their program ignore receipt requests? Many personal mailboxes and phone apps never send them.
A tracker such as HawkOpen also works in personal Gmail, but HawkOpen tracks only recipients whose consent to tracking is recorded for your company. It shows image loads and clicks with a category and rule code, never proof of reading, and every tracked email tells the recipient it is tracked.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Does Gmail have read receipts?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-gmail-show-read-receipts), [How do I enable read receipts in Google Workspace?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-workspace-admin), [How can I see if my Gmail message was opened without a Workspace read receipt?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/email-tracking-vs-read-receipt-gmail-free)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How can I see if my Gmail message was opened without a Workspace read receipt?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/email-tracking-vs-read-receipt-gmail-free
Use an email tracker. With the HawkOpen extension in Gmail (Chrome or Firefox), the copy of each recipient who consented to tracking gets an invisible image and tracked links; the free plan has no limit on tracked opens and tracks link clicks in 10 emails a month.
Install the extension and connect your Google account. Tracking works once your company’s owner or an administrator has switched it on, and only for recipients whose consent is recorded, separately for opens and for links. Each image load and click appears with a category, for example **Gmail proxy**, **privacy proxy** (Apple Mail) or **human**, so you can tell a probable reader from a machine.
Unlike a read receipt, tracking asks nothing when the email is opened, but it needs the recipient’s consent recorded beforehand and it is not hidden: every tracked email ends with a notice and the link “Do not track my activity”. On the free plan, history is kept for 7 days and a short HawkOpen signature is added to your emails.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Does Gmail have read receipts?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-gmail-show-read-receipts), [How do I track email opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-track-email-opens), [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does Outlook have read receipts and how do I request one?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-outlook-have-read-receipts
Yes. In Outlook you can request a read receipt for one message or for every message, but the recipient can refuse and many programs never send one. Where the option appears depends on your Outlook version and account type.
For one message: in a new email, open Options and select Request a Read Receipt (you can also request a delivery receipt there). For all messages in classic Outlook for Windows: File, Options, Mail, then the Tracking section.
A receipt arrives only if the recipient’s program supports it and they agree, so silence does not mean the message was not read. If you want another signal, HawkOpen works in Outlook on the web through the extension, and from the Outlook desktop app by sending through the HawkOpen dashboard with your connected Microsoft mailbox; it tracks only recipients whose consent to tracking is recorded for your company.
Related questions: [Why don’t Outlook read receipts arrive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/outlook-read-receipt-not-working), [How do I track email opens in Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/how-to-track-email-opens-in-outlook), [How do I turn off read receipts or stop sending them?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/turn-off-read-receipts)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Why don’t Outlook read receipts arrive?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/outlook-read-receipt-not-working
A read receipt depends on the recipient: their program has to support it and they, or their settings, have to agree to send it. Personal Gmail, Apple Mail and many phone apps do not answer Outlook’s requests, and an organisation can block receipts for outside senders.
Common causes: the recipient chose never to send receipts or declined this one; their program ignores receipt requests; an Exchange or Microsoft 365 administrator blocks them; the message has not been opened yet; or the receipt landed in a junk folder. A delivery receipt also depends on the receiving server, and many servers do not send one.
HawkOpen’s tracking image needs no answer from the recipient’s program, but it is added only for recipients whose consent to tracking is recorded, and it has its own limits: image blocking, Apple Mail and scanners. HawkOpen shows every image load and click with a category and rule code, and every tracked email carries a visible notice.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Does Outlook have read receipts and how do I request one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-outlook-have-read-receipts), [Do read receipts work between Gmail and Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipts-between-gmail-and-outlook), [What happens if the recipient blocks images?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-if-recipient-blocks-images)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is a read receipt and where are its settings?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/what-is-a-read-receipt
A read receipt is a short automatic message that the recipient’s mail program sends back when they open your email, if the program supports it and the recipient agrees. You set it up in your mail program, not in HawkOpen, which does not use read receipts.
Your request travels as a hidden note inside the email. The recipient’s program then sends the receipt automatically, asks the recipient, or ignores the request, depending on its settings.
Where to find it: in Outlook, in the Options of a new message, and for all messages in the Tracking settings; in Gmail, under More options in a new message, but only in Google Workspace accounts that allow it. Other providers and webmail services have the option in the compose window, in settings, or not at all.
HawkOpen works differently: it adds an invisible image and tracked links and records when they are requested, only for recipients who consented to tracking by the sender’s company. That needs no reply from the recipient, cannot prove reading either, and is announced by a notice at the end of each tracked email.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What is the difference between a delivery receipt, a read receipt and open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-vs-open-tracking), [How do I turn off read receipts or stop sending them?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/turn-off-read-receipts), [Does Outlook have read receipts and how do I request one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-outlook-have-read-receipts)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is the difference between a delivery receipt, a read receipt and open tracking?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-vs-open-tracking
A delivery receipt says the recipient’s server accepted the message; a read receipt says the recipient’s program reported an opening, if they agreed; open tracking records that a tracking image was loaded, with no answer from the recipient’s program, and HawkOpen uses it only for recipients who consented to it. None of them proves that a person read the email.
Each one fails in its own way. Many servers never send delivery receipts. Read receipts can be declined or ignored. Tracking images are blocked by some programs and loaded in advance by others, such as Apple Mail with Mail Privacy Protection or Gmail’s image proxy.
HawkOpen does not use receipts. It shows the sending state of each message (prepared, accepted by the sending server, bounced), every image load and click with a category, and replies on the Pro and Business plans. Each tracked email tells the recipient that it contains tracking elements.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What is a read receipt and where are its settings?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/what-is-a-read-receipt), [How can I prove that an email was sent or received?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-prove-an-email-was-sent-or-received), [What is email tracking and how does it work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-email-tracking-works)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I enable read receipts in Google Workspace?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-workspace-admin
Only an administrator can: in the Google Admin console, in the Gmail user settings under Email read receipts, they allow receipts and choose for which addresses. After that, users request a receipt in each message under More options.
The administrator can allow receipts only within the organisation or also for outside addresses. A change can take a while to reach all users. Even when it is on, a recipient can refuse, and many outside mail programs never send a receipt.
HawkOpen does not depend on this setting. You can connect a Workspace account with Sign in with Google and track image loads and clicks of recipients who consented to tracking by your company; they are signals, not proof of reading.
Related questions: [Does Gmail have read receipts?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-gmail-show-read-receipts), [Why is the read receipt option missing or not working in Gmail?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/gmail-read-receipt-not-working)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Do read receipts work between Gmail and Outlook?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipts-between-gmail-and-outlook
Sometimes. The request travels with the email, but a receipt comes back only if the recipient’s program supports it and they agree; personal Gmail and many phone apps do not send receipts at all. A tracking image does not depend on the provider, but has limits of its own.
Between two Outlook or Microsoft 365 users, receipts often work if neither side blocks them. From Outlook to a personal Gmail address, a receipt usually does not come back. Between Workspace accounts it depends on what the administrators allow.
A tracking image is loaded by most programs that display images, whatever the provider. But Gmail, Outlook.com and Yahoo often load it through their own image servers, and Apple Mail may load it in advance. HawkOpen marks these cases with their own rule codes, such as R-OPEN-GOOGLE, R-OPEN-MSPROXY, R-OPEN-YAHOO and R-OPEN-APPLE.
Related questions: [Why don’t Outlook read receipts arrive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/outlook-read-receipt-not-working), [Does Gmail have read receipts?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-gmail-show-read-receipts), [Why do opens come from Google’s image proxy, and how do I tell them from real ones?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/google-image-proxy-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I check on the mail server or in Thunderbird whether an email was read?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipts-on-server-or-thunderbird
Not reliably. A server may know that a message in a mailbox was marked as read, but not that a person read it, and no setting can force a recipient to confirm. Thunderbird can request a return receipt, which the recipient can refuse.
In Thunderbird you request a return receipt in the Options of the message you are writing, and you decide how to answer other people’s requests in the privacy settings, under Return Receipts. A “read” flag can also be set by a phone app, a preview or the recipient marking the message, so it says little about real reading.
HawkOpen tracks only emails you send through it. It cannot look into anyone’s mailbox or server; it records image loads and clicks on your tracked emails and rates each event as an estimate.
Related questions: [What is a read receipt and where are its settings?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/what-is-a-read-receipt), [How do I turn off read receipts or stop sending them?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/turn-off-read-receipts)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I tell if an email was read without the recipient knowing?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-without-recipient-knowing
Not with HawkOpen. It tracks only recipients whose consent is recorded for your company, and every email it tracks ends with a visible notice that it contains tracking elements, with the link “Do not track my activity”; no plan or setting removes it.
The notice is short and readable, in one of seven languages chosen from the text of your email, English when unsure. Opening the link refuses tracking by your company at once and deletes what was measured about that address before; no one in your company can switch it back. After that, your later emails to that address go out without the tracking image and without tracked links.
If you do not want to track certain people at all, you can exclude addresses, domains or countries in your settings. And if you need certainty that someone read your message, the honest way is to ask for a reply.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Will recipients know that my email is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/will-recipients-know-their-email-is-tracked), [How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking), [Can I exclude some recipients or countries from tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#exclude-recipients-or-countries-from-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I turn off read receipts or stop sending them?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/turn-off-read-receipts
In your mail program. In classic Outlook for Windows go to File, Options, Mail, Tracking and choose never to send a read receipt; Outlook on the web has a similar choice under Mail, Message handling. This stops receipts, but not tracking images.
In Thunderbird the setting is in the privacy settings under Return Receipts. Other programs and webmail services have it in their settings, or ask you each time.
Tracking images work without a receipt, so they need a separate step: block remote images in your mail program. In an email tracked by HawkOpen you can also use the link “Do not track my activity” at the end of the message: opening it refuses tracking by that sender’s company at once; the company cannot switch it back.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How do I block email tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-block-email-tracking), [What is a read receipt and where are its settings?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/what-is-a-read-receipt), [How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I request a confirmation of receipt for an email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/request-email-acknowledgement-of-receipt
In Outlook, open Options in a new message and request a delivery receipt or a read receipt; Gmail offers read receipts only in Workspace accounts. The surest way is to ask the recipient to confirm by replying.
A delivery receipt comes from the receiving server, and many servers never send one. A read receipt comes from the recipient’s program and needs their agreement. A short line such as “Please confirm that you received this” often works better than either.
HawkOpen does not send receipt requests. For each tracked email it shows whether your sending server accepted it, whether it bounced, and when the tracking image was loaded or a link clicked. Those are signals, not a confirmation from the recipient.
Related questions: [What is the difference between a delivery receipt, a read receipt and open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-vs-open-tracking), [How can I prove that an email was sent or received?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-prove-an-email-was-sent-or-received), [Does Outlook have read receipts and how do I request one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-outlook-have-read-receipts)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why does my Exchange or Microsoft 365 policy block read receipts?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts#admin-blocks-receipts-exchange
Read receipts are controlled by the mail system: in Exchange and Microsoft 365, an administrator can stop receipts going to or coming from outside the organisation, or route them elsewhere. Only that administrator can change it; HawkOpen does not use or alter read receipts.
If you receive receipts meant for someone else, a forwarding rule, a shared mailbox or a delegate setting is the usual cause; the administrator can trace it. HawkOpen works differently, with an image and tracked links in each copy.
Related questions: [Why don’t Outlook read receipts arrive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/outlook-read-receipt-not-working), [Does Outlook have read receipts and how do I request one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-outlook-have-read-receipts)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Are read receipts reliable, and is it rude to request one?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts#are-read-receipts-reliable-or-rude
Not very reliable: a receipt arrives only if the recipient’s program supports it and they agree, and it can be sent when a message is merely previewed or marked as read. Whether a request feels rude depends on the relationship; many people find a receipt on routine emails pushy.
If you need an answer, a clear question with a date usually works better than a receipt. HawkOpen does not use read receipts; its signals are estimates too, and every tracked email says it is tracked.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What is a read receipt and where are its settings?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/what-is-a-read-receipt), [What is the difference between a delivery receipt, a read receipt and open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-vs-open-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Do read receipts or email trackers reveal the recipient’s device or location?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts#read-receipt-privacy-device-info
A read receipt is a short message with little more than the time. HawkOpen shows, for each request, its time, category and rule codes, the technical identification the request carried and at most the country of the network, never a city, a street or who the person is.
Even the country is often that of a proxy, such as Apple’s or Google’s, rather than of the reader. Treat it as a hint about the network, not about the person.
Related questions: [Can an email tracker show the recipient’s location?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/can-email-track-location), [What is a read receipt and where are its settings?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/what-is-a-read-receipt)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I force the recipient to send a read receipt?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts#force-recipient-to-send-read-receipt
No. A read receipt always depends on the recipient’s program and choice. HawkOpen does not use receipts; it records requests for a tracking image and clicks on tracked links, which have their own limits, and every tracked email says it is tracked.
HawkOpen tracks only recipients whose consent is recorded, and a recipient can also block images or refuse tracking with the link “Do not track my activity” in the message. If you need confirmation, ask for a reply.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Why don’t Outlook read receipts arrive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/outlook-read-receipt-not-working), [Can I tell if an email was read without the recipient knowing?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-without-recipient-knowing)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I request or turn off read receipts in iPhone Mail?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts#request-read-receipt-on-iphone
Apple Mail on iPhone has no option to request read receipts. HawkOpen has no iPhone app either: it tracks emails you send from the HawkOpen dashboard or with the browser extension on a computer.
Apple Mail does not send receipts either, so there is nothing to switch off there. To limit tracking images when you read on iPhone, turn on Mail Privacy Protection.
Related questions: [How do I turn on Mail Privacy Protection on iPhone or Mac?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/protect-mail-activity-iphone), [What is a read receipt and where are its settings?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/what-is-a-read-receipt)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Do read receipts work for groups and mailing lists?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts#read-receipts-not-sent-to-groups-or-lists
Usually not: Gmail, for example, handles receipts only for individual accounts, and a group address has no single reader. HawkOpen avoids the problem by sending each recipient their own copy from the dashboard or a campaign; it cannot tell apart people behind one group address.
If you send to a group address, all its members share one copy and one tracking image, so events cannot be tied to a particular member.
Related questions: [What is individual-delivery attribution?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#individual-delivery-attribution), [How do I enable read receipts in Google Workspace?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-workspace-admin)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Link clicks, bots and scanners
How link tracking works and how HawkOpen tells a person’s click from a security scanner.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks
### How do I track link clicks in my emails?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/how-to-track-email-clicks
Link tracking works only after your company’s owner or an administrator switches it on, and only for recipients whose consent to link tracking is recorded for your company; everyone else gets an ordinary email with unchanged links. In a tracked copy every https link becomes a short HawkOpen address that records the click and takes the reader to the original page. The free plan tracks links in 10 emails a month; Pro and Business have no such limit.
Opens and links are separate purposes: the company switches each on separately, and each needs its own consent from the recipient, so a person can be tracked for links but not for opens. A consent comes from the recipient’s own act, for example the HawkOpen consent form behind a link your company passes on itself, or is recorded by the owner or an administrator from consents your company collected. Links that do not start with https, such as links to an email address or plain http links, stay as they are and are not tracked.
Each click gets a category, such as **security scanner**, **link preview** or **human**, with the rule codes behind it. A single click does not send a notification; on Business an email click alert can tell you about the first click that is not classified as a machine. A click is often a stronger signal than an open, but company filters also click links, so read the category before drawing conclusions.
Related questions: [Are bot clicks inflating my click rate, and how do I filter scanner clicks?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/bot-clicks-inflate-click-rate), [What is link tracking, and how is a tracking link made or removed?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/link-tracking-what-is-and-how), [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Are bot clicks inflating my click rate, and how do I filter scanner clicks?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/bot-clicks-inflate-click-rate
Often, yes: company security filters open links to check them, and a simple counter shows that as a click. HawkOpen rates each click with named rules and separates scanner clicks from likely human ones, without any setup; scanner clicks never trigger a notification.
Signs of a scanner include three or more links clicked within two seconds (R-CLK-BURST), a click from a security vendor’s network (R-CLK-VENDOR), from a cloud or hosting network (R-CLK-CLOUD, R-CLK-HOSTING), from a browser without a window (R-CLK-HEADLESS) or an automated one (R-CLK-WEBDRIVER), and a click within seconds of delivery (R-CLK-DELTA). A click from a data-centre network is never classified as likely human activity.
Signs of human activity include the page running in a visible browser tab (R-CLK-JS), a home or mobile network (R-CLK-RESID) and a click well after delivery (R-CLK-LATE). Even then the verdict is at most “likely”. The rules are versioned, so stored clicks can be classified again when they improve.
Related questions: [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending), [How do I track link clicks in my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/how-to-track-email-clicks), [Are open rates still reliable after Apple Mail Privacy Protection?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/open-rate-after-apple-mpp)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is link tracking, and how is a tracking link made or removed?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/link-tracking-what-is-and-how
A tracking link sends the reader through a short address that records the click and then opens the real page. In HawkOpen you do not make them by hand: in a copy tracked for links, every https link is converted automatically; in any other copy, links stay unchanged.
Marketing parameters such as utm_ tags are something else: they tell a website where a visitor came from, but do not record the click by themselves. A HawkOpen tracking link records the click on HawkOpen’s side, rates it, and then forwards the reader.
As a sender: link tracking is off until your company’s owner or an administrator switches it on, and even then only recipients who consented to link tracking get tracked links. Before sending you can also switch link tracking off for a message or a campaign; links that do not start with https are never converted. As a recipient of an email tracked by HawkOpen, you can use the link “Do not track my activity” at the end of the message: opening it refuses tracking by that company at once and deletes what was measured about you before; the company cannot switch it back, only you can, on the same page.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How do I track link clicks in my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/how-to-track-email-clicks), [How do I block email tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-block-email-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does HawkOpen recognise link previews and AI assistants?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#ai-agents-and-link-previews
Yes, when they identify themselves. A request from a link-preview bot (as in chat apps) or a declared AI agent gets the category **link preview**, with rules such as R-CLK-PREVIEW and R-CLK-AI-DECLARED, and is never classified as human activity.
The same applies to the tracking image (R-OPEN-PREVIEW, R-OPEN-AI-DECLARED). A preview often means someone shared your link, but the event itself is a machine. An assistant that does not identify itself is judged by the other rules, such as speed, network and browser behaviour.
Related questions: [How does HawkOpen detect headless browsers and bots?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#headless-browser-detection), [Are bot clicks inflating my click rate, and how do I filter scanner clicks?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/bot-clicks-inflate-click-rate)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I track clicks on links inside a PDF?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#click-tracking-for-links-inside-pdf
No. HawkOpen tracks links in the body of the email, not inside a PDF. For a PDF shared as a HawkOpen link it records sessions and time per page once the recipient agrees to it on the PDF page; file sharing waits for the malware-scanning service, which is not switched on yet.
If a link in a document matters, put the same link in the email as well: that one is tracked like any other https link.
Related questions: [How do I track link clicks in my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/how-to-track-email-clicks), [Can tracking show how long someone read the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#how-long-was-email-read)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Which security scanners cause false clicks, and does HawkOpen recognise Proofpoint, Mimecast, Barracuda or Safe Links?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#security-scanners-recognised
Gateways like these check links in incoming mail and can click every one of them. HawkOpen recognises them by where the request comes from (known security-vendor and data-centre networks) and by how it behaves, and marks such clicks as **security scanner**.
Behaviour counts as much as the network: a click within seconds of delivery, three or more links within two seconds, a browser with no window or no real browser behind the request. HawkOpen does not promise to name every product; the rule codes show why a click was judged a scanner.
Scanner clicks stay in the event list, but they trigger no notification and are left out of the click rate in reports.
Related questions: [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending), [Are bot clicks inflating my click rate, and how do I filter scanner clicks?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/bot-clicks-inflate-click-rate), [Why do the links in my sent emails look different or get rewritten?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#why-do-links-in-my-email-change-safelinks)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How does HawkOpen detect headless browsers and bots?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#headless-browser-detection
With named rules: a browser that reports itself as headless (R-CLK-HEADLESS), one controlled by automation (R-CLK-WEBDRIVER), a request without a language header (R-CLK-NOLANG), and a program that claims to be a modern browser but does not behave like one (R-CLK-NOFETCH).
Each rule adds points towards a machine; enough points make the click a **security scanner**. Signs of human activity, such as a real browser with a visible page (R-CLK-JS), pull the other way. The verdict lists every rule that matched.
Related questions: [Which security scanners cause false clicks, and does HawkOpen recognise Proofpoint, Mimecast, Barracuda or Safe Links?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#security-scanners-recognised), [What are rule codes such as R-OPEN-APPLE and R-CLK-BURST?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#rule-codes-explained)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen use hidden “honey” links to expose scanners?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#honey-links
Not today. The rules have codes for such links (R-CLK-HONEY), but HawkOpen does not add hidden links to the emails it sends. It recognises scanners by their network and behaviour instead.
A hidden link is something a person cannot see, so a click on it points to a machine. Adding invisible links also changes your message, which is why HawkOpen relies on the other rules.
Related questions: [Which security scanners cause false clicks, and does HawkOpen recognise Proofpoint, Mimecast, Barracuda or Safe Links?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#security-scanners-recognised), [How does HawkOpen detect headless browsers and bots?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#headless-browser-detection)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why do the links in my sent emails look different or get rewritten?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#why-do-links-in-my-email-change-safelinks
Two things can change them. In a copy tracked for links (your company switched link tracking on and the recipient’s consent is recorded), HawkOpen turns each https link into a short HawkOpen address that records the click and forwards to the page. On the recipient’s side, a security gateway such as Microsoft Safe Links may wrap that link again to check it before the click.
HawkOpen cannot stop a gateway from rewriting links. When the gateway follows the link to check it, HawkOpen records a click and marks it as a **security scanner**, not as human activity. To send links unchanged by HawkOpen, switch link tracking off for the message or campaign.
Related questions: [Which security scanners cause false clicks, and does HawkOpen recognise Proofpoint, Mimecast, Barracuda or Safe Links?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#security-scanners-recognised), [What is the HawkOpen address in my links, and what does the recipient see?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#tracking-link-domain-meaning), [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I track clicks on links in my signature?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#tracked-links-in-email-signature
Yes, if the signature is part of the message HawkOpen sends and that copy is tracked for links: every https link in it is tracked, wherever it is. HawkOpen does not treat signature links separately, and a signature added by another program after sending is not seen.
On the free plan, link tracking covers 10 emails a month, signature links included; opens are tracked beyond that.
Related questions: [How do I track link clicks in my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/how-to-track-email-clicks), [What is link tracking, and how is a tracking link made or removed?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/link-tracking-what-is-and-how)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Why do I see opens but no clicks?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#troubleshoot-open-without-click
Most readers do not click, and some opens are not human activity at all: Apple Mail Privacy Protection, Gmail’s proxy and scanners load the image without anyone reading. Check the category of each open before you conclude the message was read.
Also check that link tracking applied to that copy: your company must have it switched on, the recipient needs a recorded consent to link tracking, which is separate from the consent to opens, and the links must start with https; other links are not tracked. On the free plan, links are tracked in 10 emails a month.
Related questions: [What is the difference between an open and a click?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#difference-between-open-and-click), [What happens if the recipient blocks images?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-if-recipient-blocks-images)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can a security scanner use up my link before the recipient clicks it?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#link-opened-by-scanner-consumes-one-time-link
Not a HawkOpen tracked link: it is not single-use and forwards to the page on every request, scanners included. The scanner’s visit is recorded as a security-scanner click and the recipient’s later click works normally.
A destination page with its own one-time token is another matter: HawkOpen forwards the scanner there too, so a page that expires after one visit can still be used up. Prefer pages that ask the person to confirm, for example with a code.
Related questions: [Which security scanners cause false clicks, and does HawkOpen recognise Proofpoint, Mimecast, Barracuda or Safe Links?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#security-scanners-recognised), [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Do long tracking links break when a gateway wraps them?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#long-tracking-urls-broken-by-link-wrapping
It can happen with very long addresses. A HawkOpen tracked link carries an encoded copy of the destination, so it is about a third longer than the original; destinations longer than 4096 bytes are left untracked. HawkOpen has not tested every gateway’s length limit.
Shorter destination addresses, without long tracking parameters, leave more room. If a recipient reports a broken link, send the plain address or switch link tracking off for that message.
Related questions: [Why do the links in my sent emails look different or get rewritten?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#why-do-links-in-my-email-change-safelinks), [Why does a tracked link show an error instead of the page?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#invalid-url-error-on-tracked-link)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is the HawkOpen address in my links, and what does the recipient see?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#tracking-link-domain-meaning
It is the short redirect that records the click. When the recipient hovers over the link, they see a HawkOpen address; when they click, HawkOpen notes the click and immediately forwards them to your original https page.
Some mail programs warn about links whose visible text differs from the address. Write the link as text (for example “price list”) rather than pasting a different web address as the visible text. A tracked email also ends with the notice “This message contains HawkOpen tracking elements.” and the link “Do not track my activity”.
There is no setting to put your own domain in the links. If you prefer plain links, switch link tracking off for the message or campaign; opens can still be tracked for recipients who consented to them.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What is link tracking, and how is a tracking link made or removed?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/link-tracking-what-is-and-how), [Why do the links in my sent emails look different or get rewritten?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#why-do-links-in-my-email-change-safelinks)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Why does a tracked link show an error instead of the page?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#invalid-url-error-on-tracked-link
Usually because the link address was damaged on the way, for example cut off, wrapped across lines or edited. HawkOpen then does not recognise the code in the link and answers “not found”, because it no longer knows where to send the reader.
Ask the recipient to click the link in the original email rather than a copied address, or send them the plain address. Long destinations are more exposed to this; very long ones are not tracked at all.
Related questions: [Do long tracking links break when a gateway wraps them?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#long-tracking-urls-broken-by-link-wrapping), [What is the HawkOpen address in my links, and what does the recipient see?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks#tracking-link-domain-meaning)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Mailboxes, Outlook and phones
Where HawkOpen works: Gmail, Outlook on the web and desktop, Yahoo and IMAP, browsers, notifications and phones.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes
### How do I track email opens in Outlook?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/how-to-track-email-opens-in-outlook
In Outlook on the web, install the HawkOpen extension for Chrome or Firefox; if you use the Outlook desktop app, connect your Microsoft mailbox to HawkOpen and send from the HawkOpen dashboard; there is no Outlook add-in. Opens are tracked only after your company’s owner or an administrator switches tracking on, and only for recipients whose consent to open tracking is recorded.
To connect, choose Sign in with Microsoft in HawkOpen, or enter the IMAP and SMTP details of your mailbox. Emails you send from the dashboard go out through your own mailbox, and each recipient gets a separate copy with their own tracker.
You then see every image load and click with a category. When Outlook.com loads the image through Microsoft’s image server, HawkOpen marks it as **proxy cache** (R-OPEN-MSPROXY) rather than as human activity. Outlook’s own read receipts are a separate feature that works without HawkOpen.
Related questions: [How can I get a notification when someone opens my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/get-notified-when-someone-opens-outlook-email), [Does Outlook have read receipts and how do I request one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-outlook-have-read-receipts), [How do I track email opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-track-email-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How can I get a notification when someone opens my email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/get-notified-when-someone-opens-outlook-email
HawkOpen does not send a notification for each single open. On the Pro and Business plans you set alert rules about opens, such as several opens within 30 minutes or a return to the message after 7 days; when one fires, the browser extension shows a notification, and on Business it can also come by email. Replies notify you on Pro and Business too. This works for emails sent from Outlook on the web, Gmail, Yahoo Mail or the dashboard; machine opens never fire an alert.
The free plan has one fixed rule, an alert when there is no reply within 24 hours, and no alert for opens. A single open or click never sends a notification, so the extension settings have no switch for it.
Remember that an open alert rests on opens, which are not proof of reading. Opens by Apple Mail, a provider’s proxy or a scanner never fire one. And opens and clicks are recorded only in tracked copies: after your company switched tracking on, and only for recipients whose consent is recorded.
Related questions: [How do I track email opens in Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/how-to-track-email-opens-in-outlook), [How do I track sent emails and replies?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-track-sent-emails), [Why does an open appear seconds after I send the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-open-appears-seconds-after-send)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Does open tracking work when the recipient reads on a phone?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/email-open-tracking-on-mobile
Yes, when the phone’s mail app loads images. iPhone Mail with Mail Privacy Protection loads them in advance through Apple’s servers, which HawkOpen marks as a privacy proxy, and the Gmail app loads them through Google’s proxy. Opens from other mail apps on a mobile network are classified at most as possible human activity.
Links work on phones too: a tap on a tracked link is recorded and rated like any other click. If the phone app blocks images, no open is recorded, but clicks and replies still are.
On your own side, sending tracked emails needs the HawkOpen extension in a computer browser or the HawkOpen dashboard. A message you send from your phone’s mail app is not tracked.
Related questions: [Is there a HawkOpen app for Android or iPhone?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/email-tracking-app-for-android-iphone), [What is Apple Mail Privacy Protection?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-is-apple-mail-privacy-protection), [Why do opens come from Google’s image proxy, and how do I tell them from real ones?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/google-image-proxy-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is there a HawkOpen app for Android or iPhone?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/email-tracking-app-for-android-iphone
No. HawkOpen has no app for Android or iPhone. You send tracked emails from a computer, with the extension for Chrome or Firefox or from the web dashboard, and you see the results in the dashboard.
Your recipients can read on any phone: opens and clicks from mobile mail apps are recorded and rated as usual. What is missing is sending tracked email from your phone’s own mail app.
If you want to hear about activity while away from the computer, the Business plan can send alerts to your email address, which you can read on any phone.
Related questions: [Does open tracking work when the recipient reads on a phone?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/email-open-tracking-on-mobile), [How can I get a notification when someone opens my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/get-notified-when-someone-opens-outlook-email)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Which email tracker extension for Gmail is best?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/best-gmail-email-tracker-extension
There is no independent ranking we can point to, and HawkOpen will not call itself the best. Compare what matters to you: whether opens from Apple Mail, Gmail’s proxy and scanners are kept apart from people, which mailboxes and browsers are supported, what the free plan includes, and whether recipients are told about tracking.
What HawkOpen offers: an extension for Chrome (also meant for Edge, Brave and Opera) and for Firefox, working in Gmail, Outlook on the web and Yahoo Mail, plus a dashboard for any connected mailbox. Every open and click gets a category and a rule code. The free plan has no limit on tracked opens, tracks links in 10 emails a month, keeps 7 days of history and adds a short HawkOpen signature.
What to weigh honestly: HawkOpen is a new and small product without public reviews, while older trackers have many more users and reviews. HawkOpen tracks only recipients whose consent is recorded for your company, and every tracked email carries a visible notice for the recipient. And any Gmail extension depends on Gmail’s page layout, which Google can change.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How can I see if my Gmail message was opened without a Workspace read receipt?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/email-tracking-vs-read-receipt-gmail-free), [How do I track email opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-track-email-opens), [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I track emails sent from Apple Mail, Thunderbird or another desktop mail app?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#track-apple-mail-or-thunderbird
Not from inside those programs: HawkOpen has no add-on for Apple Mail, Thunderbird or other desktop mail apps. Connect the same mailbox to HawkOpen and write tracked emails in the HawkOpen dashboard; they go out from your address.
Gmail and Outlook connect with your Google or Microsoft login, and iCloud, Zoho and most other mailboxes with IMAP and SMTP. Each recipient of a dashboard email gets a separate copy with their own tracker. The browser extension works only in webmail (Gmail, Outlook on the web and Yahoo Mail), not in desktop programs.
An email you send directly from Apple Mail or Thunderbird is not tracked, because HawkOpen never sees it before it leaves.
Related questions: [How do I track email opens in Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/how-to-track-email-opens-in-outlook), [How do I connect a mailbox with IMAP and SMTP, and do I need an app password?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-a-mailbox-with-imap-and-smtp), [Can I check on the mail server or in Thunderbird whether an email was read?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipts-on-server-or-thunderbird)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is there a free email tracker for Outlook?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#free-email-tracker-for-outlook
Yes, HawkOpen’s Free plan works with Outlook: open tracking has no limit, links are tracked in 10 emails a month, and you get 1 mailbox and 7 days of history. In Outlook on the web you use the browser extension; with the Outlook desktop app you send from the HawkOpen dashboard.
Every open is shown with a category: when Outlook.com loads the image through Microsoft’s image server, it is marked as a proxy, not as human activity. As on every plan, tracking works only after your company’s owner or an administrator switches it on, and only for recipients whose consent is recorded. The Free plan adds a short HawkOpen line to the footer of your tracked emails and has no time limit.
Related questions: [How do I track email opens in Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/how-to-track-email-opens-in-outlook), [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include), [Is there a free email tracker for Gmail?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/free-email-tracker-for-gmail)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I connect Gmail or a Google Workspace account to HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-gmail-or-google-workspace
Choose Sign in with Google when you add a mailbox in HawkOpen and allow access. This works for personal Gmail and for Google Workspace accounts; HawkOpen then sends your tracked emails through Gmail from your own address.
Google asks for full mail access, because HawkOpen sends through Gmail and, on Pro and Business, checks for replies; reply detection reads only the headers of unread messages. In a company account your Google Workspace administrator may first have to allow the app.
Google Workspace itself has no open tracking: its admin email log shows delivery, not whether a message was opened. HawkOpen is in a controlled launch, so each provider connection is verified before it is offered in production.
Related questions: [Which email tracker extension for Gmail is best?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/best-gmail-email-tracker-extension), [How do I disconnect a mailbox and remove HawkOpen’s access?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#disconnect-a-mailbox), [Does Google Workspace email log search or Microsoft message trace show whether an email was opened?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#google-workspace-email-log-search-and-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I connect Outlook, Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com to HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-outlook-or-microsoft-365
Choose Sign in with Microsoft when you add a mailbox in HawkOpen and allow access. This works for Microsoft 365 work accounts and for Outlook.com and Hotmail addresses; HawkOpen then sends your tracked emails through Microsoft from your own address.
HawkOpen asks Microsoft for permission to send mail (SMTP) and to read the mailbox over IMAP, which reply detection uses on Pro and Business. In a company tenant, your Microsoft 365 administrator may have to approve the app and allow this kind of sending for your mailbox.
Opens of Outlook.com mail that Microsoft loads through its image server are marked as a proxy, not as human activity. If you prefer, you can also connect the mailbox with its IMAP and SMTP details.
Related questions: [How do I track email opens in Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/how-to-track-email-opens-in-outlook), [Is there a free email tracker for Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#free-email-tracker-for-outlook), [How do I disconnect a mailbox and remove HawkOpen’s access?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#disconnect-a-mailbox)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is there an email tracker for Yahoo Mail?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#email-tracker-for-yahoo-mail
Yes. The HawkOpen extension for Chrome and Firefox works in Yahoo Mail in the browser, and you can also connect your Yahoo mailbox with IMAP and SMTP and send tracked emails from the HawkOpen dashboard.
For the IMAP and SMTP connection Yahoo asks for an app password, which you create in your Yahoo account security settings; your normal password does not work there. When Yahoo loads the tracking image through its own proxy, HawkOpen marks the open as a proxy (R-OPEN-YAHOO), not as human activity.
Related questions: [How do I connect a mailbox with IMAP and SMTP, and do I need an app password?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-a-mailbox-with-imap-and-smtp), [In which webmail does the HawkOpen extension work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#extension-supported-webmail)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I connect a mailbox with IMAP and SMTP, and do I need an app password?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-a-mailbox-with-imap-and-smtp
When you add a mailbox, choose IMAP/SMTP and enter the server names, ports and password from your mail provider; HawkOpen suggests port 587 for SMTP and 993 for IMAP. Whether you need an app password depends on your provider: many require one when two-step sign-in is on.
SMTP is what HawkOpen sends with; add IMAP as well if you want reply detection on Pro and Business. The password is stored encrypted, and after saving you can run a connection test of the SMTP server; the IMAP server is not tested yet.
Only public mail servers can be used: an address on a private or local network is refused. HawkOpen is in a controlled launch, so each provider connection is verified before it is offered in production.
Related questions: [Can I connect iCloud, GMX, web.de, Zoho, Proton or Fastmail mailboxes?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-icloud-gmx-zoho-proton-or-fastmail), [Why does my mailbox connection fail?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#mailbox-connection-fails), [Is there an email tracker for Yahoo Mail?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#email-tracker-for-yahoo-mail)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I connect iCloud, GMX, web.de, Zoho, Proton or Fastmail mailboxes?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-icloud-gmx-zoho-proton-or-fastmail
Most of them, through IMAP and SMTP: iCloud, GMX, web.de, Zoho and Fastmail offer it, usually after you turn IMAP on in their settings and create an app password. Proton Mail cannot be connected, because it offers IMAP only through its Bridge app on your own computer, which HawkOpen’s servers cannot reach.
HawkOpen connects mailboxes through Google, Microsoft or IMAP and SMTP only; it does not use JMAP, so a Fastmail mailbox is connected with its IMAP and SMTP details. HawkOpen is in a controlled launch, and each provider connection is verified before it is offered in production, so a provider may need extra checks first.
Related questions: [How do I connect a mailbox with IMAP and SMTP, and do I need an app password?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-a-mailbox-with-imap-and-smtp), [Does HawkOpen work with every email provider?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#does-hawkopen-work-with-every-email-provider)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen work with every email provider?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#does-hawkopen-work-with-every-email-provider
On your side, HawkOpen works with Gmail and Microsoft through their sign-in and with any provider that offers IMAP and SMTP on a public server. On the recipient’s side it works with any mail app that loads images; when images are blocked, clicks and replies are still recorded.
Some providers load images through their own proxy, such as Gmail, Outlook.com and Yahoo, and Apple Mail may load them in advance; HawkOpen labels those opens so they are not classified as human activity.
Related questions: [Can I connect iCloud, GMX, web.de, Zoho, Proton or Fastmail mailboxes?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-icloud-gmx-zoho-proton-or-fastmail), [Which email providers block trackers?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/email-providers-that-do-not-track)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I disconnect a mailbox and remove HawkOpen’s access?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#disconnect-a-mailbox
Remove the mailbox in HawkOpen’s mailbox settings. HawkOpen deletes its stored sign-in data or password for that mailbox at once and then asks Google or Microsoft to revoke its access; from that moment it cannot send, check or refresh anything for that mailbox.
Scheduled emails that were waiting to go out from that mailbox are cancelled. To be sure, you can also check the list of connected apps in your Google or Microsoft account security settings and remove HawkOpen there. For an IMAP/SMTP mailbox, change its password or delete the app password you created for HawkOpen.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen read the content of my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/does-hawkopen-read-my-emails), [How do I connect Gmail or a Google Workspace account to HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-gmail-or-google-workspace)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### In which webmail does the HawkOpen extension work?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#extension-supported-webmail
In three: Gmail, Outlook on the web (including Outlook.com and Microsoft 365 in the browser) and Yahoo Mail. For any other mailbox, connect it to HawkOpen and send tracked emails from the dashboard.
The extension exists for Chrome and for Firefox 109 or later; the Chrome version is also meant for Edge, Brave and Opera. With the extension, each tracked email goes to a single recipient.
Related questions: [Which email tracker extension for Gmail is best?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/best-gmail-email-tracker-extension), [Can I track emails sent from Apple Mail, Thunderbird or another desktop mail app?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#track-apple-mail-or-thunderbird), [How do I install the HawkOpen extension in Chrome?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#install-the-chrome-extension)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I see the activity of all my mailboxes in one place?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#all-mailboxes-in-one-view
Yes. Tracked emails from every mailbox you connect appear together in your HawkOpen history, and you can search them by subject or address and filter them by mailbox. Free includes 1 mailbox, Pro 3, and Business has no mailbox limit.
When you send from the dashboard, you choose which connected mailbox the email goes out from. In a team, each person sees the mailboxes they connected themselves.
Related questions: [How many mailboxes can I connect on each HawkOpen plan?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-many-mailboxes-per-plan), [Can teammates see each other’s tracked emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#can-teammates-see-my-tracked-emails)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Does HawkOpen sync my mailbox folders and show my inbox?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#hawkopen-inbox-and-folder-sync
HawkOpen has an inbox view for a connected mailbox: it lists the mailbox’s folders and shows a message when you open it, and a folder is refreshed when you ask for it. It does not replace your mail program, and your mail stays with your provider.
Reply detection on Pro and Business is separate from this view: it reads only the headers of unread messages, not their text.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen read the content of my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/does-hawkopen-read-my-emails), [Can I see the activity of all my mailboxes in one place?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#all-mailboxes-in-one-view)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I send tracked emails from a shared mailbox or an alias?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#shared-mailbox-or-alias
With Sign in with Google or Microsoft, HawkOpen sends as the account you signed in with. For another address, such as an alias or a shared mailbox, add it as an IMAP/SMTP mailbox with that address and the login your provider gives you; whether the provider accepts sending from that address is up to the provider.
Test the connection after saving and send yourself a first email to check the sender shown to recipients. HawkOpen has not published a tested list of shared-mailbox setups.
Related questions: [How do I connect a mailbox with IMAP and SMTP, and do I need an app password?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-a-mailbox-with-imap-and-smtp), [Can I send a test email to myself to see how tracking works?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#send-a-test-email-to-yourself)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why does my mailbox connection fail?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#mailbox-connection-fails
For IMAP/SMTP the usual causes are a wrong server name or port, a normal password where the provider wants an app password, or IMAP switched off at the provider. For Google or Microsoft it is usually a sign-in that was not completed, access that was later revoked, or a company administrator who has not allowed the app.
For a saved IMAP/SMTP mailbox, use the connection test: it checks the sending (SMTP) server; the receiving (IMAP) server is not tested yet. HawkOpen also refuses server names it cannot find, ports that are not allowed and addresses on private networks.
HawkOpen is in a controlled launch, so each provider connection is verified before it is offered in production; if a provider still fails, it may not be verified yet. Removing the mailbox and connecting it again starts a fresh sign-in.
Related questions: [How do I connect a mailbox with IMAP and SMTP, and do I need an app password?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-a-mailbox-with-imap-and-smtp), [How do I connect Gmail or a Google Workspace account to HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-gmail-or-google-workspace), [How do I connect Outlook, Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com to HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-outlook-or-microsoft-365)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does Google Workspace email log search or Microsoft message trace show whether an email was opened?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#google-workspace-email-log-search-and-opens
No. These admin tools show the path of a message: whether it was sent, delivered, delayed or bounced. They do not show whether the recipient opened it. HawkOpen records opens and clicks separately, each with a category.
HawkOpen also keeps delivery states apart: “accepted” means the sending server took the message, not that it reached the inbox or was read.
Related questions: [What is the difference between a delivery receipt, a read receipt and open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-vs-open-tracking), [How do I connect Gmail or a Google Workspace account to HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-gmail-or-google-workspace)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can HawkOpen give me a custom-domain email address for Gmail?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#custom-domain-email-address
No. HawkOpen does not sell mailboxes or domains. You connect a mailbox you already have, through Google, Microsoft or IMAP and SMTP, including one on your own domain from any host that offers IMAP and SMTP.
Sending from your own domain also needs the domain’s email settings (SPF, DKIM and DMARC) set up at your host; HawkOpen does not manage them.
Related questions: [What is DMARC and do I need it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-dmarc-and-do-i-need-it), [How do I connect a mailbox with IMAP and SMTP, and do I need an app password?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#connect-a-mailbox-with-imap-and-smtp)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Spotting and blocking email tracking
For people who receive email: how to tell that a message is tracked, how to block it, and what HawkOpen shows recipients.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block
### How can I tell if an email I received is tracked?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-detect-email-tracking
Look for tiny remote images and redirected links: open the message source (in Gmail, Show original) and search for 1×1 images or link addresses on a tracking domain, or use a tracker-detecting extension. Emails tracked by HawkOpen say so at the end, with the link “Do not track my activity”.
No check is perfect. A tracker can use a normal-sized image, and a tracked link looks like an ordinary link until you look at its address. Detector extensions recognise many known trackers, but not all.
HawkOpen does not hide its tracking: it tracks only recipients whose consent the sender’s company has recorded, and every tracked email ends with the notice “This message contains HawkOpen tracking elements.” The link “Do not track my activity” refuses tracking by that company as soon as it is opened; the company cannot switch it back.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How do I block email tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-block-email-tracking), [What does “tracking pixel detected” mean?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/tracking-pixels-detected-meaning), [Will recipients know that my email is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/will-recipients-know-their-email-is-tracked)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I block email tracking?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-block-email-tracking
Stop your mail program from loading remote images automatically: in Gmail choose to ask before displaying external images, in Outlook keep automatic picture downloads off, and on iPhone or Mac turn on Mail Privacy Protection. For an email tracked by HawkOpen you can also refuse tracking by the sender’s company with the link “Do not track my activity” at the end of the message.
Where to find it: in Gmail, Settings, See all settings, General, Images; on iPhone, Settings, Mail (or Settings, Apps, Mail on newer versions), Privacy Protection; on a Mac, Mail, Settings, Privacy. In Outlook, check the setting for downloading pictures automatically.
Blocking images does not stop link tracking: if you click a tracked link, the click can still be recorded. Gmail’s image proxy hides your network address but can still show the sender that the image was loaded.
If you use the HawkOpen extension in Gmail, Outlook on the web or Yahoo Mail, it also replaces likely tracking pixels it finds in the emails you receive and removes common marketing parameters from links; it cannot guarantee that an image was not already requested before it acted.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking), [How do I turn on Mail Privacy Protection on iPhone or Mac?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/protect-mail-activity-iphone), [How can I tell if an email I received is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-detect-email-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Which email providers block trackers?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/email-providers-that-do-not-track
Some mail apps and services load images through a proxy or block remote content by default, which hides or stops tracking images; Apple Mail with Mail Privacy Protection is one example, and privacy-focused providers such as Proton Mail describe built-in tracker protection. HawkOpen is not a mailbox provider and does not rank them.
When choosing, check three things: are remote images off by default or loaded through a proxy, is there protection against tracked links, and can you see what was blocked? With any provider you can also simply turn off automatic image loading.
If a message says that tracking was blocked, the app stopped an image or link from reporting back. Emails tracked by HawkOpen also carry their own notice and the link “Do not track my activity”, where you can refuse tracking by the sender’s company.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How do I block email tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-block-email-tracking), [How do I turn on Mail Privacy Protection on iPhone or Mac?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/protect-mail-activity-iphone)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I turn on Mail Privacy Protection on iPhone or Mac?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/protect-mail-activity-iphone
On iPhone or iPad open Settings, then Mail (on newer versions Settings, Apps, Mail), tap Privacy Protection and turn on Protect Mail Activity. On a Mac open Mail, then Settings, Privacy, and select Protect Mail Activity.
The protection works only in Apple’s Mail app; Gmail, Outlook and other apps on the same phone have their own settings. It loads remote content privately in the background and hides your network address, but it does not stop tracked links from recording a click.
Senders who use HawkOpen see such requests marked as **privacy proxy** (R-OPEN-APPLE), not as you reading the message.
Related questions: [What is Apple Mail Privacy Protection?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-is-apple-mail-privacy-protection), [How do I block email tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-block-email-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What does “tracking pixel detected” mean?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/tracking-pixels-detected-meaning
Your mail app or a privacy extension found an image in the message that looks like a tracker: tiny, or with an address unique to you. It means the sender may learn when the image loads, not that your computer is infected; usually the tool has blocked or replaced the image.
You do not need to do anything. If you prefer, keep remote images switched off; remember that links in the same message may also be tracked.
The HawkOpen extension can show such a note itself: in Gmail, Outlook on the web and Yahoo Mail it replaces likely tracking pixels in emails you receive and labels them as sanitised, though it cannot guarantee that the image was not requested before. Emails tracked by HawkOpen state the tracking openly in a notice at the end, with the link “Do not track my activity”.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How can I tell if an email I received is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-detect-email-tracking), [What is an email tracking pixel?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/what-is-an-email-tracking-pixel), [How do I block email tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-block-email-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can you trace an email address or its IP to a person?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block#can-you-trace-an-email-address-or-ip
Not with HawkOpen. It does not look up unknown senders or addresses. For emails you send through it, it shows at most the country of the network a request came from, never a city, a street or a name.
If you receive a suspicious or threatening email, the message headers in your mail program show which servers handled it; your provider, your IT administrator or the police can take it further. A network address often belongs to a provider or a proxy, not to the person.
Related questions: [Can an email tracker show the recipient’s location?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/can-email-track-location), [How can I tell if an email I received is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-detect-email-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is opening an email dangerous?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block#is-it-safe-to-open-email-from-unknown-sender
Usually the risk comes from clicking links or opening attachments, not from reading. Reading with images on can, however, tell the sender that a tracking image was loaded. HawkOpen is not an antivirus and does not check emails you receive for malware.
Keep your mail program and system updated, leave remote images off for unknown senders, and check a link’s real address before clicking. For suspected fraud, follow your provider’s or your IT department’s advice.
Related questions: [How do I block email tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-block-email-tracking), [How can I tell if an email I received is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-detect-email-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why does Apple Mail say it cannot load remote content privately?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block#mail-cannot-load-remote-content-privately
It is an Apple Mail message: Mail Privacy Protection could not fetch the images through Apple’s relay, often because of a VPN or network setting, and asks before loading them directly. It has nothing to do with HawkOpen.
If you load the content anyway, a tracking image in the message may reach the sender directly, with your network address. When HawkOpen sees a load through Apple’s relay, it marks it with R-OPEN-APPLE.
Related questions: [How do I turn on Mail Privacy Protection on iPhone or Mac?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/protect-mail-activity-iphone), [What is Apple Mail Privacy Protection?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-is-apple-mail-privacy-protection)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is Viva Insights email tracking visible to my employer?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block#viva-insights-tracking-visible-to-employer
Viva Insights is a Microsoft product, not HawkOpen, so its documentation and your organisation’s Microsoft 365 administrator are the right sources for what it shows and to whom. HawkOpen is not connected to it.
HawkOpen tracks emails that its users send, only for recipients who consented to tracking by the sender’s company, and every email it tracks states this in a notice at the end of the message.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How do I know if someone has access to my mailbox, not just a tracking pixel?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block#is-someone-monitoring-my-mailbox-account), [How can I tell if an email I received is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-detect-email-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I know if someone has access to my mailbox, not just a tracking pixel?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block#is-someone-monitoring-my-mailbox-account
That is a different problem from tracking. Check your provider’s security page for recent sign-ins, devices and connected apps, remove what you do not recognise and change your password. A tracking pixel only reports that an image loaded; it gives no access to your mailbox.
Also check for forwarding rules or filters you did not create. If you connected your mailbox to HawkOpen, that access comes from the Google or Microsoft sign-in you approved, or from the IMAP and SMTP details you entered; you can remove the mailbox in HawkOpen and withdraw the app’s access in your Google or Microsoft account.
Related questions: [How can I tell if an email I received is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-detect-email-tracking), [Is Viva Insights email tracking visible to my employer?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block#viva-insights-tracking-visible-to-employer)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Do Gmail or Outlook themselves track when I open emails?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block#does-gmail-or-outlook-track-my-emails
Neither gives senders open tracking by default. Outlook and Google Workspace offer read receipts, which you can decline. Senders who want to know about opens add a tracker, such as HawkOpen, on top.
Gmail does load images through its own proxy, which hides your network address but can still let a sender see that the image was requested. HawkOpen recognises such proxy requests and does not classify them as human activity.
Related questions: [Does Gmail have read receipts?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-gmail-show-read-receipts), [How do I block email tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-block-email-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### I turned on Protect Mail Activity, but the sender still seems to know when I read mail. Why?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block#protect-mail-activity-not-working-sender-still-knows
The feature hides your network address and loads images in advance, but it does not hide what you do yourself: clicking a tracked link, replying or sending a read receipt still tells the sender you engaged.
It also protects only Apple Mail: reading the same account in another app or in a browser does not use it. A sender using HawkOpen sees Apple’s loads marked as Apple Mail Privacy Protection, not as human activity.
Related questions: [How do I turn on Mail Privacy Protection on iPhone or Mac?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/protect-mail-activity-iphone), [How do I block email tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-block-email-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can a unique image address identify me even when Apple proxies the request?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block#unique-image-url-identifies-me-despite-proxy
It identifies which recipient’s copy was loaded, yes: each copy has its own image address. What Apple hides is your network and the moment you read, because it loads the image in advance; HawkOpen marks such loads as Apple Mail Privacy Protection.
So the sender learns that the email reached an Apple Mail user, not that you read it or where you are.
Related questions: [What is Apple Mail Privacy Protection?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-is-apple-mail-privacy-protection), [I turned on Protect Mail Activity, but the sender still seems to know when I read mail. Why?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block#protect-mail-activity-not-working-sender-still-knows)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why are remote images not loading in my mail app?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block#remote-images-not-loading-in-mail-app
Usually a setting: your mail app is set to block remote content, a privacy feature could not load it, or your network or company filter blocks it. Look in the app’s privacy or image settings.
Keeping images blocked is a valid choice for privacy: tracking images then load nothing, so a sender sees no open. Links you click can still be tracked.
Related questions: [How do I block email tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-block-email-tracking), [What happens if the recipient blocks images?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-if-recipient-blocks-images)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why does Mail Privacy Protection need “Limit IP Address Tracking” on my network?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block#mail-privacy-protection-needs-limit-ip-tracking
According to Apple, if “Limit IP Address Tracking” is off for a Wi-Fi or mobile network, Mail does not hide your IP address on that network. It is an Apple setting; HawkOpen only classifies the requests it receives.
You find the option in the settings of each Wi-Fi network and of mobile data on iPhone. Loads that do come through Apple’s relay are marked R-OPEN-APPLE in HawkOpen.
Related questions: [How do I turn on Mail Privacy Protection on iPhone or Mac?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/protect-mail-activity-iphone), [Why does Apple Mail say it cannot load remote content privately?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block#mail-cannot-load-remote-content-privately)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Email tracking and EU law
What EU data protection authorities and rules say about tracking pixels, consent and email campaigns, and what HawkOpen does. Not legal advice.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu
### What do the CNIL and other EU regulators say about tracking pixels in emails?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cnil-eu-guidance-on-tracking-pixels
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
France’s CNIL treats tracking pixels in emails as trackers that generally need the recipient’s consent, with narrow exceptions. Spain’s AEPD said in 2014 that pixels in advertising emails need active consent before the first such email.
CNIL: recommendation adopted on 12 March 2026 and published on 14 April 2026. The exceptions are narrow, such as the security of authentication or the deliverability of a service the recipient ordered; ordinary reporting of interest in an offer is not one of them. A provider that runs pixels only on the sender’s behalf can act as a processor; using the data for its own purposes changes that assessment.
For addresses collected before 14 April 2026, the CNIL set special rules on informing recipients and letting them object: informing them properly in time, in principle by 14 July 2026, may allow the existing practice to continue unchanged (CNIL FAQ of 22 July 2026). This is not a general permission for new address lists.
AEPD: report 0011/2014 said that a link to a privacy policy and the absence of an objection are not valid consent for pixels in advertising emails. In the Mailtrack case (PS/00328/2022, upheld in RR/00541/2023) it sanctioned the provider of the tool.
Other national authorities, such as Italy’s Garante, are not covered by this answer, and the exceptions of one country should not be applied automatically in another. What HawkOpen does in every country: each tracked email ends with a notice and a link where the recipient can turn tracking off.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Is email open tracking legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-email-open-tracking-legal), [Which exceptions to consent for email tracking pixels exist?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/consent-exceptions-for-tracking-pixels), [What do the Italian Garante guidelines on tracking pixels require?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/garante-italy-pixel-guidelines)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Which exceptions to consent for email tracking pixels exist?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/consent-exceptions-for-tracking-pixels
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
The CNIL’s 2026 recommendation allows only narrow exceptions, among them the security of authentication and the deliverability of a service the recipient asked for. Measuring interest in an offer is not one of them.
An exception covers one specific purpose. It does not stretch to sales analytics: a pixel that is needed for one purpose does not become needed for reporting who opened an offer.
The French exceptions should not be carried over automatically to other countries. In Spain, the AEPD’s report 0011/2014 calls for active consent before the first advertising email with a pixel.
This answer names only the exceptions described in the documents HawkOpen relies on. HawkOpen does not decide whether an exception applies to your emails; it adds a notice with a link to turn tracking off to every tracked email.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What do the CNIL and other EU regulators say about tracking pixels in emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cnil-eu-guidance-on-tracking-pixels), [Is legitimate interest enough for email open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/legitimate-interest-for-open-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does the notice in the email make my tracking GDPR compliant?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/does-the-tracking-notice-replace-consent
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
No. The notice tells recipients about tracking and lets them turn it off, but it is not their consent. Where consent is required, the company that tracks must get it before the first tracked email.
Spain’s AEPD (report 0011/2014) said that information with a link to a privacy policy, plus the absence of an objection, is not enough for pixels in advertising emails: active consent is needed beforehand. A link to turn tracking off works after the fact, so it does not meet that requirement.
The legal basis for tracking, the information recipients must get and the proof of consent belong to the company that decides why and whom it tracks. HawkOpen does not promise that any particular use of tracking meets the GDPR.
What the notice does: it tells every recipient that the email contains HawkOpen tracking elements, and no setting removes it. In the Mailtrack case the AEPD looked, among other things, at how recipients were informed, and the fact that the information could be removed was one element of its assessment.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Is email open tracking legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-email-open-tracking-legal), [Is an email tracking pixel GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-tracking-pixel-and-gdpr), [Do I have to tell recipients that I track their emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/do-i-have-to-tell-recipients-about-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is an email tracking pixel GDPR compliant?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-tracking-pixel-and-gdpr
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
A tracking pixel processes personal data, so the GDPR applies, and the rules on reading information from a device (ePrivacy; in Spain article 22(2) of the LSSI) apply as well. HawkOpen cannot make a pixel meet these rules by itself: the legal basis and any consent depend on the company that tracks.
The two sets of rules are assessed separately: the GDPR for processing the data, the device rules for using the pixel at all. A tracked link or a technique without cookies is not automatically outside these rules either.
Roles: the company that decides why and whom it tracks is the controller. A provider that runs the pixel only on its behalf can be a processor; a provider that uses the data for its own purposes is assessed differently, as the AEPD did in the Mailtrack case.
What HawkOpen does today: a notice in every tracked email, a recipient page where people turn tracking off, download their data or request erasure, and estimates instead of claims that someone read the email.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Does the notice in the email make my tracking GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/does-the-tracking-notice-replace-consent), [Is legitimate interest enough for email open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/legitimate-interest-for-open-tracking), [Is email open tracking legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-email-open-tracking-legal)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is legitimate interest enough for email open tracking?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/legitimate-interest-for-open-tracking
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
The documents HawkOpen relies on point to consent, not legitimate interest, for tracking pixels: Spain’s AEPD and France’s CNIL call for the recipient’s prior consent, with narrow exceptions. The GDPR legal basis and the device rules are assessed separately, so a legitimate interest under the GDPR does not by itself settle the pixel question.
Two assessments: the GDPR covers processing the personal data; the device rules (ePrivacy, in Spain article 22(2) of the LSSI) cover reading information from the recipient’s device, which is what a pixel does.
The AEPD (report 0011/2014) rejected treating information plus no objection as consent for pixels in advertising emails. The CNIL’s 2026 recommendation allows only narrow exceptions, such as the security of authentication.
HawkOpen does not choose a legal basis for its customers. The company that decides why and whom to track has to assess it for each country and purpose.
Related questions: [Is an email tracking pixel GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-tracking-pixel-and-gdpr), [Which exceptions to consent for email tracking pixels exist?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/consent-exceptions-for-tracking-pixels)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I be fined for tracking emails without consent?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/penalties-for-tracking-without-consent
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
Sanctions are possible. In the Mailtrack case (PS/00328/2022) Spain’s AEPD fined the provider of the tracking tool and kept the fines in place on appeal (RR/00541/2023).
The AEPD found breaches of the GDPR. Its view of the provider’s role rested on the facts of that service: its purposes, its influence on the processing and how recipients were informed. The case does not show that every paid provider is a controller, nor what happened in any later court review.
A contract does not move liability towards the authority: the AEPD’s guide on cookies says that splitting tasks between companies by contract does not transfer each party’s administrative responsibility.
This answer covers the Spanish decisions described in HawkOpen’s legal documents. It does not assess German warning letters (Abmahnungen) or sanctions in other countries.
Related questions: [What do the CNIL and other EU regulators say about tracking pixels in emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cnil-eu-guidance-on-tracking-pixels), [Does the notice in the email make my tracking GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/does-the-tracking-notice-replace-consent)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is consent to tracking separate from consent to a newsletter?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/separate-consent-for-newsletter-and-tracking
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
There are three different questions: whether you may send someone marketing emails, whether you may measure their opens and clicks, and on which legal basis you process their personal data. Each has its own rules, and how many statements you need depends on your purposes and the law that applies, not on one universal number.
In HawkOpen a consent records tracking only, separately for opens and for links, and for your company only; HawkOpen does not record consent to marketing emails.
The recipient’s two links are separate too. “Do not track my activity” in the tracking notice opens a page where the recipient refuses tracking by your company, and your emails keep arriving. “Do not send me messages” at the end of every email stops every further email from your company sent through HawkOpen, not only marketing.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking), [How do I run email campaigns in line with the GDPR?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-campaigns-and-gdpr)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### How do I run email campaigns in line with the GDPR?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-campaigns-and-gdpr
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
Handle two things separately: whether you may send each email, and whether you may track it. HawkOpen helps with the mechanics, such as an unsubscribe link and one-click unsubscribe headers in every campaign copy and a tracking notice, but it does not check your list or your legal basis.
Sending: in Spain, for example, article 21 of the LSSI governs commercial emails. Calling a list B2B does not on its own remove these requirements.
Tracking: the AEPD and the CNIL say that tracking pixels generally need the recipient’s prior consent. A request for consent must not be used to get around the rules on sending.
In HawkOpen every campaign recipient gets a separate copy with an unsubscribe link in the footer and List-Unsubscribe headers that allow one-click unsubscribe. Checking where the list came from and what the recipients agreed to stays with you.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Is consent to tracking separate from consent to a newsletter?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/separate-consent-for-newsletter-and-tracking), [Is an unsubscribe link required by law?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/is-unsubscribe-link-required-by-law), [Is cold emailing legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cold-emailing-legality)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Where can I find sample consent wording for newsletters and tracking?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/newsletter-consent-wording-examples
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
HawkOpen does not provide consent wording for your newsletter or marketing forms. Consent to marketing, consent to tracking and the legal basis for processing data are different matters, so wording that fits one does not cover the others. For tracking, HawkOpen has its own consent form, which records consent only when the person confirms it on the page.
A consent should show what the person deliberately accepted and how. Spain’s AEPD, in its report 0011/2014 on pixels in advertising emails, said that a link to a privacy policy plus the absence of an objection is not enough.
For each tracking consent HawkOpen stores the source, the date, the purpose and the version of the information shown. Ask a qualified specialist for marketing wording that fits your country and purpose.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Is consent to tracking separate from consent to a newsletter?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/separate-consent-for-newsletter-and-tracking), [Does the notice in the email make my tracking GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/does-the-tracking-notice-replace-consent)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Is cold emailing legal?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cold-emailing-legality
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
It depends on the country, on who the recipient is and on your relationship with them; HawkOpen does not decide this for you. Whether you may send an email and whether you may track it are two separate questions.
In Spain, for example, article 21 of the LSSI as a rule prohibits advertising emails that the recipient did not request or expressly authorise beforehand. That covers a single message, not only mass mailings. The exception for an earlier contractual relationship has its own additional conditions, and calling a contact “B2B” does not create it.
Even where you may send the email, tracking it is a separate question with its own rules. Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
HawkOpen’s terms do not allow unsolicited bulk messaging and require that you have the authority to contact your recipients. Campaign emails carry an unsubscribe link and a one-click unsubscribe header. This answer does not cover US rules such as CAN-SPAM or UK rules.
Related questions: [How do I run email campaigns in line with the GDPR?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-campaigns-and-gdpr), [Is it legal to collect email addresses from a directory or use email finder tools?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us/collecting-email-addresses-and-email-finders)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What do the Italian Garante guidelines on tracking pixels require?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/garante-italy-pixel-guidelines
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
The Italian data protection authority, the Garante, has published guidelines on tracking pixels in emails. As a rule they require the recipient’s prior consent, and they describe specific, narrowly defined exceptions, for example for aggregate statistics under certain conditions. Writing the email or the notice in Italian does not by itself meet these guidelines.
Read the current guidelines in the Garante’s own publication. An exception covers only the situation the Garante describes and its conditions; do not assume that it covers personal tracking of individual recipients, such as HawkOpen’s open and click tracking.
What HawkOpen does: tracking is off until your company’s owner or an administrator switches it on, and even then a recipient without a recorded consent gets an ordinary email, without a tracking pixel and without tracked links. A tracked email ends with a notice in the language of the email, Italian included.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What do the CNIL and other EU regulators say about tracking pixels in emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cnil-eu-guidance-on-tracking-pixels), [What does the HawkOpen tracking notice at the bottom of an email say?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/what-does-the-tracking-notice-say)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Is an unsubscribe link required by law?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/is-unsubscribe-link-required-by-law
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
It depends on the kind of message and the country. Rules on marketing messages usually require an easy way to object, for example CAN-SPAM in the United States for commercial emails, B2B ones included; purely transactional or service messages are often treated differently. Withdrawing consent to tracking is a separate matter.
What HawkOpen does: every email it sends or prepares ends with a “Do not send me messages” link in the language of the email, and emails sent from your connected mailbox carry List-Unsubscribe headers. The link does what it says: the address gets no further email from anyone in your company through HawkOpen, marketing or not; campaigns skip it and single messages to it are refused. Emails you send outside HawkOpen are not affected.
Because the link also stops service messages sent through HawkOpen, plan another channel for messages you must still deliver, such as invoices or contract notices. The link and headers alone do not show that an email meets the rules.
Withdrawing consent to tracking is a separate step: the link in the tracking notice turns tracking off without unsubscribing. Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How do I run email campaigns in line with the GDPR?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-campaigns-and-gdpr), [Is consent to tracking separate from consent to a newsletter?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/separate-consent-for-newsletter-and-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Can an email be used as evidence in court?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-as-evidence-in-court
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
Courts decide that under the rules of each country. HawkOpen can give you an evidence report for a sent email: it records what HawkOpen’s systems observed, but it does not prove that the email reached the inbox or that anyone saw or read it.
The report lists the subject, the sender, the recipients and, for each recipient, the delivery status as far as HawkOpen knows it: for example that the recipient’s mail server accepted the message, or that it was rejected or bounced. Acceptance by a mail server is not delivery to the inbox and not proof that the recipient saw the email. Opens and clicks appear as signals with a classification, never as proof of reading.
Only the account owner can download the report. HawkOpen seals it, but the public verification page shows no details of the message (no subject, addresses or content), and for an email report it cannot confirm the seal independently: it gives the result as indeterminate, because this seal relies on a secret held by HawkOpen rather than a public key.
The report itself states its limits: pixel and link requests can come from privacy proxies, caches, scanners or bots, and it is not a qualified electronic delivery service. Keep the original email in your mailbox and ask a lawyer how evidence is assessed in your case.
Related questions: [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read), [Will an electronic signature hold up as evidence in court?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/esign-as-evidence-in-court)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What uses of HawkOpen do its terms allow and forbid?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#what-uses-do-hawkopen-terms-allow
You must have the authority to connect your mailboxes, contact your recipients, upload material and process personal data. The terms forbid unlawful surveillance, unsolicited bulk messaging, credential theft, malware distribution and misleading claims about tracking evidence.
Campaigns send one separate copy to each recipient, with an unsubscribe link and one-click unsubscribe headers. Whether you may email or track a particular person is a separate question that these terms do not answer for you.
Related questions: [Is cold emailing legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cold-emailing-legality), [May I use HawkOpen to monitor my employees’ email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#monitoring-employees-email-with-hawkopen)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### May I use HawkOpen to monitor my employees’ email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#monitoring-employees-email-with-hawkopen
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
HawkOpen is built to measure responses to emails you send, not to watch other people’s mailboxes, and its terms forbid unlawful surveillance. The rules on monitoring employees depend on the country and the employment relationship, and this answer does not assess them.
Ask an employment or data protection adviser in your country before monitoring staff in any way.
Related questions: [What uses of HawkOpen do its terms allow and forbid?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#what-uses-do-hawkopen-terms-allow)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Who is responsible under the GDPR for tracking: the tracking tool or the sender?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#controller-or-processor-in-email-tracking
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
Roles follow the real decisions and data flows, not the label in a contract. The company that decides whom it writes to, what it sends and whether it tracks usually acts as controller for that processing; a provider that runs the tracking only on its instructions can be a processor, and a provider that uses the data for its own purposes is assessed differently. Each side keeps its own legal duties.
France’s CNIL says that a pixel provider acting only for the company can be a processor. In the Mailtrack case (PS/00328/2022, upheld in RR/00541/2023) Spain’s AEPD looked at the facts of that service and sanctioned the provider. The AEPD’s cookie guide also says that splitting tasks by contract does not transfer each party’s responsibility.
In the data processing agreement that every HawkOpen customer accepts, still a draft for legal review, the customer is the controller and TriStiX S.L. the processor. HawkOpen keeps its own duties as provider and processor, and how an authority sees a particular use still depends on the facts.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Is an email tracking pixel GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-tracking-pixel-and-gdpr), [What must a company do when it uses an email tracking tool: privacy notice, consent, contract with the provider?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#what-must-a-company-do-when-using-a-tracking-tool), [Can I be fined for tracking emails without consent?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/penalties-for-tracking-without-consent)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Does the GDPR apply to emails and email addresses?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#does-the-gdpr-apply-to-emails
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
Often yes: an email address or message that relates to an identifiable person is personal data, and the GDPR applies to processing it. Whether a given address, such as a generic company mailbox, identifies a person depends on the case.
HawkOpen’s legal documents look at tracking rather than at email in general, so this answer gives only general information. For tracking, the GDPR and the rules on reading information from a device are assessed separately.
Related questions: [Is an email tracking pixel GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-tracking-pixel-and-gdpr)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is there a B2B exception that allows open tracking without consent in the EU?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#is-there-a-b2b-exception-for-email-tracking
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
The documents HawkOpen relies on name no general B2B exception for tracking pixels, and calling a contact B2B does not on its own remove the requirements. Spain’s AEPD and France’s CNIL describe prior consent as the rule for pixels, with narrow exceptions.
The CNIL’s exceptions cover narrow purposes such as the security of authentication, not measuring interest in an offer, and they should not be carried over automatically to other countries. The notice and a later opt-out do not replace consent.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Which exceptions to consent for email tracking pixels exist?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/consent-exceptions-for-tracking-pixels), [Is cold emailing legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cold-emailing-legality), [Is legitimate interest enough for email open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/legitimate-interest-for-open-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What are the rules on email tracking in Canada and other countries outside the EU and the US?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#tracking-law-outside-the-eu-and-us
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
HawkOpen’s legal documents do not cover Canada or other countries outside the EU and the US, nor every EU country, so this answer does not describe their rules. Check the rules of the country where your recipients are, or ask a local adviser.
What HawkOpen does in every country: each tracked email carries a notice and a link where the recipient can turn tracking off, and you can exclude addresses, domains or countries from tracking. The notice and a later opt-out do not replace consent.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Can I exclude some recipients or countries from tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#exclude-recipients-or-countries-from-tracking), [Is email open tracking legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-email-open-tracking-legal)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I track emails sent to children or students?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#tracking-emails-to-children-or-students
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
It depends on the situation. Rules on children’s data apply in particular where a service is directed at children or a company knows it collects their data; in the United States, COPPA concerns certain situations involving children under 13. A student is not automatically a child. HawkOpen does not know a recipient’s age and has no special feature for minors.
In the EU the age from which a child can consent to online services alone is set by each country, between 13 and 16. This answer does not assess the rules that apply to your emails.
In HawkOpen tracking is off until your company’s owner or an administrator switches it on, and even then only recipients with a recorded consent are tracked. You can send a message or campaign without tracking, or exclude a school’s domain from tracking; where you are unsure, that is the safest choice.
Related questions: [Can I exclude some recipients or countries from tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#exclude-recipients-or-countries-from-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### What must a company do when it uses an email tracking tool: privacy notice, consent, contract with the provider?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#what-must-a-company-do-when-using-a-tracking-tool
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
The company decides why and whom it tracks, so it needs a legal basis, must inform recipients and, where consent is required, must obtain it before tracking, document it and handle withdrawals. The provider has its own duties: to run the service as the contract describes, to follow the company’s instructions where it acts as processor and to secure the data. A contract under article 28 of the GDPR should match how the service really works.
Such a contract does not replace a separate assessment of data transfers outside the European Economic Area.
What HawkOpen does: tracking is off until your company’s owner or an administrator switches it on; a recipient without a recorded consent gets an email without a pixel or tracked links; each consent is recorded with its source, date, purpose and version of the information; and after a recipient withdraws, HawkOpen stores no further tracking events from that recipient, including from earlier emails. HawkOpen’s data processing agreement, accepted by every customer, is still a draft for legal review.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Who is responsible under the GDPR for tracking: the tracking tool or the sender?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#controller-or-processor-in-email-tracking), [Can I get a data processing agreement (DPA) with HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#can-i-get-a-data-processing-agreement), [Does the notice in the email make my tracking GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/does-the-tracking-notice-replace-consent)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### What applies to tracking emails to existing subscribers and customers?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#tracking-existing-subscribers-and-customers
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
An existing relationship does not on its own settle the tracking question. France’s CNIL set special transitional rules for addresses collected before 14 April 2026: informing those recipients properly and in time, in principle by 14 July 2026, may allow an existing practice to continue unchanged; this is not a general permission for new lists.
In Spain the AEPD’s report 0011/2014, on pixels in advertising emails, called for active consent before the first email with such a pixel. Whether you may send to existing customers at all is a separate question; in Spain, article 21 of the LSSI governs it. The notice and a later opt-out do not replace consent.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What do the CNIL and other EU regulators say about tracking pixels in emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cnil-eu-guidance-on-tracking-pixels), [Is consent to tracking separate from consent to a newsletter?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/separate-consent-for-newsletter-and-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can HawkOpen help me with records of processing and a DPIA for email tracking?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#records-of-processing-and-dpia-for-tracking
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
HawkOpen has no templates for records of processing or for a data protection impact assessment, and it does not prepare them for you. Whether your tracking needs an impact assessment is something your adviser should decide for your case.
HawkOpen’s legal model suggests keeping, for each consent, its source, date, purpose and the version of the information shown. The account owner can export the account data, which can help when you document what is processed.
Related questions: [What must a company do when it uses an email tracking tool: privacy notice, consent, contract with the provider?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#what-must-a-company-do-when-using-a-tracking-tool), [Can I export all my data from HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#export-my-hawkopen-data)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen give legal advice about email tracking in my country?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#does-hawkopen-give-legal-advice
No. HawkOpen describes what the rules and its own legal documents say and what the product does, but it does not assess your situation. The legal basis and the required form depend on your country, purpose and recipients.
Answers that go beyond HawkOpen’s reviewed legal documents stay drafts until a lawyer has reviewed them. For your own case, ask an adviser in your country.
Related questions: [Is email open tracking legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-email-open-tracking-legal)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How should consent to email tracking be obtained: checkbox, banner or privacy policy?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#how-to-collect-consent-for-email-tracking
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
Record what the person consciously accepted and how: the purpose, the information shown, the moment and the action they took. Opening a link, an unknown click or an automated security scanner does not prove consent. HawkOpen’s consent form records consent only when the person ticks the confirmation and presses the button on the page.
Spain’s AEPD, in its report 0011/2014 on pixels in advertising emails, said that information with a link to a privacy policy plus the absence of an objection is not enough, and asked for active acceptance before the first email with a pixel.
HawkOpen does not send consent requests for you: you pass the link to its form on yourself, or your company’s owner or an administrator records consents you collected in another way, with their source, date, purpose and version of the information. Asking for consent by email is itself a message that needs a basis under the rules on communications; in Canada and Australia such a request can itself count as a marketing message. Collecting consent on a page, for example at sign-up, or through a channel you already use lawfully, avoids that question.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Where can I find sample consent wording for newsletters and tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/newsletter-consent-wording-examples), [Does the notice in the email make my tracking GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/does-the-tracking-notice-replace-consent)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Under Brazil’s LGPD, can I send marketing email on legitimate interest, or do I need opt-in?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#lgpd-brazil-marketing-email-and-tracking
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
HawkOpen’s legal documents do not cover Brazilian law, so this answer does not assess the LGPD. Check the guidance of Brazil’s data protection authority (ANPD) or ask an adviser in Brazil.
Whether you may send an email and whether you may track it are two separate questions in every country. HawkOpen adds a notice with a link to turn tracking off to every tracked email, in Brazil too. The notice and a later opt-out do not replace consent.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What are the rules on email tracking in Canada and other countries outside the EU and the US?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#tracking-law-outside-the-eu-and-us)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I be fined for sending a mass email without BCC?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#fines-for-mass-email-without-bcc
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
Showing many people’s addresses to each other can be a data protection problem; whether it leads to a fine depends on the country and the case, and HawkOpen’s legal documents do not cover it. HawkOpen campaigns avoid the issue: each recipient gets a separate copy and sees only their own address.
The browser extension tracks emails with one recipient; for several people use a campaign, which sends one copy per recipient.
Related questions: [How do I send the same email to many people separately instead of using BCC?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/send-the-same-email-to-many-people-separately)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How many consents do I need to run a newsletter in Poland?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#how-many-consents-for-a-newsletter-in-poland
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
There is no one universal number. In Poland, sending marketing by email, measuring opens and clicks, and processing personal data are governed by different rules, and how many statements you need depends on your purposes and the law that applies. This answer does not count them for your case.
Check current Polish guidance or ask a qualified specialist in Poland. HawkOpen has no newsletter sign-up forms; its own consent form covers tracking only, separately for opens and links.
Every email HawkOpen sends ends with “Do not send me messages”, which stops every further email from your company sent through HawkOpen; tracked emails also carry a separate notice about tracking.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Is consent to tracking separate from consent to a newsletter?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/separate-consent-for-newsletter-and-tracking), [How should consent to email tracking be obtained: checkbox, banner or privacy policy?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#how-to-collect-consent-for-email-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Tracking tools say they are GDPR compliant: is that true?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#are-gdpr-claims-of-tracking-tools-true
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
A tool alone cannot make your tracking meet the GDPR: that depends on your purpose, your legal basis, the information you give and, where required, the recipient’s prior consent. HawkOpen makes no such promise; it says what it does.
HawkOpen’s legal model recommends asking a lawyer to assess concrete materials, such as the activation screen, the real email, a consent record and the data flows, rather than seeking a general assurance that a program meets the GDPR. What HawkOpen does today: a notice in every tracked email, a recipient page for turning tracking off, data download and erasure, and estimates instead of claims that someone read an email. The notice and a later opt-out do not replace consent.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Is an email tracking pixel GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-tracking-pixel-and-gdpr), [Does the notice in the email make my tracking GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/does-the-tracking-notice-replace-consent)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I get consent by sending a privacy notice email that adds people to my list when they click a link?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#consent-by-clicking-a-link-in-a-privacy-email
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
A click alone is weak proof. Security scanners and link previews open links in emails automatically, and a person may click without knowing what they agree to, so record what the person consciously accepted and how. The email that asks for consent also needs its own basis under the rules on communications.
HawkOpen classifies clicks from security vendors’ networks as machine clicks. Its own consent form for tracking also opens from a link, but opening it records nothing: consent is recorded only when the person ticks the confirmation box and presses the button, and it covers tracking by your company only.
Whether such a process is enough to add someone to a mailing list depends on the law that applies; this answer does not decide it.
Related questions: [How should consent to email tracking be obtained: checkbox, banner or privacy policy?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#how-to-collect-consent-for-email-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Does the GDPR treat transactional emails differently from marketing emails?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#transactional-and-marketing-emails-under-gdpr
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
Yes, the difference matters, mostly under the rules on electronic communications rather than the GDPR itself: marketing emails often need consent or a specific exception, while messages needed to perform a contract or provide a service usually rest on another basis. Whether you may track an email is a separate question for both kinds, and the rules differ by country.
In HawkOpen tracking is off until your company’s owner or an administrator switches it on, for the whole account or only for selected messages, and a message or campaign can be sent without tracking.
The “Do not send me messages” line at the end of every email stops all further email from your company through HawkOpen, service messages included, so it is not limited to marketing.
Related questions: [How do I run email campaigns in line with the GDPR?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-campaigns-and-gdpr)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Does HawkOpen automatically switch off tracking for recipients in the EU?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#does-hawkopen-turn-off-tracking-for-eu-recipients
No. HawkOpen does not detect where a recipient is and does not switch tracking off by region on its own; it applies the same rule everywhere: a recipient is tracked only when your company has recorded their consent. You can also exclude countries yourself: HawkOpen recognises them only by the address ending, such as .de or .fr.
Addresses such as @gmail.com or .com have no country, so add them as addresses or domains. HawkOpen’s legal model advises against locating recipients by tracking them first. The notice and a later opt-out do not replace consent.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Can I exclude some recipients or countries from tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#exclude-recipients-or-countries-from-tracking), [Is email open tracking legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-email-open-tracking-legal)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I resubscribe a contact who unsubscribed?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#resubscribe-a-contact-who-unsubscribed
HawkOpen has no option for that: once an address unsubscribes, for example through the “Do not send me messages” link, HawkOpen sends it no further messages from anyone in your company, neither campaigns nor single emails.
Stopping messages is a different choice from refusing tracking, and HawkOpen keeps the two apart.
Related questions: [Is consent to tracking separate from consent to a newsletter?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/separate-consent-for-newsletter-and-tracking), [Is it safe to click “unsubscribe” in an email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#is-it-safe-to-click-unsubscribe)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is the soft opt-in rule for email marketing?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#soft-opt-in-email-marketing
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
Some countries allow marketing emails to existing customers without new consent under strict conditions, for example the UK soft opt-in and article 21 of Spain’s LSSI: your own similar products or services, contact details obtained in a sale, and an easy way to object when the details are collected and in every message. The conditions differ by country, and a B2B label alone does not create the exception.
Even where an email may be sent, tracking it is a separate question. HawkOpen has no soft opt-in feature and does not decide whether you may send; it records consent to tracking only, and it tracks a recipient only when that consent is recorded.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Is cold emailing legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cold-emailing-legality), [Is consent to tracking separate from consent to a newsletter?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/separate-consent-for-newsletter-and-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### What is the difference between explicit and implicit consent for emails and tracking?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#explicit-and-implicit-consent-for-email
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
For tracking pixels, the documents HawkOpen relies on point to active consent: Spain’s AEPD (report 0011/2014, on pixels in advertising emails) said that a link to a privacy policy plus no objection is not enough. Silence or simply keeping a subscription is therefore a weak basis for pixel tracking.
Definitions for sending marketing emails can differ by country, and this answer covers only tracking. The notice and a later opt-out do not replace consent.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How should consent to email tracking be obtained: checkbox, banner or privacy policy?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#how-to-collect-consent-for-email-tracking), [Does the notice in the email make my tracking GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/does-the-tracking-notice-replace-consent)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is double opt-in, and do I need it?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#double-opt-in-meaning-and-need
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
Double opt-in means a person signs up and then confirms through a link sent to their address, which helps show that the address owner really agreed. Whether it is required depends on the country and the practice of its authorities and courts; HawkOpen’s legal documents do not cover it, and HawkOpen has no double opt-in feature.
HawkOpen campaigns go to the recipients you add, so collecting and documenting their agreement stays with you. A confirmation link can also be clicked by a security scanner, so a confirmation needs a deliberate step on a page.
Related questions: [How should consent to email tracking be obtained: checkbox, banner or privacy policy?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#how-to-collect-consent-for-email-tracking), [How many consents do I need to run a newsletter in Poland?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#how-many-consents-for-a-newsletter-in-poland)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Email tracking and US law
Questions about US privacy laws and email tracking, and what HawkOpen does. Not legal advice.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us
### Does the CCPA apply to small businesses that track emails?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us/ccpa-and-small-businesses
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
Not automatically. The CCPA covers for-profit businesses that do business in California, collect personal information of California residents or have it collected for them, decide why and how it is processed, and meet at least one of its thresholds. Being small does not on its own exempt a business, and some duties also reach service providers.
HawkOpen’s legal documents do not analyse US state law, and HawkOpen does not assess whether the CCPA or another state privacy law applies to you. Check the current thresholds and duties with the California Privacy Protection Agency or an adviser.
What HawkOpen offers in every country: a notice in every tracked email, and a recipient page where people turn tracking off, download their tracking data or request erasure. Export and erasure open only after a one-time code sent to the recipient’s own address, valid for 10 minutes, so a forwarded link alone does not give access to anyone’s data.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Are email tracking pixels a CIPA wiretap or pen register risk in California?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us/california-cipa-and-tracking-pixels), [How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Are email tracking pixels a CIPA wiretap or pen register risk in California?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us/california-cipa-and-tracking-pixels
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
In California there have been lawsuits over various tracking technologies under the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), as wiretapping or as a “pen register”. The outcome depends on the technology used, the legal basis of the claim and the specific circumstances; HawkOpen makes no claim about how CIPA applies to you.
For example, in Ramos v. Gap (2025) a California court dismissed a specific lawsuit over tracking pixels in marketing emails. That decision concerned one case and does not settle the question for others. If you send tracked emails to people in California, ask a US lawyer about current case law.
What HawkOpen does: every tracked email carries a notice with a link to turn tracking off, and you can exclude addresses, domains or countries from tracking. A notice in the footer does not settle whether you comply with CIPA.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Does the CCPA apply to small businesses that track emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us/ccpa-and-small-businesses), [Can I exclude some recipients or countries from tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#exclude-recipients-or-countries-from-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is it legal to collect email addresses from a directory or use email finder tools?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us/collecting-email-addresses-and-email-finders
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
HawkOpen does not find or sell email addresses, and its legal documents do not assess how addresses are collected. In the EU, a work address assigned to a person can be personal data, and being published online does not make it free to use for marketing.
Spain’s AEPD explains that an email address that identifies a person is personal data, at work too. In the US, federal and state laws apply. Check the rules of the country where your recipients are.
HawkOpen has no service that checks addresses before you send. A one-time code sent by email, used for example to open a protected document, only confirms that someone has access to that mailbox; it says nothing about where the address came from. HawkOpen’s terms require that you have the authority to contact your recipients and do not allow unsolicited bulk messaging.
Campaign emails carry an unsubscribe link and a one-click unsubscribe header, so people who do not want your emails can leave the list easily.
Related questions: [Is cold emailing legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cold-emailing-legality), [How do I run email campaigns in line with the GDPR?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-campaigns-and-gdpr)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How are CCPA access and deletion requests handled for HawkOpen tracking data?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us#how-are-ccpa-access-and-deletion-requests-handled
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
HawkOpen offers the same tools wherever people live: a recipient enters on the HawkOpen privacy page a one-time code sent to their address, which confirms only access to that mailbox, and can then download the tracking data about that address or request erasure, and the account owner can export or delete account data. Whether these tools meet the CCPA’s requirements in your case is not assessed here.
Whether the CCPA applies depends among other things on doing business in California, your role in collecting the data and the law’s thresholds; a small business is not automatically outside it. Ask a US adviser, or check the California Privacy Protection Agency’s guidance.
Related questions: [Does the CCPA apply to small businesses that track emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us/ccpa-and-small-businesses), [How can a recipient see the tracking data about them or have it erased?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#how-can-a-recipient-get-or-erase-their-tracking-data)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does CAN-SPAM apply to B2B and cold emails?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us#can-spam-b2b-and-cold-email
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
Yes. According to the US Federal Trade Commission, CAN-SPAM covers commercial email, including business-to-business email. Among other things it requires accurate header information and subject lines, a valid physical postal address and a working way to opt out that is honoured promptly. Purely transactional or relationship messages are treated differently.
HawkOpen’s terms do not allow unsolicited bulk messaging. Every email HawkOpen sends or prepares ends with a “Do not send me messages” link, and the emails it sends from your connected mailbox carry one-click unsubscribe headers, but that alone does not meet CAN-SPAM: HawkOpen does not add your postal address and does not check your headers or subject lines.
CAN-SPAM is not a global standard: Canada and Australia, for example, have their own consent rules. Sending an email and tracking it are separate questions.
Related questions: [What are the CAN-SPAM Act requirements?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us#what-does-can-spam-require), [Is cold emailing legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cold-emailing-legality)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Does CAN-SPAM say anything about open tracking?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us#can-spam-and-open-tracking
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
CAN-SPAM, as the US Federal Trade Commission describes it, deals with the content of commercial email, opting out and identifying the sender; it does not settle tracking pixels. Other US federal and state laws may apply to tracking, and HawkOpen’s legal documents do not analyse them.
In California, for example, disputes have concerned various tracking technologies, and the outcome depends on the technology, the legal basis and the circumstances. Every email tracked by HawkOpen carries a notice and a link to turn tracking off, in the US too, but the notice does not settle any of these questions.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Are email tracking pixels a CIPA wiretap or pen register risk in California?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us/california-cipa-and-tracking-pixels), [Does CAN-SPAM apply to B2B and cold emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us#can-spam-b2b-and-cold-email)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What are the CAN-SPAM Act requirements?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us#what-does-can-spam-require
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
The US Federal Trade Commission’s guide lists, among others: no false or misleading header information, no deceptive subject lines, identifying the message as an ad where required, a valid physical postal address, a clear way to opt out and honouring opt-outs within 10 business days. Some of these rules apply to commercial messages only; transactional or relationship messages have narrower requirements.
HawkOpen adds a “Do not send me messages” link to every email and one-click unsubscribe headers to the emails it sends from your connected mailbox; after an opt-out, further emails to that address through HawkOpen are refused straight away. HawkOpen does not add your postal address and does not check your headers, subject lines or ad labelling, so a button alone does not meet these rules.
Opting out of messages is a different choice from turning off tracking.
Related questions: [Do HawkOpen campaigns add the physical postal address that CAN-SPAM asks for?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us#does-hawkopen-add-a-postal-address-to-campaigns), [Does CAN-SPAM apply to B2B and cold emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us#can-spam-b2b-and-cold-email)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Do HawkOpen campaigns add the physical postal address that CAN-SPAM asks for?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us#does-hawkopen-add-a-postal-address-to-campaigns
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
No. The only line HawkOpen adds for opting out carries the “Do not send me messages” link and no address. Add your company’s valid physical postal address to the text of your email or campaign yourself; HawkOpen does not check that it is there.
What CAN-SPAM requires for commercial emails is described in the US Federal Trade Commission’s guide. Send yourself a test of your template to see exactly what the recipient receives.
Related questions: [What are the CAN-SPAM Act requirements?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us#what-does-can-spam-require)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Can I use HawkOpen with health data or student records?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us#health-data-and-student-records
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
Do not use HawkOpen for health information or protected student records for now. HawkOpen makes no claim under US health privacy law or FERPA, and it offers no special contract terms for such data.
Whether those laws apply to tracking pixels in your emails depends on who you are and what you send; ask a US adviser. HawkOpen’s legal documents do not analyse US law.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen have security certifications?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/does-hawkopen-have-security-certifications), [Can I track emails sent to children or students?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#tracking-emails-to-children-or-students)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Do US recipients also see the tracking notice, and in which language?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us#is-the-tracking-notice-shown-to-us-recipients
Yes. HawkOpen adds the same notice to every tracked email, wherever the recipient is, and tracks a recipient only when your company has recorded their consent. Its language follows the text of the email, so an English email gets the English notice.
The notice is available in English, Polish, German, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese; when HawkOpen is unsure, it uses English. Its link “Do not track my activity” opens a page where US recipients, like everyone else, can refuse tracking by your company; from there they can also reach the privacy page to download their data or request erasure.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen tracking notice at the bottom of an email say?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/what-does-the-tracking-notice-say), [Are email tracking pixels a CIPA wiretap or pen register risk in California?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us/california-cipa-and-tracking-pixels)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is cold emailing a company alias like sales@ different from emailing a named person?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us#cold-email-to-a-company-alias-or-a-person
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
It can make a difference, because an address assigned to a person can be personal data even when it is a work address, while a generic alias may not identify anyone. The rules depend on the country, and HawkOpen’s legal documents do not assess this, so this answer gives only general information.
Finding an address online does not by itself allow any use of it for marketing. HawkOpen does not filter or classify addresses, and its terms require that you have the authority to contact your recipients.
Related questions: [Is it legal to collect email addresses from a directory or use email finder tools?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us/collecting-email-addresses-and-email-finders), [Does CAN-SPAM apply to B2B and cold emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us#can-spam-b2b-and-cold-email)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Electronic signature
What the HawkOpen simple electronic signature does, what it is not, what it costs and how to ask someone to sign.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign
### What is an electronic signature?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/what-is-an-electronic-signature
An electronic signature is data in electronic form that a person uses to sign, such as a drawn signature or a typed name; the EU eIDAS Regulation defines it in Article 3(10). HawkOpen offers this basic, simple type.
In HawkOpen, the person you ask to sign opens the document from a link, confirms access with a one-time code sent by email, then draws a signature or types their name, or declines.
HawkOpen then creates an evidence report with the document’s SHA-256 fingerprint and an Ed25519 signature that anyone can verify against HawkOpen’s published key.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Is the HawkOpen e-signature advanced or qualified?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-the-hawkopen-signature-advanced-or-qualified), [What is the difference between simple, advanced and qualified electronic signatures?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/esign-ses-aes-qes-difference), [How do I ask someone for a signature by email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/how-to-ask-for-signature-by-email)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is the HawkOpen e-signature advanced or qualified?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-the-hawkopen-signature-advanced-or-qualified
Neither. HawkOpen offers only a simple electronic signature; it is not advanced or qualified, and HawkOpen does not issue qualified certificates. For a qualified signature you need a qualified trust service provider.
The HawkOpen evidence report says so itself: it documents a simple electronic signature and is not a qualified electronic signature or a qualified trust service. The time on it is the server’s clock at the moment of signing, not a qualified timestamp.
Qualified signatures and their prices come from qualified trust service providers, which the EU lists in its Trusted List. HawkOpen does not sell or compare them.
Related questions: [What is the difference between simple, advanced and qualified electronic signatures?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/esign-ses-aes-qes-difference), [Can I sign in HawkOpen with a national e-ID or a government e-signature?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/national-id-and-government-esignature), [How much does an e-signature cost in HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/how-much-does-an-e-signature-cost)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is there a free e-signature tool to sign a PDF online?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/free-esignature-tool
The HawkOpen Free plan includes 1 signature request a month. The person who signs needs no account; you need a free HawkOpen account to send the request. For now the e-signature is a preview, because it accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on.
Monthly signature requests: Free 1, Pro 5, Business without a monthly limit.
The signature is simple, not advanced or qualified. The signer opens the link, confirms access with a code from the email and draws a signature or types their name; you get an evidence report afterwards.
Related questions: [How much does an e-signature cost in HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/how-much-does-an-e-signature-cost), [How do I ask someone for a signature by email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/how-to-ask-for-signature-by-email), [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I add an electronic signature to a PDF or Word document?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/how-to-add-electronic-signature-to-pdf
HawkOpen does not edit PDF or Word files. It sends a PDF to the person who should sign: they open a link, confirm access with a code from the email, and draw a signature or type their name. For now this is a preview until external file scanning is switched on.
Steps: save a Word file as PDF first, because HawkOpen accepts only PDF. Create a signature request with the signer’s email address. The signer gets an email with the link (currently in English), signs or declines, and HawkOpen notifies you when the document is signed.
After signing you can download the evidence report with the document’s SHA-256 fingerprint and HawkOpen’s Ed25519 signature. You can also send the signer a reminder.
Related questions: [How do I ask someone for a signature by email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/how-to-ask-for-signature-by-email), [Is there a free e-signature tool to sign a PDF online?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/free-esignature-tool), [Why can I not upload a PDF, video or document for signature yet?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/why-can-i-not-upload-files-yet)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I ask someone for a signature by email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/how-to-ask-for-signature-by-email
In HawkOpen you create a signature request with the signer’s email address. HawkOpen emails them a link; they confirm access with a one-time code, then sign or decline, and you are notified and get an evidence report. For now this is a preview until external file scanning is switched on.
The invitation email is currently in English and tells the signer that they sign with a simple electronic signature. You can send a reminder if they have not signed yet.
The signer needs no account. The document must be a PDF.
Related questions: [How do I add an electronic signature to a PDF or Word document?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/how-to-add-electronic-signature-to-pdf), [Is there a free e-signature tool to sign a PDF online?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/free-esignature-tool)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How much does an e-signature cost in HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/how-much-does-an-e-signature-cost
Signature requests are part of the HawkOpen plans: Free includes 1 a month, Pro 5 a month and Business has no monthly limit. For now the e-signature is a preview, because it accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on.
The prices of the plans are in the answer on what HawkOpen costs.
HawkOpen’s signature is simple. A qualified signature, which some documents and public offices require, comes from a qualified trust service provider at that provider’s price; HawkOpen does not sell it.
Related questions: [How much does HawkOpen cost?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-much-does-hawkopen-cost), [Is there a free e-signature tool to sign a PDF online?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/free-esignature-tool), [Is the HawkOpen e-signature advanced or qualified?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-the-hawkopen-signature-advanced-or-qualified)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I sign in HawkOpen with a national e-ID or a government e-signature?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/national-id-and-government-esignature
No. HawkOpen does not connect to national e-ID schemes, trusted profiles, government signature services or qualified signature cards. Its signature is simple: the signer draws it or types a name after confirming a code from the email.
For a document that must be signed with a national e-ID or a qualified signature, use the government service or a qualified trust service provider.
You can still send the PDF with HawkOpen to collect a simple signature and an evidence report where that is enough for you.
Related questions: [Is the HawkOpen e-signature advanced or qualified?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-the-hawkopen-signature-advanced-or-qualified), [Which level of e-signature do I need for my contract?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/which-esign-level-for-my-contract)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is the best e-signature app?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/best-esignature-app
HawkOpen does not rank e-signature apps. Choose by the signature level you need first: for a qualified signature you need a qualified trust service provider; for a simple signature with an evidence report, HawkOpen is one option, still in preview.
Questions worth asking any tool: which signature level it offers, what the evidence report contains and how others can verify it, whether the signer needs an account, what the limits and prices are, and where the data is stored.
HawkOpen’s answers: simple signature only; the signer needs no account; an evidence report with the document’s SHA-256 fingerprint and an Ed25519 signature; monthly limits by plan; the hosting region is not published yet.
Related questions: [Is the HawkOpen e-signature advanced or qualified?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-the-hawkopen-signature-advanced-or-qualified), [In which country or region is my data stored?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/where-is-my-data-stored)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is the difference between simple, advanced and qualified electronic signatures?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/esign-ses-aes-qes-difference
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
The EU eIDAS Regulation has three levels. A simple electronic signature is data in electronic form attached to or logically associated with other data and used by the signer to sign. An advanced signature is also uniquely linked to and capable of identifying the signer, created with signature data the signer can use, with a high level of confidence, under their sole control, and reveals any later change. A qualified signature is an advanced one made with a qualified device and based on a qualified certificate.
eIDAS defines the levels in Article 3(10) to (12) and the requirements for an advanced signature in Article 26. Under Article 25(2), a qualified signature has the equivalent legal effect of a handwritten signature. Which level a document needs depends on the law that governs it.
HawkOpen offers only the simple level: the signer draws a signature or types a name after confirming a code from the email, and HawkOpen adds an evidence report. The HawkOpen e-signature is a preview version until external file scanning is switched on.
Related questions: [Is the HawkOpen e-signature advanced or qualified?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-the-hawkopen-signature-advanced-or-qualified), [Which level of e-signature do I need for my contract?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/which-esign-level-for-my-contract), [What is the difference between an electronic and a digital signature?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/electronic-vs-digital-signature)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is the difference between an electronic and a digital signature?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/electronic-vs-digital-signature
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
“Electronic signature” is the broad legal term: data in electronic form attached to or logically associated with what is being signed and used to sign it. “Digital signature” usually means the cryptographic technique behind advanced and qualified signatures; in Italy, “firma digitale” is the name of a type of qualified signature.
In HawkOpen, the signer’s own signature is simple: a drawn signature or a typed name. HawkOpen then signs its record of the signing with its own Ed25519 key. That is HawkOpen’s signature on its record, not the signer’s signature, and it is neither a qualified signature of a person nor a qualified seal.
What the check shows: HawkOpen publishes its public key at a fixed address on its site, and its verification page checks that the record has not changed since HawkOpen signed it with that key. It does not prove that the events in the record are true, that the signer read the document, or who the signer is.
The HawkOpen e-signature is a preview version until external file scanning is switched on.
Related questions: [What is the difference between simple, advanced and qualified electronic signatures?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/esign-ses-aes-qes-difference), [What is an electronic signature?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/what-is-an-electronic-signature)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is an electronic signature legally binding?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-electronic-signature-legally-binding
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
In the EU an electronic signature cannot be denied legal effect or refused as evidence just because it is electronic (eIDAS Article 25(1)). The eIDAS Regulation guarantees a qualified signature the equivalent effect of a handwritten signature; the effects of other signatures depend on the applicable law and the circumstances.
National law and an agreement between the parties can give legal effect to other kinds of signatures, such as a simple one like HawkOpen’s. Whether it is enough depends on the form the law requires for your document.
In the United States, the federal ESIGN Act and state laws based on UETA say that a signature or contract may not be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic. That does not make every contract valid, and some kinds of documents are excluded. Other countries, such as Brazil, have their own rules.
HawkOpen offers only a simple signature. The HawkOpen e-signature is a preview version until external file scanning is switched on. When the form of your document matters, ask a lawyer before you sign.
Related questions: [Which level of e-signature do I need for my contract?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/which-esign-level-for-my-contract), [What is the difference between simple, advanced and qualified electronic signatures?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/esign-ses-aes-qes-difference), [Is a typed name or an email enough to count as a signature?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-typed-name-or-email-a-valid-signature)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Which level of e-signature do I need for my contract?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/which-esign-level-for-my-contract
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
It depends on the country, the type of document and the form the law requires. Where no particular form is required, a simple signature can often be used; where the law requires written form or a qualified signature, check whether and how an electronic form can meet that requirement.
Examples: in Germany, the electronic form with a qualified signature can replace a written form required by law, unless a provision excludes it (§ 126 and § 126a BGB). In Spain, the LSSI treats a written-form requirement for a contract as met when the contract is on an electronic medium, with some exceptions. Many procedures with public authorities require a qualified signature or a national e-ID.
HawkOpen offers only a simple signature with an evidence report. The HawkOpen e-signature is a preview version until external file scanning is switched on. Typical uses where no special form applies are order confirmations, acceptance of terms of cooperation and internal approvals. When unsure, ask a lawyer before you sign.
Related questions: [Is an electronic signature legally binding?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-electronic-signature-legally-binding), [What is the difference between simple, advanced and qualified electronic signatures?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/esign-ses-aes-qes-difference), [Can I sign in HawkOpen with a national e-ID or a government e-signature?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/national-id-and-government-esignature)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Will an electronic signature hold up as evidence in court?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/esign-as-evidence-in-court
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
A court can admit an electronic signature as evidence; how much weight it gets depends on the applicable law and the circumstances of the case. HawkOpen’s evidence report helps by recording what happened during the signing.
What the report contains: the SHA-256 fingerprint of the original PDF as uploaded (HawkOpen does not produce a separate signed copy of the PDF), the time of signing from HawkOpen’s server clock (not a qualified timestamp), and HawkOpen’s Ed25519 signature on its record of the signing. The report states that it is not a qualified signature and not proof that the signer read the document.
How to check it independently: HawkOpen publishes its public key at a fixed address on its site, and the verification page checks the signature on the record. To check the document, compute the SHA-256 of your copy of the original PDF and compare it with the value in the report.
Keep the original PDF, the evidence report and any copy of the document exchanged with the signer, and ask a lawyer how evidence is assessed in your country. The HawkOpen e-signature is a preview version until external file scanning is switched on.
Related questions: [Is an electronic signature legally binding?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-electronic-signature-legally-binding), [Can an email be used as evidence in court?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-as-evidence-in-court)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is a typed name or an email enough to count as a signature?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-typed-name-or-email-a-valid-signature
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
A typed name or a name at the end of an email can count as a simple electronic signature in many legal systems, but whether it binds you depends on the country, the document and the form the law requires. In HawkOpen the signer can type their name instead of drawing, after confirming a code from the email.
HawkOpen accepts either a drawn signature or a typed name of at least two characters. The code from the email shows only that the person had access to that mailbox; it does not establish their identity or their authority to sign on behalf of a company. The evidence report records which document was signed and when, with HawkOpen’s Ed25519 signature on the record.
Where the law requires written form, check whether and how an electronic form can meet that requirement in your country: in Germany, for example, a qualified signature unless a provision excludes it; in Spain, an electronic medium under the LSSI, with exceptions. When in doubt, ask a lawyer. The HawkOpen e-signature is a preview version until external file scanning is switched on.
Related questions: [Is an electronic signature legally binding?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-electronic-signature-legally-binding), [What is an electronic signature?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/what-is-an-electronic-signature)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How does signing work for the signer, and do they need an account?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-does-signer-need-an-account
No account is needed. The signer opens the link from the invitation email, confirms access with an 8-digit code sent to the same address, reads the PDF, ticks the consent box and draws a signature or types their name, or declines.
Everything happens in the browser; nothing is installed. When they sign or decline, you get an email, and once signed the evidence report is available in your dashboard. The code shows access to the mailbox, not who the signer is.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [How do I ask someone for a signature by email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/how-to-ask-for-signature-by-email), [The signing code did not arrive. What should I do?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-code-did-not-arrive), [What happens if the signer declines to sign?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-decline-by-signer)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### The signing code did not arrive. What should I do?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-code-did-not-arrive
HawkOpen sends the code by email, not by text message, to the address the request was made for. Check spam and other folders, wait a minute and request a new code on the page; each code is valid for 10 minutes.
After many requests in a short time, the page asks you to wait up to 15 minutes. If the code still does not come, ask the sender to check the address on the request; they can delete it and send a new one to the right address.
Related questions: [How does signing work for the signer, and do they need an account?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-does-signer-need-an-account), [Can I resend, cancel or edit a signature request after sending it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-resend-cancel-or-edit-request)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How long does a signing link stay valid, and can it expire?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-expiry-of-request
A signing link works for at most 7 days, and you can set an earlier end date when you create the request. After that the link no longer opens, and an expired request cannot be extended: send a new one.
The link alone is not enough: the signer also confirms a one-time code sent by email.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I resend, cancel or edit a signature request after sending it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-resend-cancel-or-edit-request), [Can HawkOpen remind the signer to sign?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-reminders-to-signer)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What happens if the signer declines to sign?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-decline-by-signer
The signer can press “Decline to sign” and confirm. The request then closes for good, the decline is recorded with its time, and HawkOpen emails you.
A declined request cannot be reopened or edited. If the document needs a change, correct the PDF and send a new request.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I resend, cancel or edit a signature request after sending it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-resend-cancel-or-edit-request), [Can someone refuse, contest or cancel an electronic signature?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#refuse-or-contest-electronic-signature)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I resend, cancel or edit a signature request after sending it?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-resend-cancel-or-edit-request
While the request is waiting, you can send a reminder, which repeats the invitation, and you can delete the request at any time. You cannot edit it: to change the document, signer or end date, delete it and create a new one.
Deleting removes the request and its document from HawkOpen, and the signing link stops working. If the document was already signed, download the evidence report first.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can HawkOpen remind the signer to sign?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-reminders-to-signer), [How long does a signing link stay valid, and can it expire?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-expiry-of-request), [What happens if the signer declines to sign?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-decline-by-signer)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can HawkOpen remind the signer to sign?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-reminders-to-signer
Yes, by hand: while the request is waiting for a signature, you send a reminder from your dashboard and HawkOpen emails the signer again. There are no automatic reminders on a schedule for signature requests.
The reminder is in the same language as the invitation: the recipient’s language chosen when the request was created, otherwise the language of your dashboard, and English when neither is set. Its subject starts with “Reminder:” in that language (for example “Erinnerung:” in German).
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I resend, cancel or edit a signature request after sending it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-resend-cancel-or-edit-request), [How long does a signing link stay valid, and can it expire?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-expiry-of-request)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I send one document to several signers or set a signing order?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-multiple-signers
Not in one request. A HawkOpen signature request has exactly one signer, so there is no signing order either. For several people, create a separate request for each; each gets its own evidence report.
Separate requests are not linked: each signer signs their own copy of the PDF, and nobody sees the others’ signatures.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [How do I ask someone for a signature by email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/how-to-ask-for-signature-by-email), [Can I reuse signature templates or send documents for signature in bulk?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-templates-bulk)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I add fields such as initials, a date or text for the signer to fill in?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-fields-initials-dates
No. The signer reads the PDF and adds one signature, drawn or typed, for the whole document; there are no form fields, initials on each page or date fields. Fill in the PDF before you send it.
The date and time of signing are recorded automatically in the evidence report, from HawkOpen’s server clock.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can the signer draw or type their signature?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-signature-styles), [How do I add an electronic signature to a PDF or Word document?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/how-to-add-electronic-signature-to-pdf)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can the signer draw or type their signature?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-signature-styles
Both. The signer draws the signature with a mouse, finger or pen in a box on the page, or types their name. HawkOpen needs a drawing with enough points or a typed name of at least two characters.
There is no option to upload an image of a handwritten signature. The drawn signature or the typed name appears in the evidence report.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Is a typed name or an email enough to count as a signature?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-typed-name-or-email-a-valid-signature), [Can people sign on a phone or tablet?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-mobile-signing)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### In which languages is the signing page shown?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-signer-languages
The signing page and the emails to the signer (the invitation, the reminder and the one-time code) are in English, Polish, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian. The language is the one chosen for the recipient when the request is created, otherwise the language of the sender’s dashboard; when neither is set, the page and the code email follow the signer’s browser, and the invitation and reminder are in English. The consent sentence on the page is in that same language.
In every language the consent sentence says that the signer agrees to conclude the document electronically with a simple electronic signature, which is not a qualified one.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [How does signing work for the signer, and do they need an account?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-does-signer-need-an-account), [How do I ask someone for a signature by email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/how-to-ask-for-signature-by-email)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can people sign on a phone or tablet?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-mobile-signing
Yes. The signing page works in a phone or tablet browser, and the signature box accepts a finger or a stylus. No app is needed.
The signer also needs to read their email, on that device or another, to get the one-time code.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can the signer draw or type their signature?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-signature-styles), [How does signing work for the signer, and do they need an account?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-does-signer-need-an-account)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What does the e-signature evidence report (audit trail) contain?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-evidence-report-contents
The report lists the document title and its SHA-256 fingerprint, the signer’s name and email address, IP address and browser, the recorded consent, the times the request was created, the invitation was accepted by the mail provider, the document was viewed and signed, and the drawn or typed signature.
It ends with HawkOpen’s Ed25519 signature on the record and a link to the public verification page. It states that it documents a simple electronic signature, not a qualified one, and is not proof that the signer read the document. Times come from HawkOpen’s server clock; the code confirms access to the mailbox, not the signer’s identity.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [How can someone verify the evidence report without a HawkOpen account?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-verify-evidence-without-account), [Can I download the signed PDF and the evidence report, and is the signature placed on the PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-signed-pdf-and-report-download), [Will an electronic signature hold up as evidence in court?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/esign-as-evidence-in-court)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I download the signed PDF and the evidence report, and is the signature placed on the PDF?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-signed-pdf-and-report-download
After the document is signed, you download the evidence report as a PDF from your dashboard. HawkOpen does not stamp the signature onto your document: the original PDF stays unchanged, and the signature appears in the separate report.
Keep the original PDF and the report together: the report contains the original’s SHA-256 fingerprint, so you can show that the two belong together.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [What does the e-signature evidence report (audit trail) contain?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-evidence-report-contents), [How do I know a signed PDF was not changed afterwards?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-tamper-detection), [Does the signer receive a copy of the signed document?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-signer-copy)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does the signer receive a copy of the signed document?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-signer-copy
Not automatically. After signing, the signer sees a confirmation page, and HawkOpen emails only you. If the signer needs a copy, send them the PDF and the evidence report yourself.
The signer has no HawkOpen account where the document would be kept, and after signing the link no longer opens the document.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I download the signed PDF and the evidence report, and is the signature placed on the PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-signed-pdf-and-report-download), [How does signing work for the signer, and do they need an account?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-does-signer-need-an-account)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How can someone verify the evidence report without a HawkOpen account?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-verify-evidence-without-account
The report contains a verification link that anyone can open without an account. The page checks HawkOpen’s Ed25519 signature on the record and shows only the document’s SHA-256 fingerprint, the key ID and the time of signing; it shows no name, email address or IP address of the signer.
A valid result shows only that the record has not changed since HawkOpen signed it with that key. It does not prove that the events happened as recorded, who the signer was, or that the document was read. HawkOpen publishes its public key, so the check can also be done without the page.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [How do I know a signed PDF was not changed afterwards?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-tamper-detection), [What does the e-signature evidence report (audit trail) contain?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-evidence-report-contents)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I know a signed PDF was not changed afterwards?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-tamper-detection
Compare fingerprints. The evidence report contains the SHA-256 fingerprint of the original PDF; compute the fingerprint of your copy with any SHA-256 tool (for example certutil on Windows or shasum on a Mac) and compare. If even one byte changed, they differ.
The report itself is signed by HawkOpen with an Ed25519 key, and the public verification page shows whether the record is intact. Matching fingerprints show that the file is the one recorded; they do not prove who was at the keyboard.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [How can someone verify the evidence report without a HawkOpen account?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-verify-evidence-without-account), [Can I download the signed PDF and the evidence report, and is the signature placed on the PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-signed-pdf-and-report-download)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does the evidence report use a qualified timestamp?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-timestamp-not-qualified
No. The times in the report come from HawkOpen’s server clock at the moment of each event. They are not a qualified electronic timestamp from a trust service provider.
The record with those times is signed by HawkOpen with an Ed25519 key, so a later change to the record would show. If you need a qualified timestamp, a qualified trust service provider issues one.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Is the HawkOpen e-signature advanced or qualified?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-the-hawkopen-signature-advanced-or-qualified), [What does the e-signature evidence report (audit trail) contain?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-evidence-report-contents)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen verify the signer’s identity with an ID, SMS or video?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-identity-verification
No. HawkOpen checks only that the signer can read emails at the address on the request, by sending a one-time code there. That shows access to the mailbox, not who the signer is or whether they may sign for a company; HawkOpen does not check ID documents, phone numbers or faces.
The report records the signer’s email address, IP address and browser; these are signals, not proof of identity. If you need a verified identity, use a qualified signature or a separate identity check.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Is the HawkOpen e-signature advanced or qualified?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-the-hawkopen-signature-advanced-or-qualified), [What does the e-signature evidence report (audit trail) contain?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-evidence-report-contents)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What personal data of the signer does HawkOpen store?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-signer-personal-data
The signer’s email address and name (if you entered one), the IP address and browser seen when they sign or decline, their consent, the drawn signature or typed name, and the time of each step. The signed record keeps only a hash of the email address, and the public verification page shows no address at all.
The evidence report you download shows the name and email address in full. HawkOpen does not claim that its e-signature meets the requirements of the GDPR for your use, and its hosting region is not published yet. You can delete a request and its document from your dashboard.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [In which country or region is my data stored?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/where-is-my-data-stored), [How long are signed documents and reports kept, and does a signature expire?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-storage-retention)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How long are signed documents and reports kept, and does a signature expire?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-storage-retention
HawkOpen has not published how long it keeps signed documents and evidence reports. Download the report after signing and keep it with the original PDF, so your evidence does not depend on HawkOpen.
Only the signing link has an end date (at most 7 days); it limits when someone can sign, not how long a completed signature counts. What effect a signature has over time depends on the applicable law and the document.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I download the signed PDF and the evidence report, and is the signature placed on the PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-signed-pdf-and-report-download), [How long does a signing link stay valid, and can it expire?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-expiry-of-request)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is the difference between a signature request and accepting a proposal?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-vs-click-to-accept
A signature request asks one person to sign a PDF with a drawn or typed signature and produces an evidence report. Accepting a proposal is a button on a proposal link that records the client’s decision as a confirmation signed by HawkOpen, without a drawn or typed signature.
Use a signature request when the document itself must be signed; use proposal acceptance to record a yes to an offer.
A proposal link can also offer signing on the proposal page itself, as a simple electronic signature; as with the other actions, the client first confirms their address with a one-time code, and the signed confirmation goes by email to the client and to you.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal), [How do I ask someone for a signature by email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/how-to-ask-for-signature-by-email)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I sign a document electronically in a secure way?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-simple-sure-way
First check which signature your document needs, which depends on the country, the type of document and the form required; for a qualified signature, use a qualified trust service provider. When you sign, use only a link you expected, check the sender and the document, and keep the evidence report.
With HawkOpen the signer confirms a one-time code sent to their email, ticks the consent box and signs in the browser; HawkOpen records the document’s SHA-256 fingerprint and signs the record with an Ed25519 key. A signing page never needs your passwords or bank details.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Which level of e-signature do I need for my contract?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/which-esign-level-for-my-contract), [What does the e-signature evidence report (audit trail) contain?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-evidence-report-contents)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can an electronic signature be notarized, typed or forged?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#can-electronic-signature-be-notarized-or-forged
Typed: yes, a typed name is one of the two ways to sign in HawkOpen. Notarized or apostilled: not through HawkOpen; a notary or a public authority does that under its own rules. Forged: any simple signature can be imitated, which is why HawkOpen records how it was made.
HawkOpen ties the signature to a code sent to the signer’s email, records the IP address and browser, and fingerprints the document with SHA-256, so later changes to the file or the record show. This makes forgery harder to hide, but the code shows access to the mailbox, not the signer’s identity.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen verify the signer’s identity with an ID, SMS or video?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-identity-verification), [How do I know a signed PDF was not changed afterwards?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-tamper-detection), [Is a typed name or an email enough to count as a signature?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-typed-name-or-email-a-valid-signature)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is the signing page accessible to screen reader users?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-accessibility
HawkOpen has not published an accessibility statement for the signing page. A signer who cannot draw can type their name instead of drawing a signature.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can the signer draw or type their signature?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-signature-styles)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I sign as a company with an electronic seal or stamp?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-company-seal-or-stamp
No. HawkOpen collects a simple electronic signature from a person; it does not offer electronic seals or stamps for companies. An eIDAS electronic seal, advanced or qualified, comes from a trust service provider.
The Ed25519 signature on the evidence report belongs to HawkOpen and protects the record; it is not a seal of your company or a qualified seal. For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Is the HawkOpen e-signature advanced or qualified?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-the-hawkopen-signature-advanced-or-qualified), [What is the difference between an electronic and a digital signature?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/electronic-vs-digital-signature)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I reuse signature templates or send documents for signature in bulk?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-templates-bulk
No. Each signature request is created on its own, for one PDF and one signer; there are no templates or bulk sending for signatures.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts documents only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I send one document to several signers or set a signing order?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-multiple-signers)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is a simple electronic signature enough for an employment or rental contract?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-for-employment-and-rental-contracts
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
It depends on the country, the type of contract and the form the law requires for it. Some countries require written form or a qualified electronic signature for certain employment or tenancy documents; in those cases a simple signature like HawkOpen’s may not be enough.
For example, in Germany a qualified electronic signature can replace a written form required by law (§ 126a BGB) unless a rule excludes the electronic form, as § 623 BGB does for ending an employment relationship. Check the rules for your country and contract, and ask a lawyer when unsure. HawkOpen offers only a simple signature.
Related questions: [Which level of e-signature do I need for my contract?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/which-esign-level-for-my-contract), [Is an electronic signature legally binding?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-electronic-signature-legally-binding)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can someone refuse, contest or cancel an electronic signature?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#refuse-or-contest-electronic-signature
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
In HawkOpen the signer can always decline instead of signing. Whether a counterparty must accept an electronic signature, and how a signature can be contested, depends on the contract and the applicable law. In the EU an electronic signature cannot be denied legal effect or refused as evidence only because it is electronic; how much weight it gets depends on the law and the circumstances.
A bank, insurer or authority may set its own requirements, such as a qualified signature or its own procedure; then use what they ask for. If a signature is disputed, the evidence report shows what HawkOpen recorded; ask a lawyer about the procedure.
Related questions: [What happens if the signer declines to sign?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-decline-by-signer), [Is an electronic signature legally binding?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-electronic-signature-legally-binding), [Will an electronic signature hold up as evidence in court?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/esign-as-evidence-in-court)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is the US ESIGN Act, and is the HawkOpen signature valid in both the EU and the US?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-us-esign-act-and-eu
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
The ESIGN Act of 2000 is a US federal law under which a signature or contract may not be denied legal effect only because it is electronic; most states have similar rules based on UETA. That does not make every contract valid. HawkOpen describes its signature under the EU eIDAS Regulation as a simple electronic signature and has not analysed US law for it.
ESIGN also has rules on consumer consent to electronic records and excludes some documents, such as wills and certain notices. Whether a HawkOpen signature fits a US transaction is for you and your lawyer to assess.
Related questions: [Is an electronic signature legally binding?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/is-electronic-signature-legally-binding), [What is an electronic signature?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/what-is-an-electronic-signature)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I terminate a contract or insurance by email or with an electronic signature?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#terminate-contract-by-email-or-e-signature
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
It depends on the country, the type of document and the form required, and on what the contract says. If the contract or the law asks only for text form, an email can be enough; if it requires written form, check whether and how an electronic form can replace it. Read the termination clause first.
In Germany, for example, the law distinguishes text form (§ 126b BGB), which an email meets, from written form (§ 126 BGB), which a qualified electronic signature can replace unless a rule excludes it (§ 126a BGB). HawkOpen’s signature is simple, not qualified.
Related questions: [Which level of e-signature do I need for my contract?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/which-esign-level-for-my-contract), [Is a simple electronic signature enough for an employment or rental contract?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign#esign-for-employment-and-rental-contracts)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## PDF, document and video tracking
How to see whether someone opened your PDF or watched your video, how long they spent on each page, how to control access, and why file uploads are not open yet.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs
### How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/how-to-track-pdf-opens
Send the PDF as a HawkOpen link instead of an attachment. Once the recipient agrees on the PDF page, HawkOpen records each viewing session and the active time on every page; without that consent you see no session. For now this is a preview: it works only once external file scanning is switched on.
You can set the link to expire and limit the number of views. In production the recipient confirms access with a one-time code sent by email before the document opens.
Sessions and time per page count only after the recipient agrees, on the PDF page, that your company may see how long they read its documents. Until they answer, and after a refusal, HawkOpen measures nothing, shows you no session and keeps no IP address.
PDF links per month: Free 5, Pro 10, Business without a monthly limit.
A session or page time shows that the document was open in a visible, active browser tab. It is not proof that someone read it.
Related questions: [Can I see which page of my PDF someone spent the most time on?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/which-pdf-page-read-longest), [Can I see if someone opened my email attachment?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/can-i-track-email-attachment-opens), [Why can I not upload a PDF, video or document for signature yet?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/why-can-i-not-upload-files-yet)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I see if someone opened my email attachment?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/can-i-track-email-attachment-opens
No. Once an attachment is downloaded, the file is on the recipient’s device and no tool can reliably see it being opened. Instead, HawkOpen shares the PDF as a tracked link; for now this is a preview until external file scanning is switched on.
A HawkOpen PDF link records viewing sessions and active time on each page once the recipient agrees to it on the PDF page. You can set it to expire or limit the number of views, which you cannot do with an attachment.
PDF links per month: Free 5, Pro 10, Business without a monthly limit.
Related questions: [How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/how-to-track-pdf-opens), [Why can I not upload a PDF, video or document for signature yet?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/why-can-i-not-upload-files-yet)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I see which page of my PDF someone spent the most time on?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/which-pdf-page-read-longest
Yes, for a PDF shared as a HawkOpen link, once the recipient agrees on the PDF page to the measuring. For each viewing session HawkOpen adds up the active time on every page. Time counts only while the tab is visible and focused, the page is at least half in view and the reader was active in the last 30 seconds.
These rules keep a tab left open in the background from inflating the numbers. Even so, time on a page shows attention in the browser, not that someone read or understood the page.
Sessions and time per page count only after the recipient agrees, on the PDF page, that your company may see how long they read its documents. Until they answer, and after a refusal, HawkOpen measures nothing, shows you no session and keeps no IP address.
For now PDF tracking is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on.
Related questions: [How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/how-to-track-pdf-opens), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Why can I not upload a PDF, video or document for signature yet?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/why-can-i-not-upload-files-yet
Because HawkOpen accepts files only after an external service has checked them for malware and cleaned them, and that service is not switched on yet. Until it is, PDF tracking, proposals, video messages and e-signature are a preview and uploads are refused.
This is deliberate: the files you upload are later opened by your recipients, so HawkOpen does not store files that nobody has checked.
Email open and click tracking does not depend on it and works without file uploads.
Related questions: [How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/how-to-track-pdf-opens), [Is there a free e-signature tool to sign a PDF online?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/esign/free-esignature-tool)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can HawkOpen show who viewed a document I shared on Google Drive?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/who-viewed-my-shared-google-drive-doc
No. HawkOpen cannot see who opened a Google Drive file; Google Drive has its own activity information, which depends on your account type. HawkOpen tracks PDFs that you share as HawkOpen links, per recipient, and for now this is a preview until external file scanning is switched on.
With a HawkOpen link you see viewing sessions and active time on each page once the recipient agrees to it on the PDF page, and you can let the link expire or limit the number of views.
PDF links per month: Free 5, Pro 10, Business without a monthly limit.
Related questions: [How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/how-to-track-pdf-opens), [Can I see which page of my PDF someone spent the most time on?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/which-pdf-page-read-longest)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is document tracking, and how does HawkOpen do it?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#what-is-document-tracking
Document tracking means sharing a file as a link instead of an attachment, so you can see when and for how long it is viewed. In HawkOpen you upload a PDF, give each recipient access, and see viewing sessions and active time on each page once the recipient agrees to it on the PDF page.
The recipient opens the document in the browser after entering a one-time code sent to their email address. Each recipient’s access ends after at most 7 days; on the Business plan you can also set an expiry date and a view limit for the link.
Sessions and time per page count only after the recipient agrees, on the PDF page, that your company may see how long they read its documents. Until they answer, and after a refusal, HawkOpen measures nothing, shows you no session and keeps no IP address.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/how-to-track-pdf-opens), [Can I see which page of my PDF someone spent the most time on?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/which-pdf-page-read-longest), [Should I send a PDF as an attachment or as a link?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-link-instead-of-attachment)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Should I send a PDF as an attachment or as a link?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-link-instead-of-attachment
An attachment is a copy that leaves your hands once sent: you cannot see whether it was opened or take it back. A HawkOpen link keeps the file on HawkOpen, so you can end a recipient’s access and, if the recipient agrees to it on the PDF page, see viewing sessions and time per page.
A link also keeps the email small, which helps with large files. A HawkOpen PDF link takes files of up to 10 MB; save Word or other files as PDF first. An attachment is still the better choice when the recipient needs the file offline or cannot open outside links.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I see if someone opened my email attachment?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/can-i-track-email-attachment-opens), [How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/how-to-track-pdf-opens), [What is the maximum PDF size, and is there a page limit?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-file-size-and-page-limit)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can a downloaded PDF be tracked, or can a tracking pixel watch an attachment?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#can-a-downloaded-pdf-be-tracked
Not reliably. A tracking pixel works in the body of an email, not inside an attached file, and a PDF that tries to contact a server when opened is usually blocked by PDF readers or flagged as suspicious. HawkOpen does not add tracking code to your files.
What HawkOpen does instead: the PDF stays on HawkOpen and the recipient opens it from a link in the browser, so a viewing session can be recorded once the recipient agrees to it on the PDF page. Once someone saves a copy, what happens to that copy is outside HawkOpen.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I see if someone opened my email attachment?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/can-i-track-email-attachment-opens), [Should I send a PDF as an attachment or as a link?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-link-instead-of-attachment)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is the maximum PDF size, and is there a page limit?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-file-size-and-page-limit
A PDF link takes one PDF file of up to 10 MB. Any number of pages can be viewed, but time per page is recorded only for the first 500 pages.
Each user can keep up to 100 PDF files and 200 MB in total. Proposal links, a separate feature, take files of up to 25 MB and 300 pages.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Which file formats can I share: Word, PowerPoint, OpenDocument?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#supported-document-formats), [Should I send a PDF as an attachment or as a link?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-link-instead-of-attachment)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I see repeat visits when someone reopens my PDF?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-sessions-and-re-reads
Yes, once the recipient has agreed on the PDF page to the measuring; the consent covers your company’s documents until the recipient withdraws it. Each time the PDF is then opened in a new browser session, HawkOpen records a separate viewing session: when it started, when it was last active, how long it lasted, the IP address and the browser.
For every page you also see how many sessions spent time on it and the total active time. A session is a browser visit, not a person: one person on two devices makes two sessions, and the list does not show names.
Sessions and time per page count only after the recipient agrees, on the PDF page, that your company may see how long they read its documents. Until they answer, and after a refusal, HawkOpen measures nothing, shows you no session and keeps no IP address.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I see which page of my PDF someone spent the most time on?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/which-pdf-page-read-longest), [Can I see which person opened my PDF, or why does it show an anonymous viewer?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-who-opened-which-person)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can a PDF link expire or have a view limit, and what does the viewer see then?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-link-expiry-and-view-limit
Yes, on the Business plan: you can set an expiry date and a maximum number of views for a PDF link and change them later. After the date or the limit, the viewer sees a page saying that the link has expired or that the view limit was reached.
On every plan, each recipient’s access ends after at most 7 days, and you can revoke it sooner.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I revoke a PDF link after sending, or replace the file behind it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-revoke-or-replace-link), [Can I protect a PDF link with a password or require an email before viewing?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-access-code-instead-of-password), [How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/how-to-track-pdf-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I protect a PDF link with a password or require an email before viewing?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-access-code-instead-of-password
HawkOpen uses a one-time code instead of a password. You give access to a specific email address; when that person opens the link, HawkOpen emails them an 8-digit code, and the document opens only after they enter it.
The code is valid for 10 minutes and allows 5 attempts. The viewer does not type in an address: the code always goes to the address you entered, so someone who receives a forwarded link cannot open it without access to that mailbox. HawkOpen does not add a password to the PDF file itself.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Does the recipient need an account to view my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#recipient-needs-account-for-pdf), [Can I see whether my PDF link was forwarded to someone else?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-link-forwarded), [Can a PDF link expire or have a view limit, and what does the viewer see then?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-link-expiry-and-view-limit)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does the recipient need an account to view my PDF?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#recipient-needs-account-for-pdf
No. The recipient opens the link in an ordinary web browser, enters the one-time code that HawkOpen emails to them, and reads the document. They do not install anything or create an account.
The viewer works in the browser on phones as well as computers.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I protect a PDF link with a password or require an email before viewing?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-access-code-instead-of-password), [Does the PDF viewer work on a phone?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-mobile-viewing)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I see which person opened my PDF, or why does it show an anonymous viewer?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-who-opened-which-person
Not by name. For visits the recipient agreed to have measured, the session list shows when each viewing session happened, how long it lasted, the IP address and the browser. Because access is given per email address and confirmed with a code sent there, a viewer must have had access to one of the mailboxes you chose.
To tell recipients apart, share the document with one recipient at a time. Even then a session shows that someone with access to that mailbox opened the document, not who was at the screen.
Sessions and time per page count only after the recipient agrees, on the PDF page, that your company may see how long they read its documents. Until they answer, and after a refusal, HawkOpen measures nothing, shows you no session and keeps no IP address.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I see repeat visits when someone reopens my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-sessions-and-re-reads), [Can I see whether my PDF link was forwarded to someone else?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-link-forwarded)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I see whether my PDF link was forwarded to someone else?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-link-forwarded
For PDF links, HawkOpen does not mark forwarding. A forwarded PDF link is of little use anyway: the one-time code goes to the address you gave access to, not to the person who received the forward. Proposal links do mark a view as forwarded.
On a proposal link, a view counts as forwarded when someone confirms a different email address, and as likely forwarded when it comes from a new device and network without confirmation.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I see which person opened my PDF, or why does it show an anonymous viewer?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-who-opened-which-person), [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal), [Can I protect a PDF link with a password or require an email before viewing?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-access-code-instead-of-password)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I block downloading of a shared PDF, and how do I share it securely?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-allow-or-block-download
A PDF link has no download switch: the viewer shows the document in the browser, and what a browser can display it can usually also save. On proposal links, downloading is off unless you allow it, and while it is off a watermark is on by default.
To share a PDF as safely as HawkOpen allows: give access only to the addresses that need it (each confirms a one-time code), set an expiry date, a view limit and a watermark on the Business plan, and revoke access or delete the document when it is no longer needed. Nothing stops a reader from taking screenshots.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I add a watermark to a shared PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-watermark), [Can I revoke a PDF link after sending, or replace the file behind it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-revoke-or-replace-link), [Can I protect a PDF link with a password or require an email before viewing?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-access-code-instead-of-password)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen record when someone tries to print my document?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-print-attempts
On proposal links, yes: a print attempt in the viewer is recorded in the proposal’s report, together with whether downloading was allowed. Ordinary PDF links do not record printing.
A recorded attempt shows that the print command was used in the viewer, not that paper came out of a printer.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal), [Can I block downloading of a shared PDF, and how do I share it securely?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-allow-or-block-download)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I add a watermark to a shared PDF?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-watermark
Yes, on the Business plan. The viewer then shows a faint diagonal text over the pages with the viewing session’s ID, the date and time and the word HawkOpen. The PDF file itself is not changed.
The watermark helps trace a screenshot back to a viewing session; it does not prevent screenshots. You cannot set your own watermark text.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I block downloading of a shared PDF, and how do I share it securely?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-allow-or-block-download), [Can a PDF link expire or have a view limit, and what does the viewer see then?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-link-expiry-and-view-limit)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I revoke a PDF link after sending, or replace the file behind it?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-revoke-or-replace-link
You can revoke one recipient’s access or delete the whole document, and the link stops working. You cannot swap the file behind an existing link: upload the new version and send a new link.
Deleting a document also deletes its viewing sessions and statistics, so note what you need first. On the Business plan you can instead let the link expire on a date you choose.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can a PDF link expire or have a view limit, and what does the viewer see then?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-link-expiry-and-view-limit), [Can I compare views across versions of a document?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-multiple-versions)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Will I be notified when someone views my PDF?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-notify-when-viewed
On the Business plan, yes: switch on email alerts for PDFs in your settings and HawkOpen emails you for each new viewing session that the recipient agreed to have measured on the PDF page. The setting is off by default. On other plans you see those sessions in the dashboard.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/how-to-track-pdf-opens), [Can I see repeat visits when someone reopens my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-sessions-and-re-reads)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I show my own logo or brand on the PDF viewer?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-custom-branding
Not today. The PDF viewer is a HawkOpen page with the HawkOpen name in its header, and you cannot replace it with your own logo or colours.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Does the recipient need an account to view my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#recipient-needs-account-for-pdf), [Can I add a watermark to a shared PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-watermark)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Which file formats can I share: Word, PowerPoint, OpenDocument?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#supported-document-formats
PDF links and signature requests accept PDF files only. Proposal links also accept Word, PowerPoint and OpenDocument files and images, which HawkOpen converts to PDF.
Limits: 10 MB for a PDF link; 25 MB and 300 pages for a proposal. To share a Word or PowerPoint file as a PDF link, save it as PDF first.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [What is the maximum PDF size, and is there a page limit?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-file-size-and-page-limit), [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why do my document views and link clicks look inflated?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#inflated-deck-views-and-link-clicks
Security scanners and link previews open links before people do, and many tools count those as views or clicks. HawkOpen labels likely scanner clicks in emails instead of counting them as people, and its PDF, video and signing pages ask for a one-time code that scanners cannot enter.
On a PDF, time on a page counts only after the recipient agrees to the measuring on the PDF page, and then only while the tab is visible and focused, the page is at least half in view and someone was active in the last 30 seconds, so a tab left open in the background adds no time.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I see which page of my PDF someone spent the most time on?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/which-pdf-page-read-longest), [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is a DocSend link phishing, and why do company firewalls block document links?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#docsend-link-phishing-or-firewall
HawkOpen cannot judge another company’s links. Document-sharing links are often blocked by company filters because attackers imitate them; check the sender and the real address of the link before entering anything.
HawkOpen document links ask only for a one-time code sent to the recipient’s email; they never ask for a password. If a company filter blocks them, the recipient’s IT team can check the link, or you can send the file as an attachment instead.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Is HawkOpen an alternative to DocSend for sharing and tracking documents?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/docsend-alternatives), [Can I protect a PDF link with a password or require an email before viewing?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-access-code-instead-of-password)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is document analysis in HawkOpen, and does it read scanned documents?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#document-intelligence
On the Business plan, HawkOpen can read the text inside a PDF, sort the document as an invoice, contract or proposal by keywords, and list possible email addresses, dates, amounts and reference numbers. It does not read scans or handwriting: there is no OCR.
The result is a suggestion from fixed rules, not a reading by artificial intelligence or a legal assessment, and every result lists its limitations. A scanned PDF without a text layer gives almost nothing.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Which file formats can I share: Word, PowerPoint, OpenDocument?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#supported-document-formats), [How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/how-to-track-pdf-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I track PDF views or downloads in Google Analytics?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-downloads-google-analytics
Not with HawkOpen. Its PDF viewer sends no data to Google Analytics; views and time per page, measured only with the recipient’s consent, appear only in your HawkOpen dashboard.
Google Analytics can count downloads of a PDF hosted on your own website, which is a different setup. Tracked links in HawkOpen emails keep their UTM parameters, so visits to your website can still be measured there. For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Do HawkOpen tracked links work with Google Analytics and UTM parameters?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/track-email-link-clicks-in-google-analytics), [How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/how-to-track-pdf-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I organize PDF links in folders or with tags?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-folder-organization
No. Your PDFs appear in one list with their title, creation date, expiry, view limit and watermark setting; there are no folders or tags.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/how-to-track-pdf-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I compare views across versions of a document?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-multiple-versions
No. A PDF link always shows the file you uploaded, and you cannot add a new version to it. Upload the new version as a separate document; each has its own sessions and page statistics, which you can compare yourself.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can I revoke a PDF link after sending, or replace the file behind it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-revoke-or-replace-link), [Can I see which page of my PDF someone spent the most time on?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/which-pdf-page-read-longest)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does the PDF viewer work on a phone?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-mobile-viewing
Yes. The viewer is a web page that adapts to narrow screens, so the recipient reads the document in their phone’s browser without an app. Time per page is measured the same way as on a computer, and likewise only after the recipient agrees to it on the PDF page.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Does the recipient need an account to view my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#recipient-needs-account-for-pdf)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Why can recipients not see files I added to a shared folder later?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#shared-folder-new-files-not-visible
HawkOpen does not share folders, so this does not come up in HawkOpen; in folder-sharing services it usually depends on how the folder was shared, so check that service’s help. In HawkOpen every PDF has its own link, and a document added later needs its own access.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [Can HawkOpen show who viewed a document I shared on Google Drive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/who-viewed-my-shared-google-drive-doc), [Can I organize PDF links in folders or with tags?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-folder-organization)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What are video messages in HawkOpen, and which plans include them?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#video-messages-feature
A video message is a short video that you upload and send as a HawkOpen link; if the recipient agrees to it on the video page, you then see whether and how much of it was watched. Video messages are part of the Pro and Business plans.
You upload an MP4 or WebM file of up to 50 MB; each user can keep up to 20 videos. Each recipient gets access for their own email address and confirms it with a one-time code.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [What does HawkOpen measure when someone watches my video?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#video-engagement-measured), [Why can I not upload a PDF, video or document for signature yet?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/why-can-i-not-upload-files-yet), [What is the difference between PDF links and video links in HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-and-video-links-compared)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What does HawkOpen measure when someone watches my video?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#video-engagement-measured
Once the recipient agrees on the video page, HawkOpen records for each viewing session the watch time, the share of the video actually played and whether it was watched to the end (at least 95%). Skipping ahead does not count as watching.
For each video you see the sessions, the average share watched and the number of complete views. A session shows that the video played in a browser, not that someone paid attention.
Watching counts only after the recipient agrees, on the video page, that your company may see how long they watch its documents. Until they answer, and after a refusal, HawkOpen measures nothing, shows you no session and keeps no IP address.
For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [What are video messages in HawkOpen, and which plans include them?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#video-messages-feature), [What is the difference between PDF links and video links in HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-and-video-links-compared)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is the difference between PDF links and video links in HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#pdf-and-video-links-compared
Both share a file as a link with per-recipient access and a one-time code, and both measure only after the recipient agrees on the page. A PDF link records time on each page (all plans; Business adds expiry, view limit and watermark); a video link records watch time, share watched and complete views (Pro and Business).
Size limits: PDF up to 10 MB; video MP4 or WebM up to 50 MB. For now this is a preview: HawkOpen accepts files only once external file scanning is switched on, and it is not switched on yet.
Related questions: [What are video messages in HawkOpen, and which plans include them?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs#video-messages-feature), [How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/how-to-track-pdf-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-12
## Security
What HawkOpen can access, what it checks, and which security steps are still open before full release.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security
### Is an email tracker extension safe to use?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/is-email-tracker-extension-safe
Check what a tool can access and who runs the service behind it. HawkOpen has not had an independent security assessment yet; it is still an open step before full release, so HawkOpen makes no certification claims.
Access: Gmail and Outlook connect through Google or Microsoft sign-in, so you do not give HawkOpen your password for them. For Gmail, Google’s permission needed for IMAP and SMTP is full access to your mail; Outlook connects with IMAP and SMTP permissions. Other mailboxes connect with their own IMAP and SMTP login.
What HawkOpen reads: reply detection reads the headers of unread messages, such as sender, subject and reply identifiers, not the message text.
Files: HawkOpen refuses uploaded files until an external malware scan is switched on, so PDF, video and e-signature are a preview for now.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen have security certifications?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/does-hawkopen-have-security-certifications), [Does HawkOpen read the content of my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/does-hawkopen-read-my-emails)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen have security certifications?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/does-hawkopen-have-security-certifications
No. HawkOpen has no independent security certification or audit report yet, and it does not claim one. An independent security assessment is still an open step before full release.
What you can check yourself instead: evidence reports carry an Ed25519 signature that anyone can verify against HawkOpen’s published public key, and file uploads stay closed until external malware scanning is switched on.
HawkOpen is in a controlled launch, and no assessment will be named here before one has actually taken place.
Related questions: [Is an email tracker extension safe to use?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/is-email-tracker-extension-safe), [In which country or region is my data stored?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/where-is-my-data-stored)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How does HawkOpen encrypt my data?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-is-my-data-encrypted
HawkOpen encrypts its application secrets, such as access to connected mailboxes, and stored document files with AES-256-GCM. Production key management is still an open step before full release.
HawkOpen does not present this as a certification. An independent security assessment and database-level separation of customers are also still open steps, and they will be named only once they are done.
Related questions: [Can other HawkOpen customers see my tracking data or documents?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#can-other-customers-see-my-data), [Does HawkOpen have security certifications?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/does-hawkopen-have-security-certifications)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can other HawkOpen customers see my tracking data or documents?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#can-other-customers-see-my-data
HawkOpen’s application code keeps each account’s data separate, so another customer’s account does not show your messages, events or documents. Separation at database level is still an open step before full release.
People outside HawkOpen open your shared documents only through their own link; in production a PDF, video or signing link also asks for an 8-digit code that HawkOpen sends to their email address, and a proposal link asks for it when you switch on email verification. No independent assessment has checked this separation yet.
Related questions: [How does HawkOpen encrypt my data?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-is-my-data-encrypted), [How does a recipient prove they may open my PDF or proposal link?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-do-recipients-unlock-a-shared-document)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Why does HawkOpen ask for full access to my Gmail or Outlook mailbox?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#why-does-hawkopen-need-full-mailbox-access
Because Google offers only one permission for IMAP and SMTP, and it covers the whole mailbox. HawkOpen uses that connection to send your emails, detect replies and show your mail in its inbox; Outlook connects with IMAP and SMTP permissions.
Reply detection reads only the headers of unread messages, not their text. The browser extension works on the web pages of Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo Mail.
When you remove a mailbox in HawkOpen, HawkOpen also asks Google or Microsoft to withdraw its access. You can check and remove app access in your Google or Microsoft account settings at any time.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen read the content of my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/does-hawkopen-read-my-emails), [Is an email tracker extension safe to use?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/is-email-tracker-extension-safe)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is opening a tracked email a security risk?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#is-email-tracking-a-security-risk
A tracking pixel is an ordinary tiny image, so loading it does not run code on your device. The risk is to privacy, not to security: it tells the sender that the image was loaded.
Real dangers in email usually come from attachments and links from people you do not know, not from opening the message. HawkOpen tracks a recipient only with that recipient’s consent for the sending company; a tracked email ends with the notice “This message contains HawkOpen tracking elements.” and the link “Do not track my activity”, which refuses tracking by that company as soon as the recipient opens it. Switching off automatic image loading in your mail app also stops tracking images. The notice and a later opt-out do not replace consent.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How do I block email tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/detect-block/how-to-block-email-tracking), [How can a recipient turn off HawkOpen tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/how-can-a-recipient-turn-off-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How does HawkOpen scan uploaded PDFs and videos for malware?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-are-uploaded-files-scanned-for-malware
Every uploaded file must pass an external malware scan before HawkOpen stores it, and without that scanning service HawkOpen refuses uploads. The scanning service is not switched on yet, so PDF, video and e-signature uploads are refused for now.
The same check guards PDF links, proposals, video and e-signature, so none of them accepts files until the scanning service is connected and reviewed. That is why these features are still a preview.
Related questions: [Why can I not upload a PDF, video or document for signature yet?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/why-can-i-not-upload-files-yet), [How does HawkOpen encrypt my data?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-is-my-data-encrypted)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How does a recipient prove they may open my PDF or proposal link?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-do-recipients-unlock-a-shared-document
With a one-time code: HawkOpen sends an 8-digit code to the recipient’s email address, valid for 10 minutes. In production a PDF, video or signing link always asks for it before the document opens; a proposal link asks for it before opening only when you switch on email verification, and always before the client accepts, signs or takes another action.
This shows that the person can read that mailbox, so a forwarded link alone does not open a document that asks for the code. You can also give a link an expiry date and a limit on views.
Related questions: [How can I see whether someone opened my PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/how-to-track-pdf-opens), [Can other HawkOpen customers see my tracking data or documents?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#can-other-customers-see-my-data)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Are HawkOpen webhooks signed so I can verify them?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#are-hawkopen-webhooks-signed
Yes. On the Business plan each webhook delivery carries an X-HawkOpen-Signature header, an HMAC signature made with your endpoint’s secret, so your server can check that the message came from HawkOpen and was not changed.
Webhooks report events such as opens, clicks, replies, bounces, unsubscribes and due reminders. Keep the endpoint secret private, and reject any delivery whose signature does not match.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen integrate with my CRM, such as Pipedrive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-integrate-with-a-crm)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How can I sign in to HawkOpen, and does it support passkeys or two-factor login?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-do-i-sign-in-to-hawkopen
You sign in with your email address and password, or with a passkey that you have added in your account. HawkOpen has no separate code from an authenticator app or text message; a passkey is the stronger option.
A passkey uses your device’s fingerprint, face or screen lock instead of a password, and you can remove a passkey from your account later. Repeated wrong passwords are slowed down and can lock the account for a while.
Related questions: [What can I do if I lose access to my HawkOpen account?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#what-if-i-lose-access-to-my-account), [How does HawkOpen protect my account against password guessing?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-does-hawkopen-stop-password-guessing)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What can I do if I lose access to my HawkOpen account?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#what-if-i-lose-access-to-my-account
If you forgot your password, use “Forgot password” on the sign-in page: HawkOpen emails a reset link that works for one hour. If you can no longer use the email address of the account, write to HawkOpen through the contact details on its Terms / Imprint page.
Add a passkey while you still have access: it lets you sign in without the password.
Related questions: [How can I sign in to HawkOpen, and does it support passkeys or two-factor login?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-do-i-sign-in-to-hawkopen), [Can I see where I am signed in and sign out other sessions?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#see-and-sign-out-my-sessions)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I see where I am signed in and sign out other sessions?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#see-and-sign-out-my-sessions
Yes. Your account settings list your own signed-in sessions, and you can sign out the ones you do not recognise. To change a password you have forgotten or want to replace, use the reset link from the sign-in page.
If you see a session you do not recognise, sign it out, then set a new password and check the passkeys in your account.
Related questions: [How can I sign in to HawkOpen, and does it support passkeys or two-factor login?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-do-i-sign-in-to-hawkopen), [What can I do if I lose access to my HawkOpen account?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#what-if-i-lose-access-to-my-account)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How does HawkOpen protect my account against password guessing?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-does-hawkopen-stop-password-guessing
HawkOpen allows at most 10 sign-in attempts in 5 minutes from one network, and after 5 wrong passwords in a row it locks the account for 15 minutes. A locked account gets the same answer as a wrong password, so an attacker cannot tell the difference.
If you are locked out, wait 15 minutes or reset your password. A passkey avoids password guessing altogether.
Related questions: [How can I sign in to HawkOpen, and does it support passkeys or two-factor login?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-do-i-sign-in-to-hawkopen)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen use secure headers and a content security policy?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#does-hawkopen-use-security-headers
Yes. HawkOpen’s server sends a content security policy with its responses: data responses allow no content and no framing, and pages run only scripts and styles marked with a one-time value for that response.
No external test result of these headers is published, and an independent security assessment is still an open step before full release.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen have security certifications?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/does-hawkopen-have-security-certifications)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen check my outgoing emails for sensitive data or dangerous attachments?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#does-hawkopen-check-outgoing-emails
For campaigns, yes. Before a campaign goes out HawkOpen runs a content check: it blocks a campaign with a valid payment card number or an executable or macro attachment, and it warns about things such as a national ID number, which you can then confirm. A single email sent from the dashboard or the browser extension is not checked.
The check looks for known patterns only; it is not a guarantee that nothing sensitive leaves your mailbox. If a campaign is blocked, remove the card number or the attachment and create it again.
Related questions: [How does HawkOpen encrypt my data?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-is-my-data-encrypted)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen offer single sign-on, SCIM or an audit log for teams?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#sso-scim-and-audit-log-for-teams
Not as standard features yet. Company single sign-on (SAML or OIDC) and SCIM user provisioning are not switched on in HawkOpen, and there is no published audit-log view for team administrators.
HawkOpen does keep security and audit records as part of running the service, as its privacy page says. Each person on a team signs in with their own email and password or passkey.
Related questions: [How can I sign in to HawkOpen, and does it support passkeys or two-factor login?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-do-i-sign-in-to-hawkopen), [Does HawkOpen have security certifications?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/does-hawkopen-have-security-certifications)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I report a security vulnerability in HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security#how-to-report-a-security-vulnerability
Write to HawkOpen through the contact details on its Terms / Imprint page. HawkOpen has not published a formal disclosure policy or a bug bounty programme yet.
Describe the problem, the steps to reproduce it and what you could reach. Please do not access other people’s data or disrupt the service while testing.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen have security certifications?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/does-hawkopen-have-security-certifications)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Your data
What HawkOpen reads in your mailbox, which data it handles and where it is stored.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy
### Does HawkOpen read the content of my emails?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/does-hawkopen-read-my-emails
Yes, as far as the functions you use need it: HawkOpen’s software sends your emails, adds tracking where it is switched on, checks incoming mail for replies and, if you read mail in HawkOpen’s inbox, loads your messages to show them to you. Reply detection itself reads only the headers of unread messages, such as sender, subject and reply identifiers, not the message text.
To do this HawkOpen needs access to your mailbox. Gmail connects with Google’s full mail permission, the one Google requires for IMAP and SMTP; Outlook connects with IMAP and SMTP permissions; other mailboxes with their own IMAP and SMTP login.
The privacy page lists the data HawkOpen may handle depending on the features you use, such as message and recipient metadata, open and click observations, replies and documents you submit. The account privacy tools let the account owner export or delete account data.
Related questions: [In which country or region is my data stored?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/where-is-my-data-stored), [Is an email tracker extension safe to use?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/is-email-tracker-extension-safe)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### In which country or region is my data stored?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/where-is-my-data-stored
The draft data processing agreement (DPA) that every customer accepts names the European Union as the place of storage: Amazon Web Services, region eu-south-2 in Spain. It is still a draft awaiting legal review, and its list of sub-processors is marked as to be confirmed before publication.
HawkOpen is made by TriStiX S.L., a company in Spain. The public privacy page does not name the hosting region yet; it says the final list of providers, the hosting region and the transfer safeguards will be published before the production services are switched on.
If the hosting location matters for your contracts, read the draft DPA in the app before you connect a mailbox, and wait for the final version if you need a confirmed one.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen read the content of my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/does-hawkopen-read-my-emails), [Does HawkOpen have security certifications?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/does-hawkopen-have-security-certifications)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What personal data does HawkOpen store, and does it keep the text of my emails?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#what-personal-data-does-hawkopen-store
Depending on the features you use: account and mailbox connection data, message and recipient data, classified opens and clicks, replies, campaign outcomes, documents you submit, and security and audit records. HawkOpen’s server also receives the full text of each email it tracks or sends, because it builds the tracked copy from it.
HawkOpen has not published one retention period for all of this; it depends on the type of data, the plan and legal or audit limits. The account owner can download or delete the account data with the account privacy tools.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen read the content of my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/does-hawkopen-read-my-emails), [How long does HawkOpen keep my data, including after I cancel?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#how-long-does-hawkopen-keep-my-data), [Can I export all my data from HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#export-my-hawkopen-data)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I export all my data from HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#export-my-hawkopen-data
Yes. The account owner can download an export of the account data as a file from the account privacy tools.
The file is in JSON, a structured text format that other programs can read. People who received your emails have their own privacy page, where they can download the tracking data about their address.
Related questions: [How do I delete my HawkOpen account and my data?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#delete-my-hawkopen-account), [How can a recipient see the tracking data about them or have it erased?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#how-can-a-recipient-get-or-erase-their-tracking-data)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I delete my HawkOpen account and my data?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#delete-my-hawkopen-account
Request deletion in the account privacy tools: confirm with your password and the phrase DELETE MY ACCOUNT. HawkOpen deletes the account after a waiting period of at most 30 days, and you can cancel the request until then.
Before that, cancel an active subscription and hand over the ownership of any team you own. Records that must be kept for legal or audit reasons can limit what is deleted.
The browser extension is removed on your browser’s extensions page. Removing a connected mailbox in HawkOpen also asks Google or Microsoft to withdraw HawkOpen’s access.
Related questions: [Can I export all my data from HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#export-my-hawkopen-data), [How long does HawkOpen keep my data, including after I cancel?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#how-long-does-hawkopen-keep-my-data), [How do I cancel my HawkOpen subscription?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-do-i-cancel-my-subscription)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen use my data to train AI models?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#is-my-data-used-to-train-ai
No. HawkOpen’s code does not train AI models and does not send your data to external AI services. Open and click verdicts come from fixed, named rules, and document analysis is plain text extraction with fixed rules.
Each verdict lists the codes of the rules that produced it, so you can see why an event was classified the way it was.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen sell or share my data, or use it for advertising?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#does-hawkopen-sell-or-share-my-data), [What personal data does HawkOpen store, and does it keep the text of my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#what-personal-data-does-hawkopen-store)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen sell or share my data, or use it for advertising?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#does-hawkopen-sell-or-share-my-data
HawkOpen’s privacy page lists what its code uses data for: the product functions you request, account administration, security, fraud prevention, diagnostics and privacy requests. Selling data and advertising are not among them, and HawkOpen’s public pages set no advertising cookies.
Like any online service, HawkOpen relies on service providers to run it. The final list of those providers, the hosting region and the safeguards for data transfers will be published before the production services are switched on.
Related questions: [Which subprocessors does HawkOpen use?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#which-subprocessors-does-hawkopen-use), [Does HawkOpen use my data to train AI models?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#is-my-data-used-to-train-ai)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen use cookies on its website?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#does-hawkopen-use-cookies
The public pages, legal pages and the signature generator set no analytics or advertising cookies. After you sign in, HawkOpen uses a secure session cookie to keep you signed in.
The signature generator works inside your browser and does not send what you type to HawkOpen. If you block the session cookie, you cannot stay signed in.
Related questions: [What is the difference between a tracking pixel and a cookie?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/tracking-pixel-vs-cookie), [Does HawkOpen sell or share my data, or use it for advertising?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#does-hawkopen-sell-or-share-my-data)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I get a data processing agreement (DPA) with HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#can-i-get-a-data-processing-agreement
Yes. A data processing agreement (DPA, Article 28 GDPR) is one of the contract documents every customer accepts, on every plan, with one tick box together with the Terms, the Privacy Policy and the Message Tracking Terms; tracking stays locked until the current version is accepted. The DPA is still a draft awaiting legal review and is marked as such.
The draft names you as controller and HawkOpen’s operator, TriStiX S.L., as processor, and it states the place of storage (AWS region eu-south-2, Spain) and the sub-processors, marked as to be confirmed before publication. There is still no independent security assessment or penetration test summary. If your company needs the final version or these documents before connecting a mailbox, wait for them or ask HawkOpen through the contact details on its Terms / Imprint page.
Related questions: [Which subprocessors does HawkOpen use?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#which-subprocessors-does-hawkopen-use), [In which country or region is my data stored?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/where-is-my-data-stored), [What must a company do when it uses an email tracking tool: privacy notice, consent, contract with the provider?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu#what-must-a-company-do-when-using-a-tracking-tool)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Which subprocessors does HawkOpen use?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#which-subprocessors-does-hawkopen-use
The draft data processing agreement (DPA) that every customer accepts lists them: Amazon Web Services EMEA SARL (hosting, database, file storage and system email, region eu-south-2 in Spain), Cloudflare (DNS and protection of all public addresses, including tracking requests) and Stripe Payments Europe (payments). The draft marks this list as to be confirmed before publication.
The DPA is still a draft awaiting legal review, and the public privacy page does not name these providers yet. If this matters for your contracts, read the draft DPA in the app before you connect a mailbox, and wait for the final version if you need a confirmed list.
Related questions: [In which country or region is my data stored?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/where-is-my-data-stored), [Can I get a data processing agreement (DPA) with HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#can-i-get-a-data-processing-agreement)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How long does HawkOpen keep my data, including after I cancel?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#how-long-does-hawkopen-keep-my-data
HawkOpen has not published one retention period: it depends on the type of data, the plan, the account’s configuration and legal or audit limits. If you delete your account, HawkOpen erases it after a waiting period of at most 30 days.
Cancelling a subscription does not delete the account: the account moves to the Free plan. To have the data erased, request account deletion in the account privacy tools.
Related questions: [How do I delete my HawkOpen account and my data?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#delete-my-hawkopen-account), [What personal data does HawkOpen store, and does it keep the text of my emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#what-personal-data-does-hawkopen-store)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Which law governs the HawkOpen contract, and where are disputes heard?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#which-law-governs-hawkopen-terms
Spanish law, under the draft Terms of Service that every customer accepts (still awaiting legal review). For business customers the Spanish courts named in the Terms have exclusive jurisdiction; consumers keep the protection of the mandatory rules of their country and may sue and be sued in the courts where they live. HawkOpen is operated by TriStiX S.L., a company in Spain.
Mandatory consumer rights, such as the 14-day right of withdrawal in the EU, apply regardless of these clauses.
Only the English version of the Terms is binding; the versions in the other six languages are translations.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen have a service level agreement (SLA)?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#is-there-a-service-level-agreement), [Do I have a 14-day right to withdraw from a HawkOpen purchase in the EU or the UK?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/eu-14-day-withdrawal-right), [Where are HawkOpen’s privacy notice, terms and imprint, and are they final?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#where-are-hawkopen-legal-documents)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Where are HawkOpen’s privacy notice, terms and imprint, and are they final?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#where-are-hawkopen-legal-documents
The footer of every HawkOpen page links to Privacy, Terms / Imprint and Cookies, in English, Polish, German, Spanish and French. These pages describe the current controlled build; the production privacy notice will be reviewed for the final hosting, providers and countries before launch.
The website pages have no Portuguese or Italian version yet. The contract documents every customer accepts in the app (Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, data processing agreement and Message Tracking Terms) are drafts awaiting legal review, available in all seven languages; only the English version is binding. The legal pages also name the operator and its VAT ID.
Related questions: [Which company operates HawkOpen, and where is it based?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#who-operates-hawkopen), [Which law governs the HawkOpen contract, and where are disputes heard?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#which-law-governs-hawkopen-terms)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does HawkOpen have a service level agreement (SLA)?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#is-there-a-service-level-agreement
No. HawkOpen has not published a service level agreement or an uptime guarantee. The draft Terms say HawkOpen does not guarantee uninterrupted operation unless a separate service level is agreed for a paid plan, and the Free plan comes without a guaranteed availability level.
HawkOpen is in a controlled launch, so plan for occasional interruptions and keep your original emails in your own mailbox.
Related questions: [Which law governs the HawkOpen contract, and where are disputes heard?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#which-law-governs-hawkopen-terms)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Which company operates HawkOpen, and where is it based?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#who-operates-hawkopen
HawkOpen is made and operated by TriStiX S.L., a company in Spain. Its VAT ID is shown in the footer of every HawkOpen page.
The company’s registered details are on the Terms / Imprint page. Where the company is based does not say where the data is stored; the hosting region is not published yet.
Related questions: [In which country or region is my data stored?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/where-is-my-data-stored), [Where are HawkOpen’s privacy notice, terms and imprint, and are they final?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy#where-are-hawkopen-legal-documents)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Setup and sending
Getting started and installing the extension, sending and scheduling tracked emails, templates and signatures, launch status and languages, and why an email may not be tracked.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup
### Why is my email not being tracked?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup/why-is-my-email-not-tracked
The most common reasons are that your company has not switched tracking on (only its owner or an administrator can, after accepting the Message Tracking Terms) or that the recipient has no recorded consent for your company: without one, HawkOpen sends an ordinary email. The email may also not have gone through HawkOpen, for example with the extension off or with several recipients. On the Free plan links stop being tracked after 10 emails a month, but opens are still tracked.
HawkOpen can only track an email to which it added its own tracking image and links before sending. That happens when you send from Gmail, Outlook on the web or Yahoo Mail with the extension switched on and signed in, from the HawkOpen dashboard, or in a campaign. An email written in another app, for example the mail app on your phone, has no tracking elements, so HawkOpen never sees it.
Tracking is off for every company until its owner or an administrator switches it on, either for every message or only for the messages and campaigns where the sender switches it on. Even then HawkOpen tracks a recipient only when a consent of that person for your company is recorded, separately for opens and for links; without it, the copy has no tracking image and no tracked links.
Then check: the extension is installed and connected; you have accepted the current contract documents (the data processing agreement and the Message Tracking Terms); the tracking switch was on for that email; the email had one recipient (for several people, send from the dashboard or a campaign so each person gets a separate email); tracking was not switched off for that message or campaign; the recipient is not excluded by your own rules and has not refused tracking.
An open is recorded only when the recipient’s mail app loads images. Some mail services load images through their own proxy; HawkOpen records those too, with a label that says so, rather than as human activity.
Related questions: [How do I see which of several recipients opened my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/see-who-read-an-email-sent-to-several-people), [Can I schedule a tracked email from my phone?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup/schedule-a-tracked-email-from-your-phone), [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include), [Why am I not getting notifications when my email is opened?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#not-getting-open-notifications)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I schedule a tracked email from my phone?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup/schedule-a-tracked-email-from-your-phone
Not from a phone app: HawkOpen has no mobile app. Scheduled sending is in the HawkOpen dashboard on the Pro and Business plans, and the email leaves at the chosen time from your connected mailbox.
Scheduling in the Gmail or Outlook app on your phone uses that app’s own feature. HawkOpen does not add tracking to an email sent that way, so it is not tracked.
To schedule a tracked email, write it in the HawkOpen dashboard, pick the date and time, and confirm. It is sent through the Gmail, Outlook or IMAP/SMTP mailbox you connected. The browser extension sends right away and does not schedule.
The Free plan does not include scheduled sends; they start with Pro.
Related questions: [Why is my email not being tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup/why-is-my-email-not-tracked), [How much does HawkOpen cost?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-much-does-hawkopen-cost)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I install the HawkOpen extension in Chrome?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#install-the-chrome-extension
Add the HawkOpen extension to Chrome, pin it to the toolbar and sign in to your HawkOpen account in it. Then open Gmail, Outlook on the web or Yahoo Mail and write a new email: the extension adds a tracking switch to it.
HawkOpen is in a controlled launch and its site does not link to a Chrome Web Store page yet. Until it does, you can send tracked emails from the HawkOpen dashboard, which works without the extension. The Chrome version is also meant for Edge, Brave and Opera.
Related questions: [Is the HawkOpen extension in the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#is-the-extension-in-the-chrome-web-store), [Does the HawkOpen extension work in Edge, Brave and Opera?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#extension-in-edge-brave-and-opera), [The HawkOpen extension does not show in Gmail. What should I check?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#extension-not-showing-in-gmail)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is there a HawkOpen extension for Firefox, and which version do I need?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#install-the-firefox-extension
Yes. HawkOpen has a separate Firefox version that needs Firefox 109 or later. Once added and signed in, it works like the Chrome version in Gmail, Outlook on the web and Yahoo Mail.
The HawkOpen site does not link to a Firefox Add-ons page yet, because HawkOpen is in a controlled launch. If you use an older Firefox, update it first; the dashboard works in any current browser.
Related questions: [How do I install the HawkOpen extension in Chrome?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#install-the-chrome-extension), [Is the HawkOpen extension in the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#is-the-extension-in-the-chrome-web-store)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is the HawkOpen extension in the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#is-the-extension-in-the-chrome-web-store
Not yet. HawkOpen is in a controlled launch, and its site does not link to a store page for Chrome or Firefox. Until it does, you can send tracked emails from the HawkOpen dashboard through your connected mailbox, without the extension.
Be careful with extensions that use a similar name: install HawkOpen only from a link on the HawkOpen site once a store page is listed there.
Related questions: [How do I install the HawkOpen extension in Chrome?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#install-the-chrome-extension), [Is an email tracker extension safe to use?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/is-email-tracker-extension-safe), [Can I send tracked emails from the HawkOpen dashboard?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#send-tracked-emails-from-the-dashboard)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does the HawkOpen extension work in Edge, Brave and Opera?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#extension-in-edge-brave-and-opera
The Chrome version of the extension is meant for them too, because Edge, Brave and Opera accept Chrome extensions. HawkOpen does not publish separate test results for each of these browsers.
Privacy settings in Brave or Opera can block parts of webmail pages; if the tracking switch does not appear, allow the extension on the webmail site. The HawkOpen dashboard works in all of them.
Related questions: [How do I install the HawkOpen extension in Chrome?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#install-the-chrome-extension), [Is there a HawkOpen extension for Safari?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#safari-extension)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is there a HawkOpen extension for Safari?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#safari-extension
No. HawkOpen has extensions only for Chrome (also meant for Edge, Brave and Opera) and for Firefox. On a Mac you can use one of those browsers, or send tracked emails from the HawkOpen dashboard, which opens in Safari too.
HawkOpen has not announced a Safari version.
Related questions: [Does the HawkOpen extension work in Edge, Brave and Opera?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#extension-in-edge-brave-and-opera), [Can I track emails sent from Apple Mail, Thunderbird or another desktop mail app?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#track-apple-mail-or-thunderbird)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I send a tracked email with the extension, and what about CC and BCC?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#send-a-tracked-email-to-one-person
Write the email in Gmail, Outlook on the web or Yahoo Mail to one recipient, leave the tracking switch on and send. With the extension a tracked email can have only one recipient, so CC and BCC are not tracked: for several people, send from the HawkOpen dashboard, where each address gets its own email.
This is on purpose: one email to several people carries the same tracking image, so an open could not be tied to a person. If you add a second address while tracking is on, HawkOpen does not prepare tracking for that email; you can remove the extra addresses or switch tracking off for it.
The switch asks HawkOpen to prepare the email. It is tracked only if your company has switched tracking on for it and a consent of the recipient for your company is recorded; otherwise it goes out without a tracking image or tracked links.
Related questions: [How do I see which of several recipients opened my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/see-who-read-an-email-sent-to-several-people), [Can I send tracked emails from the HawkOpen dashboard?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#send-tracked-emails-from-the-dashboard), [How do I send the same email to many people separately instead of using BCC?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/send-the-same-email-to-many-people-separately)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I send tracked emails from the HawkOpen dashboard?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#send-tracked-emails-from-the-dashboard
Yes. Write the email in the dashboard, pick the connected mailbox it should go out from and add the recipients; each recipient gets a separate email, sent through your own mailbox; a recipient with a recorded consent for your company gets their own tracker, the others an ordinary email. This works with any connected mailbox, including one you otherwise use only in a desktop mail program.
On Pro and Business you can also pick a later send time. Emails from the dashboard cannot carry file attachments; share a link to the file instead.
Related questions: [How do I send a tracked email with the extension, and what about CC and BCC?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#send-a-tracked-email-to-one-person), [Can I schedule tracked emails to send later?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#schedule-tracked-emails-to-send-later), [How do I create and send an email campaign from Gmail or Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-to-run-an-email-campaign)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I send a test email to myself to see how tracking works?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#send-a-test-email-to-yourself
Yes, if tracking is switched on for your company and a consent is recorded for the test address, for example through a consent form link you create for it and confirm yourself. Send it to a second address of yours at another provider, not to the same mailbox. Wait a few minutes, then open it with images shown and click a link: you will see each event with its category, and early opens by your provider’s proxy or scanner labelled as such.
A click within seconds of sending counts towards a scanner, not towards human activity, so wait before you click. Looking at your own sent copy in your outbox can also load the image; HawkOpen does not count that as the recipient reading.
Related questions: [Why do I see an open when I look at my own sent email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/own-opens-notification), [Why does an open appear seconds after I send the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-open-appears-seconds-after-send), [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does tracking change how my email looks to the recipient?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#does-tracking-change-how-my-email-looks
Only a little, and only in the copy of a recipient whose consent for your company is recorded. The tracking image is a 1×1 pixel nobody sees, and links still show the same text but lead through a HawkOpen address first. What the recipient does see is a short notice at the end, “This message contains HawkOpen tracking elements.”, with the link “Do not track my activity”; on the Free plan there is also a short HawkOpen line in the footer.
Only links that start with https are passed through HawkOpen; other links stay exactly as written. If the recipient’s mail app shows the destination of a link, it may show the HawkOpen address instead of yours.
Every email HawkOpen sends or prepares, tracked or not, also ends with a short line with the link “Do not send me messages”.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen tracking notice at the bottom of an email say?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/what-does-the-tracking-notice-say), [What is an email tracking pixel?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/what-is-an-email-tracking-pixel), [What is link tracking, and how is a tracking link made or removed?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/link-tracking-what-is-and-how)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### The HawkOpen extension does not show in Gmail. What should I check?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#extension-not-showing-in-gmail
Check that you use Chrome or Firefox 109 or later (or Edge, Brave or Opera), that the extension is switched on and signed in to your HawkOpen account, and reload the Gmail tab. The tracking switch appears when you start a new email, not in the inbox list.
The extension finds its place in Gmail by the page layout, which Google can change and which other extensions or a customised layout can alter. Try switching other Gmail extensions off for a moment. If it still does not appear, send tracked emails from the HawkOpen dashboard in the meantime.
Related questions: [Why is my email not being tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup/why-is-my-email-not-tracked), [Does the HawkOpen extension conflict with other Gmail extensions?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#extension-conflicts-with-other-extensions), [How do I install the HawkOpen extension in Chrome?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#install-the-chrome-extension)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I switch tracking off for a single email, or have it off by default?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#turn-tracking-off-for-one-email
Yes. In the extension each new email has its own tracking switch, and in the extension options you choose whether new emails start with tracking on or off. In the HawkOpen dashboard each message and each campaign has its own switches for opens and for links. For the whole company tracking is off by default: only its owner or an administrator switches it on, for every message or only for those where the sender switches it on.
An email sent from the extension with tracking off goes out as you wrote it: HawkOpen does not touch it. A message or campaign sent from the dashboard with tracking off has no tracking image, tracked links or tracking notice, but like every email HawkOpen sends it ends with the line “Do not send me messages”. A switch in a single email cannot go beyond your company’s instruction: if the company does not measure opens, no email switch turns them on.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Why is my email not being tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup/why-is-my-email-not-tracked), [Can I exclude some recipients or countries from tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#exclude-recipients-or-countries-from-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I track plain-text emails, or do they have to be HTML?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#track-plain-text-emails
Tracking needs an HTML email. The open signal is a tiny image, and a plain-text email cannot carry an image; links are tracked only when they are real links in HTML. In a plain-text email neither works, but a reply is still a reply.
If Gmail or Outlook is set to plain-text mode, switch the new email back to normal (HTML) formatting before sending. A web address typed as plain text, without being a link, is not tracked even in an HTML email.
Related questions: [What is an email tracking pixel?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/what-is-an-email-tracking-pixel), [What happens if the recipient blocks images?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-if-recipient-blocks-images), [Why is my email not being tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup/why-is-my-email-not-tracked)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is there a HawkOpen status page or uptime guarantee?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#status-page-and-uptime
No. HawkOpen is in a controlled launch and has not published a status page or a service level (uptime) guarantee. Its terms say that service levels still have to be set before production sales.
If HawkOpen is unavailable, emails you write directly in your mail program are still sent by your provider, just without tracking.
Related questions: [Is HawkOpen publicly launched, or still in a controlled launch?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#is-hawkopen-publicly-launched), [How can I contact HawkOpen, and how fast is support?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#how-to-contact-hawkopen)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How can I contact HawkOpen, and how fast is support?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#how-to-contact-hawkopen
The operator of HawkOpen, TriStiX S.L., and its contact details are listed on the Terms / Imprint page linked at the bottom of the site. HawkOpen has not published support hours or a promised response time.
If you are signed in, the privacy tools in your account settings handle exports and deletion requests for your account directly.
Related questions: [Is there a HawkOpen status page or uptime guarantee?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#status-page-and-uptime), [Is HawkOpen publicly launched, or still in a controlled launch?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#is-hawkopen-publicly-launched)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is HawkOpen available in my country?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#is-hawkopen-available-in-my-country
HawkOpen has not published a list of countries. The site is in seven languages, prices are shown in euros and US dollars, and the operator is TriStiX S.L. in Spain. HawkOpen is in a controlled launch, so not every provider or feature is offered in production yet.
Local rules on tracking and on sending business email differ between countries; the legal topics of this FAQ describe the EU and US rules HawkOpen has looked at.
Related questions: [What are HawkOpen prices in US dollars?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/hawkopen-prices-in-us-dollars), [Which languages does HawkOpen support?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#which-languages-does-hawkopen-support), [In which country or region is my data stored?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/where-is-my-data-stored)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is HawkOpen publicly launched, or still in a controlled launch?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#is-hawkopen-publicly-launched
It is still in a controlled launch. Some steps remain before a full public launch, among them the file-scanning service that PDF, video and signature uploads need, and an independent security assessment. HawkOpen has not published a roadmap with dates.
Until the file-scanning service runs, PDF, video and signature workflows are previews. Each mailbox provider connection is also verified before it is offered in production.
Related questions: [Why can I not upload a PDF, video or document for signature yet?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/why-can-i-not-upload-files-yet), [Does HawkOpen have security certifications?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/does-hawkopen-have-security-certifications), [Is there a HawkOpen status page or uptime guarantee?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#status-page-and-uptime)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Which languages does HawkOpen support?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#which-languages-does-hawkopen-support
The website is in seven languages: English, Polish, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian. The app itself is in five of them: English, Polish, German, Spanish and French. The tracking notice in your emails and the pages for recipients are in all seven.
HawkOpen picks the language of the notice from the text of your email and uses English when it cannot tell. The tracking consent form and the e-signature emails are in the recipient’s language chosen when the link or request is created, otherwise in the sender’s dashboard language; without either, the consent form and the code email follow the recipient’s browser, and the other emails are in English. Portuguese and Italian for the app are not available yet.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen tracking notice at the bottom of an email say?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/what-does-the-tracking-notice-say), [Is HawkOpen available in my country?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#is-hawkopen-available-in-my-country)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is HawkOpen open source, or can I host it myself?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#is-hawkopen-open-source-or-self-hosted
No to both. HawkOpen’s code is not published as open source, and HawkOpen is offered only as a hosted service with the Free, Pro and Business plans; there is no version to install on your own server.
HawkOpen uses open-source components, which keep their own licences. If where data is stored matters to you, read the answer on data storage first.
Related questions: [In which country or region is my data stored?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/data-privacy/where-is-my-data-stored), [Does HawkOpen have security certifications?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/security/does-hawkopen-have-security-certifications)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is the HawkOpen website and dashboard accessible?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#is-hawkopen-accessible
HawkOpen has not published an accessibility statement or an audit against WCAG, so it makes no conformance claim. The public pages have basics such as a link that skips straight to the main content and a language set for each page.
If something on the site or in the app does not work with your assistive technology, the operator’s contact details are on the Terms / Imprint page.
Related questions: [How can I contact HawkOpen, and how fast is support?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#how-to-contact-hawkopen)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does tracking slow down sending my emails?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#does-tracking-slow-down-sending
Only by a moment. Before an email leaves, the extension asks HawkOpen to prepare it for that one recipient (with a tiny image and tracked links when that recipient is to be tracked), which usually takes a short moment. HawkOpen has not published speed measurements.
Whether tracking affects spam filtering is a separate question, answered in the deliverability topic.
Related questions: [Does open tracking hurt deliverability or send emails to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/does-open-tracking-hurt-deliverability)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How is the HawkOpen extension updated?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#how-is-the-extension-updated
Extensions installed from the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons are updated by the browser automatically. HawkOpen is not listed in those stores yet, and it has not published an update schedule.
If the extension misbehaves after a browser update, remove it, add it again and sign in; your tracked emails stay in your HawkOpen account.
Related questions: [Is the HawkOpen extension in the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#is-the-extension-in-the-chrome-web-store), [How do I install the HawkOpen extension in Chrome?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#install-the-chrome-extension)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I track emails with large attachments, and are there size limits?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#emails-with-large-attachments
HawkOpen tracks the email, not the attachment. With the extension you attach files in Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo as usual, and your provider’s size limits apply. Emails sent from the HawkOpen dashboard or in a campaign cannot carry file attachments at all; share a link instead.
Whether someone opened an attachment cannot be seen. HawkOpen’s tracked PDF links will show views once the file-scanning service is running; until then they are a preview.
Related questions: [Can I see if someone opened my email attachment?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/can-i-track-email-attachment-opens), [Why can I not upload a PDF, video or document for signature yet?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pdf-docs/why-can-i-not-upload-files-yet)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why do opens and clicks show up late?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#why-do-events-show-up-late
An open is recorded only when the recipient’s mail app loads the image, which can be long after the email arrived. Some providers load images through their own proxy at their own moment, and Apple Mail may load them in advance, so timing is not always the reading time. HawkOpen has not published a processing time.
Browser notifications appear only while the browser is running, and email or Teams alerts are held during your quiet hours.
Related questions: [Why does an open appear seconds after I send the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-open-appears-seconds-after-send), [Why am I not getting notifications when my email is opened?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#not-getting-open-notifications)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does the HawkOpen extension conflict with other Gmail extensions?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#extension-conflicts-with-other-extensions
It can happen. HawkOpen has not published a list of conflicting extensions, but other extensions that change Gmail’s writing window can hide or move the tracking switch. Switch them off one by one and reload Gmail to find the cause.
Two tracking extensions at once can also add two trackers to the same email; keep only one switched on for an email.
Related questions: [The HawkOpen extension does not show in Gmail. What should I check?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#extension-not-showing-in-gmail)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I track emails I sent before I installed HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#track-emails-sent-before-installing
No. Tracking is added to an email when it is sent: a tiny image and tracked links made for that recipient. An email that already left without them cannot be tracked afterwards, by HawkOpen or by any other tool.
If you need to know whether an old email was seen, you can send a short tracked follow-up to that person.
Related questions: [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply), [What is email tracking and how does it work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-email-tracking-works)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I use HawkOpen on a different computer?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#use-hawkopen-on-another-computer
Yes. Your tracked emails and settings live in your HawkOpen account, not on the computer. On the other computer, add the extension to Chrome or Firefox and sign in, or simply open the HawkOpen dashboard in a browser.
Extension options, such as whether new emails start with tracking on, are set separately in each browser.
Related questions: [How do I install the HawkOpen extension in Chrome?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#install-the-chrome-extension), [Can I switch tracking off for a single email, or have it off by default?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#turn-tracking-off-for-one-email)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does tracking work if Conversation View is turned off in Gmail?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#gmail-conversation-view-off
The tracking itself does not depend on it: it is added to each email when you send it, and the results are in your HawkOpen history however Gmail groups your messages. HawkOpen has not published tests of how its marks in the Gmail message list look with Conversation View off.
If something looks wrong in Gmail, check the email in the HawkOpen dashboard, which shows every event with its category.
Related questions: [The HawkOpen extension does not show in Gmail. What should I check?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#extension-not-showing-in-gmail)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I add the HawkOpen dashboard to my phone’s home screen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#add-the-dashboard-to-your-phone-home-screen
Yes, as a shortcut. HawkOpen has no phone app, but its dashboard is a website: open it in your phone’s browser and use the browser’s menu to add it to the home screen. Sending tracked emails from your phone’s own mail app is not possible.
On a phone the dashboard is handy for checking results; for alerts away from the computer, Business can send them by email.
Related questions: [Is there a HawkOpen app for Android or iPhone?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/email-tracking-app-for-android-iphone), [Can I schedule a tracked email from my phone?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup/schedule-a-tracked-email-from-your-phone)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I schedule tracked emails to send later?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#schedule-tracked-emails-to-send-later
Yes, on the Pro and Business plans. Write the email in the HawkOpen dashboard, choose the date and time, and HawkOpen sends it then through your connected mailbox, with tracking for the recipients whose consent for your company is recorded, if your company has switched tracking on. The browser extension sends immediately and does not schedule.
The time you pick is saved as an exact moment, so the email leaves at that moment wherever the recipient is; HawkOpen does not shift it to the recipient’s local time. HawkOpen’s senders pick up a scheduled email once that moment has come, never before.
Because HawkOpen sends from its own servers, your computer and mail program do not need to be on at that time. Gmail’s and Outlook’s own scheduling works without HawkOpen, but those emails are not tracked.
Related questions: [Can I schedule a tracked email from my phone?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup/schedule-a-tracked-email-from-your-phone), [Can I cancel or edit a scheduled email before it is sent?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#cancel-or-edit-a-scheduled-email), [Why does my delayed or scheduled email stay in the Outbox?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#scheduled-email-stuck-in-outbox)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I cancel or edit a scheduled email before it is sent?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#cancel-or-edit-a-scheduled-email
Not for a single scheduled email: HawkOpen has no button to cancel or edit one once it is scheduled. Campaigns are different and can be paused, resumed or cancelled while they run.
Check the text, recipients and time carefully before you confirm a scheduled email.
Related questions: [Can I schedule tracked emails to send later?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#schedule-tracked-emails-to-send-later), [How do I create and send an email campaign from Gmail or Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-to-run-an-email-campaign)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I schedule the same email to repeat every day or week?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#recurring-scheduled-email
No. HawkOpen sends a scheduled email once, at the time you chose, and a campaign is a one-time batch. There is no repeating schedule; for a regular email, schedule each one separately.
A saved template makes repeating the same text quicker.
Related questions: [Can I schedule tracked emails to send later?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#schedule-tracked-emails-to-send-later), [How many email templates can I save, and can I share them or use variables?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#email-templates)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why does my delayed or scheduled email stay in the Outbox?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#scheduled-email-stuck-in-outbox
In the Outlook desktop app, “Delay delivery” keeps the email in your Outbox and sends it only if Outlook is open and online at that time. A scheduled email in HawkOpen does not depend on your computer: it is sent from HawkOpen’s servers through your connected mailbox.
A HawkOpen email sent at a scheduled time appears in your provider’s Sent folder as usual; it never waits in your Outbox. If it did not go out, check that the mailbox is still connected.
Related questions: [Can I schedule tracked emails to send later?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#schedule-tracked-emails-to-send-later), [How do I track email opens in Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/how-to-track-email-opens-in-outlook)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How many email templates can I save, and can I share them or use variables?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#email-templates
The Free plan saves up to 3 templates; Pro and Business have no limit. A template holds a name, a subject and the email text. Templates are personal, so teammates do not see yours. In emails sent from the HawkOpen dashboard and in campaigns, HawkOpen fills in the recipient’s name and company and your sender name; it does not fill in other variables.
The recipient’s name and company come from their contact in your CRM; in a campaign, the name given with the address comes first. For a recipient without a value you give a replacement text, otherwise that recipient gets no email. An email with any other field left in double braces is not sent, and the extension fills in no fields: it does not prepare an email that still contains one.
Related questions: [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply), [Can I import recipients from a spreadsheet for a campaign?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/mail-merge-from-a-spreadsheet), [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is there a free email signature generator, and how do I add the signature to Gmail or Outlook?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#free-email-signature-generator
Yes. HawkOpen’s site has a free signature generator, with no sign-up: you fill in your details, see a live preview and copy the result into the signature settings of Gmail, Outlook or another mail program. It runs in your browser and does not send what you type to HawkOpen.
In Gmail the signature is under Settings, General, Signature; in Outlook under Settings, Mail, Signatures (the exact menu names can vary by version). Whether the signature is added to replies is a setting in your mail program, and the final look can differ slightly between mail apps.
Related questions: [Does tracking change how my email looks to the recipient?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#does-tracking-change-how-my-email-looks), [How many email templates can I save, and can I share them or use variables?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#email-templates)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does tracking work in Gmail confidential mode?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#tracking-in-gmail-confidential-mode
HawkOpen has not tested Gmail confidential mode and does not promise that tracking works there. In that mode Gmail controls how the message is shown, and recipients outside Gmail open it through a Google link, so send a normal email if tracking matters.
Gmail also does not allow confidential messages to be scheduled.
Related questions: [Why is my email not being tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup/why-is-my-email-not-tracked)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can HawkOpen translate my email drafts?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#translate-email-drafts
Only in a limited way. HawkOpen’s inbox has a function that translates a draft, but it works only where a translation service has been set up, and it is not part of the plan descriptions, so it may not be available in your account.
Always read a translation before sending: an automatic translation can change the meaning.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen sync my mailbox folders and show my inbox?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes#hawkopen-inbox-and-folder-sync), [Which languages does HawkOpen support?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#which-languages-does-hawkopen-support)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What happens to tracking if I use Undo Send in Gmail?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup#undo-send-and-tracking
If you undo the send in time, the email never leaves, so there is nothing to open and no events are recorded. HawkOpen may still list it as prepared, because it prepared the tracking before Gmail held the email back; prepared does not mean sent.
If you then send the edited email again with tracking on, it gets new tracking of its own.
Related questions: [Why is my email not being tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup/why-is-my-email-not-tracked)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Campaigns and sending to many people
How HawkOpen campaigns work, how many people they reach, and what they do not do (attachments, follow-up sequences).
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns
### What is an email campaign and how does one work?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/what-is-an-email-campaign
An email campaign (also called a mailing) is one message sent to a list of people. In HawkOpen a campaign sends every person a separate copy from your own mailbox, so what each recipient did is recorded on its own.
A newsletter is a kind of campaign that people subscribe to and receive regularly. A mailing list is the list of addresses a campaign goes to. HawkOpen campaigns are meant for personal emails to people you already work with, sent from your own Gmail, Outlook or IMAP/SMTP mailbox; HawkOpen is not a newsletter platform with sign-up forms and subscriber management.
Every plan includes campaigns. One campaign can have up to 50 recipients on Free and 500 on Pro and Business, and every copy ends with a “Do not send me messages” line and carries a one-click unsubscribe header. Replies are recorded when HawkOpen can read your mailbox. Opens and clicks are shown per person with their classification, but only for recipients who are tracked: tracking needs your company’s switch and the recipient’s recorded consent, and everyone else gets an ordinary copy.
Related questions: [How do I create and send an email campaign from Gmail or Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-to-run-an-email-campaign), [How many recipients can a HawkOpen campaign have?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-many-recipients-can-a-campaign-have), [Can I use HawkOpen as a newsletter platform instead of a newsletter tool?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/which-newsletter-platform-to-choose)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I create and send an email campaign from Gmail or Outlook?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-to-run-an-email-campaign
Connect your Gmail, Outlook or IMAP/SMTP mailbox in HawkOpen, open Campaigns, add recipients (paste them, use a saved list or choose contacts), write the message and start. Campaigns are included in every plan.
The campaign starts as soon as you create it; it has no send time of its own. While it runs you can pause, resume or cancel it. Each person gets a separate copy sent through your mailbox.
Tracking works only after your company’s owner or an administrator has switched it on, and even then only for recipients with a recorded consent; the others get an ordinary copy without tracking. Within that, you can switch opens and links off for the whole campaign. Keep the list to people who expect your email, and remove addresses that bounce; HawkOpen skips addresses that bounced hard, opted out of your company’s messages (also in the CRM) or whose owner asked for their data to be erased.
Limits: up to 50 recipients per campaign on Free and 500 on Pro and Business; on Business also 60,000 a month, counted by the calendar month in the time zone of your settings (UTC if none is set). Your mail provider’s own sending limits also apply.
Related questions: [What is an email campaign and how does one work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/what-is-an-email-campaign), [How many recipients can a HawkOpen campaign have?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-many-recipients-can-a-campaign-have), [Can I import recipients from a spreadsheet for a campaign?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/mail-merge-from-a-spreadsheet)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How many recipients can a HawkOpen campaign have?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-many-recipients-can-a-campaign-have
Up to 50 recipients per campaign on Free and 500 on Pro and Business; on Business also up to 60,000 campaign recipients a month. Every plan includes campaigns.
For a longer list, split it into several campaigns within your plan’s limit per campaign; on Business the monthly limit counts the calendar month in the time zone of your settings (UTC if none is set). Addresses that bounced hard, opted out of your company’s messages (also in the CRM) or whose owner asked for erasure are skipped.
Campaigns are sent through your own mailbox, so your mail provider’s sending limits apply as well, and they may be lower. If many emails bounce or are rejected, the Deliverability Guardian pauses bulk sending until you clean the list.
Related questions: [How many emails can I send a day from Gmail or Outlook with HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/gmail-and-outlook-sending-limits), [How do I create and send an email campaign from Gmail or Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-to-run-an-email-campaign)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I send a mass email or a mail merge from Gmail or Outlook with HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/mass-email-and-mail-merge-from-gmail-or-outlook
You can send one email to many people as a campaign through your Gmail or Outlook account, each person getting a separate copy. Mail merge is limited: HawkOpen can fill in each recipient’s name and company and your sender name, but no other columns.
Each recipient in a campaign is an email address with an optional name. The subject and text can contain fields for the recipient’s name, their company and your sender name: the name comes from the campaign line or the person’s CRM contact, the company from the contact’s account in the CRM. A recipient without a value gets the replacement text you enter, or no copy at all, and the campaign shows who was left out. Other columns, such as an amount, are not kept and cannot be inserted.
If every email needs more personal details, send them one by one, from Gmail or Outlook on the web with the extension or from the HawkOpen dashboard. Every plan includes campaigns, with up to 50 recipients per campaign on Free and 500 on Pro and Business.
Related questions: [Can I import recipients from a spreadsheet for a campaign?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/mail-merge-from-a-spreadsheet), [How do I send the same email to many people separately instead of using BCC?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/send-the-same-email-to-many-people-separately)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I import recipients from a spreadsheet for a campaign?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/mail-merge-from-a-spreadsheet
Yes, as a list of addresses: paste email and name lines from a spreadsheet, or import contacts from a CSV file. HawkOpen does not connect to Google Sheets; of the spreadsheet’s columns it keeps only the address and the name.
In the campaign form, paste one recipient per line as email,name. A header line is skipped. You can also save a mailing list and reuse it, or use the contacts in the CRM (in the Pro and Business plans), which accepts CSV files.
A classic mail merge, where each email takes any column from the sheet, such as an amount, is not available. The text can contain fields only for the recipient’s name and company: the name from the pasted line or the CRM contact, the company from the contact’s account in the CRM. If you need other personal details in each email, send those emails one by one.
Related questions: [Can I send a mass email or a mail merge from Gmail or Outlook with HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/mass-email-and-mail-merge-from-gmail-or-outlook), [Can a campaign attach a different file for each recipient?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/different-attachment-for-each-recipient)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can a campaign attach a different file for each recipient?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/different-attachment-for-each-recipient
No. HawkOpen campaigns do not send file attachments at all, neither the same file nor a different one per person. Only the recipient’s name and company can differ between copies.
A campaign may list attachment names only so that HawkOpen can check them for sensitive data before sending; the file content is not sent.
To give each person their own document, send those emails one by one with the file attached, or share a link to a file stored elsewhere. HawkOpen’s own document links with page-by-page tracking are a preview: the server accepts files only after an external malware scan is switched on.
Related questions: [Can I import recipients from a spreadsheet for a campaign?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/mail-merge-from-a-spreadsheet), [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I see which of several recipients opened my email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/see-who-read-an-email-sent-to-several-people
Send each person a separate copy, from the HawkOpen dashboard or as a campaign. Each copy can be tracked on its own, so for recipients who consented to tracking you see opens and clicks per person. One email with several addresses in To or CC cannot show who opened it.
When one email goes to several people, they all receive the same tracking image and the same links, so an open or a click cannot be assigned to one person. That is why the HawkOpen extension in Gmail, Outlook on the web and Yahoo Mail tracks emails with a single recipient. If you add more people, it keeps your draft and asks you to send from the dashboard or to switch tracking off.
In the dashboard you can enter several addresses: HawkOpen sends every person a separate email, tracked on its own when that person consented to tracking. For larger groups, use a campaign: every plan has them, up to 50 recipients each on Free and 500 on Pro and Business.
Related questions: [How do I send the same email to many people separately instead of using BCC?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/send-the-same-email-to-many-people-separately), [Why is my email not being tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup/why-is-my-email-not-tracked)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I send the same email to many people separately instead of using BCC?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/send-the-same-email-to-many-people-separately
Enter the addresses in the HawkOpen dashboard or in a campaign. HawkOpen then sends every person their own copy from your mailbox, so nobody sees the others’ addresses, and each copy is tracked on its own when that recipient consented to tracking.
With BCC, the mail server still delivers one message to everyone, and tracking cannot tell who opened it. Separate copies solve both problems: each recipient sees only their own address, and opens, clicks and replies are recorded per person.
Sending from the dashboard is available on every plan. Campaigns are in every plan, for up to 50 recipients at a time on Free and 500 on Pro and Business. Every copy ends with a “Do not send me messages” line. The text is the same for everyone, apart from fields for the recipient’s name and company.
Related questions: [How do I see which of several recipients opened my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/see-who-read-an-email-sent-to-several-people), [Can I send a mass email or a mail merge from Gmail or Outlook with HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/mass-email-and-mail-merge-from-gmail-or-outlook)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I pause, resume or cancel a campaign?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-pause-resume-cancel
Yes. While a campaign is running you can pause it, resume it later or cancel it. Copies that have not left yet wait or are dropped; a copy already being handed to your mail provider still goes out.
A campaign starts as soon as you create it, because it has no send time of its own. Pause stops the copies still waiting in the queue; resume puts them back. Cancel removes every copy that has not been sent, and a cancelled campaign cannot be restarted: create a new one if you change your mind.
Every pause, resume and cancel is written to the campaign’s history with the time and the person who did it, so a team can see who stopped a send and how many copies had already gone out.
Related questions: [How do I create and send an email campaign from Gmail or Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-to-run-an-email-campaign), [Can I schedule a campaign for later or set a sending window?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-schedule-send-window)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does each campaign recipient get their own tracking?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-per-recipient-tracking
Yes, where tracking applies. A HawkOpen campaign is not one email with many addresses: every recipient gets a separate message with their own “Do not send me messages” link and, if that recipient consented to tracking, their own tracking image and tracked links, so opens and clicks belong to one person. Recipients without a recorded consent get a plain copy.
That is what a recipient-specific campaign means: the same text, but one copy per person with an identifier that only that copy carries. If someone forwards their copy, the colleague’s opens and clicks still count under the address it was sent to, so treat them as signals for that conversation, not as proof of who read it.
Each copy is still only a likely signal: Apple Mail Privacy Protection, mail-provider image proxies and link scanners can produce events without a person, and HawkOpen labels them. Tracking runs only where your company’s owner or an administrator has switched it on; within that, opens and links can be switched off for the whole campaign before you start.
Related questions: [How do I see which of several recipients opened my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/see-who-read-an-email-sent-to-several-people), [What results does a HawkOpen campaign show?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-results-report)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What results does a HawkOpen campaign show?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-results-report
The campaign shows how many copies were sent, skipped, failed or cancelled. Each copy is a message of its own, so for every recipient you see replies when HawkOpen can read your mailbox, bounces and unsubscribes, and, for recipients who consented to tracking, opens and clicks with their classification.
Skipped means HawkOpen did not send a copy because the address had opted out of your company’s messages (also in the CRM), bounced hard before, its owner asked HawkOpen to erase their data, the CRM holds the contact without a basis for writing, or a name or company field had neither a value nor a replacement text. Failed means your mail provider refused the copy.
Read the numbers as signals, not proof: an open can come from a privacy proxy, and a click a few seconds after delivery is usually a scanner. HawkOpen shows the label and the rule behind it, and a reply remains the only certain sign that a person read the email.
Related questions: [Does each campaign recipient get their own tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-per-recipient-tracking), [Can I send a second email only to people who clicked or did not open?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-segment-by-behavior)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I schedule a campaign for later or set a sending window?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-schedule-send-window
No. A campaign has no send time and no sending window: it starts as soon as you create it. Single emails, on the other hand, can be scheduled on the Pro and Business plans.
If the timing matters, create the campaign at the moment you want it to start, for example in the recipients’ morning. You can pause it and resume it later, which holds back the copies that have not left yet, but there is no setting that sends only between certain hours.
Related questions: [Can I pause, resume or cancel a campaign?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-pause-resume-cancel), [How do I create and send an email campaign from Gmail or Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-to-run-an-email-campaign)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I send a second email only to people who clicked or did not open?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-segment-by-behavior
Not automatically. HawkOpen has no segments built from behaviour, but the opens and clicks of tracked recipients are visible, so you can pick those addresses yourself and start a new campaign for them.
Paste the chosen addresses into a new campaign, or put them into a saved list and select that list. Be careful with “did not open”: Apple Mail and many company mail systems hide or fake opens, so some people who read your email will look like non-openers, and a click a few seconds after delivery is usually a scanner, not interest. Recipients without a recorded consent are not tracked at all, so for them “did not open” means nothing.
Addresses that bounced hard, opted out of your company’s messages (also in the CRM) or whose owner asked for erasure are skipped automatically in the new campaign as well.
Related questions: [What results does a HawkOpen campaign show?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-results-report), [Does a campaign stop for a recipient who replied?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-stop-on-reply)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does a campaign stop for a recipient who replied?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-stop-on-reply
There is nothing to stop: a HawkOpen campaign is one send, not a sequence of several emails. It has no automatic follow-up steps, so a reply never triggers or cancels a later email.
Replies are recorded per recipient when HawkOpen can read your mailbox, so you see who answered before you write again. On the Business plan, Safe Follow-up prepares a follow-up draft for one email at a time, at least 24 hours after it was sent, and it creates no draft for someone who already replied, unsubscribed or bounced. You read the draft and send it yourself.
Related questions: [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply), [Can I send a second email only to people who clicked or did not open?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-segment-by-behavior)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is there a daily sending cap, a sending speed or a warm-up for campaigns?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-daily-cap-speed-and-warmup
HawkOpen’s own limits are the recipients per campaign (50 on Free, 500 on Pro and Business), 60,000 a month on Business and the plan’s daily sending limit; copies over today’s limit wait in the queue and go out on the following days. There is no warm-up and no speed setting, and your mail provider’s daily limit applies as well.
Copies go into a queue and are handed in small batches to your own Gmail, Outlook or IMAP/SMTP mailbox. When the provider answers “try again later”, HawkOpen waits and retries with growing pauses, a few times at most. When it refuses a copy for good, the copy is recorded as failed. When it is unclear whether the provider already took a copy, HawkOpen never sends it again, so nobody gets a duplicate. The daily limit counts the UTC day; the monthly limit counts the calendar month in the time zone of your settings (UTC if none is set).
For a new mailbox or domain, start with small campaigns to people who know you and grow slowly over several days; that is what warm-up services automate, and HawkOpen does not offer one.
Related questions: [How many emails can I send a day from Gmail or Outlook with HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/gmail-and-outlook-sending-limits), [How many recipients can a HawkOpen campaign have?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-many-recipients-can-a-campaign-have)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is there an approval step before a campaign is sent?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-approval-before-sending
There is no manager approval step. HawkOpen runs two automatic checks instead: the Deliverability Guardian blocks bulk sending when recent bounces or rejections are too high, and a check for sensitive data can stop the campaign or ask you to confirm with a written reason.
If your team needs a second pair of eyes, send yourself a test email from the dashboard first and agree inside the team who starts campaigns. Every pause, resume and cancel is recorded with the person who did it.
Related questions: [Can I pause, resume or cancel a campaign?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-pause-resume-cancel), [How do I create and send an email campaign from Gmail or Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-to-run-an-email-campaign)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is there a visual email editor or templates for campaigns?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-templates-and-editor
There is no drag-and-drop editor, but you can put the campaign into a ready mail layout with your company’s colours, font and footer and change its blocks, such as headings, text, buttons and pictures. You write the message itself as text or HTML, and you can save templates with a name, a subject and the message: 3 on Free, without a limit on Pro and Business.
HawkOpen campaigns are meant to look like a personal email from your own mailbox, so a short message usually works best. The layouts are simple: blocks are moved up or down, not placed freely. If you need freely designed newsletters, a newsletter platform is the better tool.
Related questions: [What is an email campaign and how does one work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/what-is-an-email-campaign), [Can I send and track a newsletter from my own Gmail or Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#send-newsletter-from-gmail-or-outlook)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Do campaigns include an unsubscribe link, and what does the recipient see?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#unsubscribe-link-in-campaigns
Yes, automatically. Every campaign copy ends with the line “Do not want further messages from this company sent through HawkOpen? Do not send me messages”, and it carries a one-click unsubscribe header that Gmail and other mail apps can show as their own button. You cannot remove either.
The line is in the language of the email’s text, one of seven: English, Polish, German, Spanish, French, Italian or Portuguese, and English when the language is unclear. The page behind the link opens in the same language and only shows a button: opening it changes nothing, so a security scanner that only opens links cannot unsubscribe anyone. Links in older emails still open the earlier unsubscribe page, which also asks for confirmation.
After a confirmed unsubscribe, that address no longer gets messages from your company through HawkOpen: later campaigns and single emails skip it automatically, and you see the unsubscribe in the recipient’s history.
Unsubscribing and turning off tracking are two separate decisions of the recipient. Unsubscribing stops your company’s future messages; turning off tracking is done through the “Do not track my activity” link in the tracking notice, which only tracked copies carry, and neither one replaces the other. The unsubscribe header alone does not show that the whole process works, so send a test campaign to your own address and try the link.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen meet the Gmail and Yahoo bulk sender requirements?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/gmail-and-yahoo-bulk-sender-requirements), [What is an email campaign and how does one work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/what-is-an-email-campaign)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I use my own domain for tracked links?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#custom-tracking-domain
Not today. Your account has no setting for your own tracking domain: tracked links and the tracking image point to HawkOpen’s tracking address. If you prefer links that show only your own domain, switch link tracking off.
In a copy with link tracking, which needs your company’s switch and the recipient’s consent to link tracking, every https link in your email is replaced by a HawkOpen redirect that records the click and then opens the original address, with its parameters kept. Links that are not https stay as you wrote them.
You can switch link tracking off for a whole campaign or a single email and keep open tracking; for the whole account, your company’s owner or an administrator can do it. Some senders do that for cold or very formal emails, because a redirect through another domain is one of the many signals spam filters weigh.
Related questions: [Does open tracking hurt deliverability or send emails to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/does-open-tracking-hurt-deliverability), [Does each campaign recipient get their own tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-per-recipient-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I track an email sent to a mailing list or group address?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#track-emails-to-mailing-lists
Only if the list address itself has a recorded consent to tracking, and even then the result says little: a list address is one recipient for HawkOpen, while the list server copies the same message to every member. All their opens and clicks land on that single address, so you cannot tell who did what.
Several openers also make the signal look stronger than it is, and one member’s security scanner can click every link for everybody. If you need to know who reacted, send each person their own copy: from the HawkOpen dashboard, which sends separate copies when you enter several addresses, or as a campaign, which every plan has.
Related questions: [How do I see which of several recipients opened my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/see-who-read-an-email-sent-to-several-people), [How do I send the same email to many people separately instead of using BCC?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/send-the-same-email-to-many-people-separately)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does a bounced CC or BCC address affect the main recipient’s tracking?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#bounced-address-in-cc-effect
No. Tracked emails in HawkOpen go to one recipient per copy, so a bounce message is matched only to the address that failed. The other recipients’ copies, opens and clicks are not affected.
The extension tracks emails with a single recipient, and the dashboard and campaigns send a separate copy to each address, so CC and BCC do not mix into tracking. A hard bounce (a permanent failure) also stops future sends to that one address; a soft bounce (a temporary one) does not on its own.
Related questions: [What is an email bounce, and what is the difference between a hard and a soft bounce?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-a-hard-bounce-and-a-soft-bounce), [How do I see which of several recipients opened my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/see-who-read-an-email-sent-to-several-people)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I send and track a newsletter from my own Gmail or Outlook?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#send-newsletter-from-gmail-or-outlook
For a small list, yes: a campaign sends each person a separate copy through your own Gmail, Outlook or IMAP/SMTP mailbox, up to 50 recipients at a time on Free and 500 on Pro and Business, with a “Do not send me messages” line in every copy. Only readers with a recorded consent are tracked.
HawkOpen is not a newsletter platform: it has no sign-up forms and no subscriber management, its mail layouts are simple, the only fields are the recipient’s name and company, and your mail provider’s daily limits still apply. For a regular newsletter to a large audience, a dedicated newsletter service fits better; HawkOpen does not rank those tools. Opens of newsletters are an especially weak signal, because many readers use Apple Mail, which loads images without a person.
Related questions: [What is an email campaign and how does one work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/what-is-an-email-campaign), [Is there a visual email editor or templates for campaigns?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns#campaign-templates-and-editor)
Checked: 2026-11-12
## Replies, reminders and follow-ups
How to get a reminder when nobody replies, and how to follow up politely.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies
### How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies
On the Pro and Business plans, set a reminder on a sent email and choose after how many days. If no reply has been recorded by then, the reminder appears in your HawkOpen dashboard; if a reply came, it closes on its own.
HawkOpen recognises a reply when it can read your mailbox and the reply belongs to the same conversation; this works for IMAP/SMTP mailboxes and for Gmail or Outlook connected by signing in. With webhooks on the Business plan, a due reminder can also be sent to another tool.
An unopened email does not mean it was not read, and an open does not prove it was. When the matter is important, a short polite follow-up or a phone call is more reliable than waiting for a signal. The Free plan has no reminders or reply detection.
Related questions: [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply
Reply in the same thread after a few days, keep it short, restate the one thing you need and make answering easy. On the Business plan, HawkOpen’s Safe Follow-up writes a short draft for you at least 24 hours after the first email; you edit it and send it yourself.
Tips that work in most cultures: assume the person is busy, not ignoring you; do not mention that tracking showed an open; give a clear question with a simple yes or no, or offer two time slots; and stop after two or three polite follow-ups.
Safe Follow-up offers a professional, concise or warm tone and does not create a draft when the person already replied, unsubscribed or the address bounced. It never sends anything on its own. On the Pro plan you can use reminders, which tell you when it is time to follow up.
Related questions: [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies), [How do I email a recruiter who has not replied, and can I see whether they opened my application?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/email-a-recruiter-who-has-not-replied)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How does reply detection work, and does it work with Gmail and Outlook?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#how-does-reply-detection-work
On the Pro and Business plans, HawkOpen checks the inbox of each connected mailbox about once a minute: IMAP/SMTP mailboxes and Gmail or Outlook connected by signing in. A reply is recorded when it comes from the address you wrote to and belongs to the same conversation.
HawkOpen reads only the sender, subject and headers of unread messages in the inbox, never the text of the message. It links a reply to your email through the conversation headers that mail programs add when someone presses Reply. If those headers are missing, it accepts a reply only when it is the only email with that subject that you sent to that person.
When a reply is recorded, HawkOpen marks that message as read in your mailbox, so it may not stand out as new there; you still see it in your mailbox and in HawkOpen. Messages it does not match stay unread. The Free plan has no reply detection.
Related questions: [Why was a reply not detected?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#why-was-a-reply-not-detected), [Are automatic and out-of-office replies counted as replies?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#are-automatic-and-out-of-office-replies-counted), [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Are automatic and out-of-office replies counted as replies?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#are-automatic-and-out-of-office-replies-counted
No. A delivery failure notice (bounce) is recorded as a bounce, never as a reply. Automatic replies, such as out-of-office and vacation messages, are recognised from their headers or their subject and are not counted: the email keeps waiting for a reply from the person.
HawkOpen first checks whether an incoming message is a delivery failure notice; if it is, it is recorded as a bounce. Then it checks whether the message was sent automatically: the Auto-Submitted header (RFC 3834), the older X-Autoreply and X-Autorespond headers, a bulk or list Precedence, an empty return address, or an out-of-office subject prefix used by common mail programs in HawkOpen’s seven languages. Such a message is not recorded as a reply and stays unread in your mailbox.
A mail program that marks its automatic replies in none of these ways can still be recorded as a reply, so open a reply before you act on it. An automatic reply does not close a “Remind me if no reply” reminder (Pro and Business plans): it still comes on its day if the person has not answered.
Related questions: [How does reply detection work, and does it work with Gmail and Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#how-does-reply-detection-work), [What is an email bounce, and what is the difference between a hard and a soft bounce?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-a-hard-bounce-and-a-soft-bounce)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Why does an email show as unopened although the recipient replied?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#replied-but-shown-as-unopened
Because an open is only recorded when the copy carries a tracking image, which needs the recipient’s recorded consent, and the recipient’s mail program loads it, while many block images. A reply is the stronger signal: once HawkOpen records it, the email is shown as replied, whatever the open count says.
People who read in a mail program that does not show images, or in plain-text view, can reply without any open being recorded. The opposite also happens: Apple Mail Privacy Protection and other services load images without a person, so an open alone proves little.
If the email shows neither an open nor a reply although you received an answer, check the reply-detection conditions: a Pro or Business plan, a connected mailbox, and a reply from the same address in the same conversation that was still unread when HawkOpen checked the inbox.
Related questions: [Why was a reply not detected?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#why-was-a-reply-not-detected), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Why was a reply not detected?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#why-was-a-reply-not-detected
Usually one of these: your plan has no reply detection, the mailbox is not connected, the reply was already read or moved out of the inbox before HawkOpen checked, or it came from another address or in a new conversation.
Check step by step: you are on the Pro or Business plan; the mailbox the email was sent from is connected and still signed in; the reply landed in the inbox and not in a folder where a rule moved it; and it was still unread when HawkOpen looked, which it does about once a minute.
HawkOpen counts a reply only from the address you wrote to. If a colleague answers instead, or the person writes a new email rather than replying, it is not linked to your message. The reply itself is still in your mailbox; only the status in HawkOpen is missing.
Related questions: [How does reply detection work, and does it work with Gmail and Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#how-does-reply-detection-work), [Why does an email show as unopened although the recipient replied?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#replied-but-shown-as-unopened)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is Safe Follow-up, and which tones and languages does it support?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#what-is-safe-follow-up
Safe Follow-up, on the Business plan, writes a short follow-up draft to a sent email at least 24 hours after it went out. You choose a professional, concise or warm tone and English, Polish, German, Spanish or French; you then edit the draft and send it yourself.
Before writing a draft, HawkOpen checks that the person has not replied, has not unsubscribed and that the address has not recently bounced. If any of these is true, or 24 hours have not passed yet, no draft is made. The draft follows fixed rules rather than guessing; it does not mention opens or clicks.
Safe Follow-up never sends anything on its own and does not run a sequence of emails. If you only want to be told when it is time to follow up, reminders on the Pro and Business plans do that.
Related questions: [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply), [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How long should I wait before following up on an email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#when-should-i-follow-up-after-sending
For most business emails, two to five working days is a fair first wait; for an urgent matter, one or two days. Base the timing on the reply, not on opens: an open is only a hint, while a reply settles it.
If you gave a deadline, follow up a day or two before it. After a quote or a job application, about a week is common. Where the recipient consented to tracking, it can help with the tone: a click on your link suggests interest, but a quick open or click may also be a security scanner, which HawkOpen labels.
On the Pro and Business plans you can set a reminder when you send, so HawkOpen tells you after the chosen number of days if no reply has been recorded.
Related questions: [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies), [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I set follow-up reminders in Gmail or Outlook?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#follow-up-reminders-in-gmail-or-outlook
Yes, in a basic way: Gmail can suggest emails to follow up on, and Outlook lets you flag a message with a reminder. HawkOpen adds a reminder that knows about replies: on the Pro and Business plans it tells you after a set number of days only if no reply was recorded.
In HawkOpen, tick “Remind me if no reply” when you send an email, or add a reminder to a sent email on the Reminders page. The default is three days; you can change it in your settings to anything from 1 to 60 days.
If no reply has arrived by then, HawkOpen creates a task in your CRM reminders and notifies you; on Business the reminder can also go to another tool through a webhook. If a reply comes first, there is no reminder. It never sends anything to the recipient. Reminders depend on reply detection, so the mailbox you sent from must be connected.
Related questions: [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies), [How does reply detection work, and does it work with Gmail and Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#how-does-reply-detection-work)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### How and when should I follow up after sending a quote or proposal that got no reply?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#follow-up-after-quote-or-proposal-without-reply
Wait about three to seven working days, or until a day or two before any validity date, then reply in the same thread with one clear question, for example whether anything is missing to decide. If the client consented to tracking, HawkOpen shows whether the email was opened or a link clicked, which can guide the tone, but it is not proof of reading.
Make the answer easy: offer a short call at two possible times, or a smaller first step. If there is still nothing after one or two follow-ups, a phone call usually works better than another email.
On the Pro and Business plans, set a reminder when you send the quote so HawkOpen tells you when the days have passed without a reply. On Business, Safe Follow-up can prepare a polite draft that you check and send yourself.
Related questions: [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal), [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply), [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How many follow-up emails should I send before I stop, and how do I write the last one?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#how-many-follow-ups-before-giving-up
Two or three polite follow-ups, spaced a few days to a week apart, are usually enough. The last one can say kindly that you will not write again about this and leave the door open, for example: “If the timing is not right, just let me know.”
HawkOpen does not write or send a series for you. On the Pro and Business plans, a reminder tells you when it is time for the next step if no reply was recorded; on Business, Safe Follow-up drafts a short message that you edit and send yourself, and makes no draft once the person has replied or unsubscribed.
Related questions: [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply), [What is Safe Follow-up, and which tones and languages does it support?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#what-is-safe-follow-up)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can HawkOpen replace my follow-up spreadsheet?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#replace-my-follow-up-spreadsheet
Partly. HawkOpen keeps for each sent email what happened (replies and, for recipients who consented to tracking, opens and clicks with their classification) and, on the Pro and Business plans, reminders for emails without a reply. It has no spreadsheet template; on Pro and Business the CRM can export contacts and records to CSV.
If your sheet mainly lists who you wrote to, when, and whether they answered, the message list and the Reminders page cover that. If it holds deal stages or amounts, the CRM in Pro and Business has contacts, opportunities with stages such as won or lost, and tasks.
Related questions: [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies), [Can I set follow-up reminders in Gmail or Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#follow-up-reminders-in-gmail-or-outlook)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can sending reminders too often get my email flagged as spam?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#can-reminders-get-my-email-flagged-as-spam
HawkOpen reminders cannot cause this: they are notices to you in your dashboard and never send anything to the recipient. Follow-up emails you send yourself can hurt if they come too often, because annoyed people ignore them or mark them as spam.
Spam filters weigh how recipients react, so a few well-spaced follow-ups in the same thread are safer than many short reminders. A reminder in HawkOpen fires once for each email and closes by itself when a reply is recorded; you cannot set one for an email that already has a reply.
Related questions: [Why do my emails go to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-do-my-emails-go-to-spam), [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies)
Checked: 2026-11-12
## Deliverability, spam and bounces
Why emails land in spam or do not arrive, what bounces mean, and what HawkOpen measures and does not measure.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability
### Does open tracking hurt deliverability or send emails to spam?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/does-open-tracking-hurt-deliverability
Nobody can promise either way: spam filters weigh many signals, and a tracking image and rewritten links are two of them. In HawkOpen tracking is off until your company’s owner or an administrator switches it on, only recipients whose consent is recorded get a tracked copy, and a campaign can switch open or link tracking off when you want the plainest possible email.
What usually matters more is who you write to and how they react: addresses that do not exist, people who did not expect your email, and complaints. Sending through your own Gmail, Outlook or IMAP/SMTP mailbox, to people who know you, is the best start.
On the Business plan, the Deliverability Guardian watches what happened to your emails (accepted, rejected, bounced) and pauses bulk sending when hard bounces or rejections get too high. It does not measure inbox placement and does not promise it. Every tracked email also ends with a short notice about tracking, which you cannot remove.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Why do my emails go to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-do-my-emails-go-to-spam), [Does HawkOpen meet the Gmail and Yahoo bulk sender requirements?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/gmail-and-yahoo-bulk-sender-requirements)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How many emails can I send a day from Gmail or Outlook with HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/gmail-and-outlook-sending-limits
Your mail provider sets the daily limit, not HawkOpen, because HawkOpen sends through your own Gmail, Outlook or IMAP/SMTP account. HawkOpen’s own limits for campaigns are 50 recipients per campaign on Free and 500 on Pro and Business, plus 60,000 a month on Business.
Provider limits differ between free and paid accounts and change over time, so check your provider’s current help page. When a provider refuses a message, HawkOpen records it as rejected or deferred instead of counting it as sent.
If many messages are rejected or bounce, the Deliverability Guardian on the Business plan pauses bulk sending, which protects your mailbox from being blocked by the provider.
Related questions: [How many recipients can a HawkOpen campaign have?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-many-recipients-can-a-campaign-have), [Why does my email not reach the recipient?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-does-my-email-not-arrive)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen meet the Gmail and Yahoo bulk sender requirements?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/gmail-and-yahoo-bulk-sender-requirements
Partly. Every email ends with a “Do not send me messages” link, campaign emails also carry a one-click unsubscribe header that points to it, and they leave from your own mailbox. Domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is set up by you in your domain’s DNS; HawkOpen does not check it.
Google and Yahoo ask people who send a lot of email to authenticate their domain, to let recipients unsubscribe with one click, and to keep spam complaints low. Their help pages give the current thresholds.
What HawkOpen does: every copy ends with a visible “Do not send me messages” link in one of seven languages, every campaign copy has a List-Unsubscribe header with one-click support that leads to the same choice, and addresses that unsubscribed or bounced hard are skipped later. What HawkOpen does not do: it does not set up or test SPF, DKIM or DMARC and does not measure spam complaints. If you use Gmail or Microsoft 365 with your own domain, your provider’s admin settings and your DNS host are where authentication is configured.
Related questions: [What is DMARC and do I need it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-dmarc-and-do-i-need-it), [Why do my emails go to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-do-my-emails-go-to-spam)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Why do my emails go to spam?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-do-my-emails-go-to-spam
Common causes are a domain without SPF, DKIM or DMARC, sending to old or unknown addresses, recipients marking you as spam, and sudden large volumes. HawkOpen shows bounces and rejections, but it cannot see where an email landed in someone’s mailbox.
Step by step: ask whoever manages your domain to set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC; write only to people who expect your email; remove addresses that bounce; avoid sending a sudden large batch from a new mailbox; and ask a colleague with a different provider to tell you where your test email arrived.
In HawkOpen you can see per message whether the provider accepted, rejected or bounced it. On the Business plan, the Deliverability Guardian adds an assessment of bounce and rejection rates and pauses bulk sending when they are too high. It does not test spam folders or authentication records.
Related questions: [Does open tracking hurt deliverability or send emails to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/does-open-tracking-hurt-deliverability), [What is DMARC and do I need it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-dmarc-and-do-i-need-it), [Why does my email not reach the recipient?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-does-my-email-not-arrive)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why does my email not reach the recipient?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-does-my-email-not-arrive
Either the provider refused or returned it (a bounce), or it arrived but went to spam or another folder. HawkOpen shows the first case per message; for the second, ask the recipient to check spam and other folders.
When the receiving server sends back a delivery failure notice, HawkOpen reads it from your connected mailbox and marks the address as a hard bounce (permanent, for example the address does not exist) or a soft bounce (temporary, for example a full mailbox). After a hard bounce HawkOpen stops sending to that address.
If nothing came back, check the address for typos, look for a delivery failure notice in your inbox, and ask the recipient to look in spam and to add you to their contacts. A domain without SPF, DKIM and DMARC is a frequent cause of silent filtering.
Related questions: [What is an email bounce, and what is the difference between a hard and a soft bounce?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-a-hard-bounce-and-a-soft-bounce), [Why do my emails go to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-do-my-emails-go-to-spam)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is DMARC and do I need it?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-dmarc-and-do-i-need-it
DMARC is a DNS record of your domain that tells receiving servers what to do with mail that fails SPF and DKIM checks. If you send from your own domain, especially to many people, you should have it. You set it up in your domain’s DNS; HawkOpen does not create or check it.
SPF lists the servers allowed to send for your domain. DKIM adds a signature that proves the message was not changed and came from your domain. DMARC ties both to the address in the From line and sets a policy: none (only report), quarantine (spam folder) or reject.
If you use a Gmail or Outlook address without your own domain, the provider handles this for you. With your own domain on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, follow your provider’s setup guide and add the records at your DNS host. HawkOpen’s Deliverability Guardian reports bounces and rejections; it does not read DNS records.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen meet the Gmail and Yahoo bulk sender requirements?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/gmail-and-yahoo-bulk-sender-requirements), [Why do my emails go to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-do-my-emails-go-to-spam)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is an email bounce, and what is the difference between a hard and a soft bounce?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-a-hard-bounce-and-a-soft-bounce
A bounce is a message the receiving server sends back because it could not deliver your email. A hard bounce is permanent (the address or domain does not exist); a soft bounce is temporary (full mailbox, server busy). HawkOpen stops sending to an address after a hard bounce.
HawkOpen reads delivery failure notices from your connected mailbox and decides by their status code: codes starting with 5 are hard bounces, codes starting with 4 are soft. A notice with no readable code is treated as soft, so that a temporary problem never blocks an address for good.
An address with repeated soft bounces is also set aside. The bounce rate is the share of sent emails that bounced; on the Business plan, the Deliverability Guardian pauses bulk sending when hard bounces get too high.
Related questions: [Why does my email not reach the recipient?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-does-my-email-not-arrive)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I check SPF, DKIM and DMARC for my domain, and does HawkOpen check them?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#check-spf-dkim-dmarc-for-my-domain
HawkOpen does not check them: it does not read DNS records. You can check them yourself with a DNS lookup tool and in the headers of an email you sent to yourself.
Step by step: look up the TXT records of your domain in a DNS lookup tool. SPF is a record starting with v=spf1, DMARC is a TXT record at _dmarc.yourdomain, and DKIM is a key published under a selector your mail provider gives you. Then send an email to a Gmail address and open “Show original”: it shows whether SPF, DKIM and DMARC passed. Other providers show the same in the Authentication-Results header.
On the Business plan, every Deliverability Guardian report ends with a reminder to verify SPF, DKIM and DMARC with your sending provider, because HawkOpen has no DNS evidence of its own. If a check fails, ask whoever manages your domain to fix the record.
Related questions: [What is DMARC and do I need it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-dmarc-and-do-i-need-it), [How do I set up DKIM for my domain on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#how-to-set-up-dkim-for-my-domain)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I set up DKIM for my domain on Google Workspace or Microsoft 365?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#how-to-set-up-dkim-for-my-domain
DKIM is switched on in your mail provider’s admin console, which gives you a key to publish in your domain’s DNS. HawkOpen sends through your own mailbox, so it uses whatever DKIM your provider signs with and has no DKIM setting of its own.
In general the steps are the same: in the admin console (Google Admin for Workspace, the Microsoft Defender portal for Microsoft 365) generate or enable DKIM for your domain, copy the record it shows, add it at your DNS host, wait until it is visible, then press the button that starts signing. Follow your provider’s current help page, because the menus change.
Set up SPF and a DMARC record at the same time. HawkOpen does not create or test these records; on the Business plan its Deliverability Guardian only reminds you to verify them with your provider.
Related questions: [How do I check SPF, DKIM and DMARC for my domain, and does HawkOpen check them?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#check-spf-dkim-dmarc-for-my-domain), [What is DMARC and do I need it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-dmarc-and-do-i-need-it)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What does the bounce “550 5.7.515” from Microsoft mean?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#microsoft-550-5-7-515-authentication-bounce
Microsoft refused the email because your sending domain did not pass the required authentication (SPF, DKIM and DMARC). HawkOpen records it as a hard bounce and stops sending to that address.
Microsoft’s consumer mail (Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live) asks domains that send a lot of email to pass SPF, DKIM and DMARC. Fix the records with whoever manages your domain, check them in the headers of a test email, and only then write to that address again; HawkOpen will not resend on its own.
Related questions: [How do I check SPF, DKIM and DMARC for my domain, and does HawkOpen check them?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#check-spf-dkim-dmarc-for-my-domain), [What is an email bounce, and what is the difference between a hard and a soft bounce?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-a-hard-bounce-and-a-soft-bounce)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen monitor spam complaints and the Gmail spam rate?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#spam-complaints-and-gmail-spam-rate
No. HawkOpen does not receive spam complaints and does not read Google Postmaster Tools. It records unsubscribes, bounces and rejections; your spam rate at Gmail is visible only in Postmaster Tools.
Google’s sender guidelines ask senders to keep the spam rate reported in Postmaster Tools below 0.1% and never to reach 0.3%. To see yours, verify your domain in Postmaster Tools; it shows data only once you send enough email to Gmail users.
What helps in HawkOpen: every email ends with a visible “Do not send me messages” link and campaign emails have a one-click unsubscribe header, so people can leave instead of pressing “spam”, and addresses that unsubscribed are skipped later. The Deliverability Guardian on the Business plan has no complaint figure.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen meet the Gmail and Yahoo bulk sender requirements?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/gmail-and-yahoo-bulk-sender-requirements), [What is the HawkOpen Deliverability Guardian?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#what-is-the-deliverability-guardian)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is the HawkOpen Deliverability Guardian?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#what-is-the-deliverability-guardian
It is a Business plan check of what happened to your emails in the last 30 days: accepted, rejected, deferred and bounced. It gives a score with reasons and pauses bulk sending when bounces or rejections are too high.
Hard bounces of 1% are marked as elevated, 2% as high and 5% as critical. Once at least 20 emails were submitted, bulk sending (campaigns) is paused at 5% hard bounces, at 10% rejections by providers, or when 10% of sends have no clear outcome. Single emails are not stopped. Each report lists what to fix first, such as cleaning the list.
The Guardian works only with what HawkOpen can see. It does not measure inbox placement, does not read SPF, DKIM or DMARC records, and has no spam complaint figure; it reminds you to verify domain authentication with your provider.
Related questions: [Why do my emails go to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-do-my-emails-go-to-spam), [What is an email bounce, and what is the difference between a hard and a soft bounce?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-a-hard-bounce-and-a-soft-bounce)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen send my emails through its own servers or a dedicated IP?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#own-servers-or-dedicated-ip
Neither. HawkOpen hands each email to the SMTP server of the mailbox you connected (Gmail, Outlook or your IMAP/SMTP provider), so it leaves from your provider. There are no HawkOpen sending IPs and no dedicated IP.
This applies to single emails and to campaigns. Your provider’s reputation, authentication and daily limits therefore apply, and if the provider refuses a message, HawkOpen records the refusal. A Gmail or Outlook account connects by signing in with Google or Microsoft; other mailboxes connect with IMAP/SMTP settings.
If you need a dedicated IP, that is a question for your mail provider, not for HawkOpen.
Related questions: [How many emails can I send a day from Gmail or Outlook with HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/gmail-and-outlook-sending-limits), [How do I create and send an email campaign from Gmail or Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-to-run-an-email-campaign)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is there a suppression list for unsubscribed and bounced addresses?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#suppression-list-for-unsubscribes-and-bounces
Yes. An address that bounced hard is blocked at once, one with repeated soft bounces is set aside, and addresses that unsubscribed or asked HawkOpen to erase their data are skipped. Campaigns never send them a copy.
HawkOpen reads delivery failure notices from your connected mailbox and records a bounce on the message, so you see it next to the recipient. When you create a campaign, the skipped addresses are listed with the reason, and if every address is blocked the campaign is not created.
The list is yours: an unsubscribe applies to your whole company, a bounce to the sender who sent the email, and other HawkOpen customers are not affected, except by erasure requests made by the recipient. On the Business plan, each bounce can also be sent to your own system as a signed message.bounce webhook.
Related questions: [What is an email bounce, and what is the difference between a hard and a soft bounce?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-a-hard-bounce-and-a-soft-bounce), [How many recipients can a HawkOpen campaign have?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-many-recipients-can-a-campaign-have)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Should I track opens and clicks in cold email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#should-i-track-opens-in-cold-email
Open counts are a weak signal in any outreach, so many senders switch open tracking off and keep link clicks and replies; HawkOpen lets you do that per campaign. HawkOpen also tracks only recipients whose consent is recorded for your company, so people who have not consented get an ordinary email. Its terms do not allow unsolicited bulk messaging.
Apple Mail Privacy Protection and mail-provider proxies load images without a person, and security systems click links within seconds. HawkOpen labels such events, but an open stays a hint. A reply, or a click a person makes later, tells you more. Some cold-email guides also point out that a tracking image and rewritten links are extra signals for spam filters.
If you write to people who did not ask for your email, check the rules that apply to you and to them first. Every tracked email from HawkOpen carries a short notice about tracking.
Whether you may send a message and whether you may track it are two separate questions.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Does open tracking hurt deliverability or send emails to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/does-open-tracking-hurt-deliverability), [Is email tracking worth it for sales and business emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/is-email-tracking-worth-it)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Why is my email not sending or stuck in the outbox?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#email-not-sending-stuck-in-outbox
Usually the mail app or the mailbox is the cause: no connection, a wrong password or expired sign-in, an attachment that is too large, or a sending limit reached. For emails sent through HawkOpen, each recipient shows its state: queued, accepted, deferred or rejected.
In Outlook or another mail app, check that you are online, sign in again, remove large attachments and look for an error message on the stuck email. If your provider has paused sending because of its daily limit, wait until the limit resets.
HawkOpen hands each email to your mailbox’s server. If the server answers “try later”, HawkOpen tries again several times with growing pauses; a permanent refusal is shown as rejected. If it is unclear whether the server already took the email, HawkOpen does not send it again, so nobody gets it twice. If a connected mailbox stops working, reconnect it in HawkOpen.
Related questions: [Why does my email not reach the recipient?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-does-my-email-not-arrive), [How many emails can I send a day from Gmail or Outlook with HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/gmail-and-outlook-sending-limits)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can an email tracker tell me whether my email went to spam?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#can-a-tracker-tell-if-email-went-to-spam
No. An email filed as spam produces no bounce: to the sender it looks accepted. A tracker only sees that no open or click came, and that can also mean blocked images or simply not read yet.
HawkOpen shows whether the provider accepted, deferred, rejected or bounced each email, and labels opens and clicks with their likely source. It does not measure inbox placement and cannot see folders in someone else’s mailbox.
To find out, send a test to accounts you control at Gmail, Outlook and other providers and look where it lands, or ask the recipient to check spam. If many people never open anything, look at your domain authentication and at who you are writing to.
Related questions: [Why do my emails go to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-do-my-emails-go-to-spam), [Why does my email not reach the recipient?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-does-my-email-not-arrive)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why do my tracked emails land in the Gmail Promotions tab?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#tracked-emails-land-in-promotions-tab
Gmail decides the tab from the whole message: many links and images, marketing layout and sending patterns push it towards Promotions. Tracking alone does not decide it, but a tracking image and redirected links add to that picture.
To make an email look personal, write plain text with one or two links and no banner images. In HawkOpen you can switch open tracking and link tracking off separately for a campaign (for the whole account, your company’s owner or an administrator decides), and compare where your tests land.
Related questions: [Does open tracking hurt deliverability or send emails to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/does-open-tracking-hurt-deliverability)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What does a “Message blocked” or rejected sending error mean?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#message-blocked-or-rejected-error-meaning
A mail server refused your email, either your own provider or the recipient’s. The error text and its code say why: codes starting with 5 are permanent, codes starting with 4 are temporary. HawkOpen shows the result per recipient.
Common reasons are an address that does not exist, a domain that fails authentication, content or links the filter dislikes, or a sending limit. HawkOpen retries temporary refusals a few times and marks a permanent one as rejected; after a hard bounce it stops sending to that address. Read the error text, fix the cause and only then write again.
Related questions: [What is an email bounce, and what is the difference between a hard and a soft bounce?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-a-hard-bounce-and-a-soft-bounce), [Why is my email not sending or stuck in the outbox?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#email-not-sending-stuck-in-outbox)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why do my emails still go to spam although SPF, DKIM and DMARC are set up?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#why-emails-go-to-spam-despite-spf-dkim-dmarc
Authentication only proves that the email really comes from your domain. Whether it lands in the inbox depends mostly on reputation: who you write to, how they react, how much you send and what the message looks like.
Typical causes: a new domain or mailbox that suddenly sends a lot, old or bought addresses that bounce, people who did not expect your email and mark it as spam, and messages full of links, images or sales words. Send gradually, write only to people who know you, remove addresses that bounce and keep emails short and personal.
HawkOpen shows per message whether the provider accepted, rejected or bounced it; on the Business plan the Deliverability Guardian also pauses bulk sending when hard bounces or rejections get too high. It cannot see spam folders and does not measure your reputation with Gmail or Microsoft.
Related questions: [Why do my emails go to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-do-my-emails-go-to-spam), [How do I check SPF, DKIM and DMARC for my domain, and does HawkOpen check them?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#check-spf-dkim-dmarc-for-my-domain)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Should I turn off click tracking on plain (naked) links to protect deliverability?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#click-tracking-on-plain-links-and-deliverability
It can help: when a link shows one address but leads through another, filters may treat it with suspicion. In HawkOpen you can switch link tracking off on its own for a campaign or a message, and your company’s owner or an administrator can do it for the whole account, while open tracking stays.
HawkOpen rewrites only https links, through its own redirect address; http links, mailto links and others stay as you wrote them. Without link tracking you lose click signals, which are usually more useful than opens, so decide per campaign. Clicks by security scanners are labelled either way.
Related questions: [Does open tracking hurt deliverability or send emails to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/does-open-tracking-hurt-deliverability), [Why do my tracked emails land in the Gmail Promotions tab?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#tracked-emails-land-in-promotions-tab)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is an acceptable email bounce rate?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#what-is-an-acceptable-email-bounce-rate
As low as possible: with a clean list of people you know, hard bounces stay well under 1%. HawkOpen’s Deliverability Guardian marks 1% hard bounces as elevated, 2% as high and pauses bulk sending at 5%.
These thresholds are HawkOpen’s own conservative yardstick over the last 30 days, not an industry benchmark; published averages differ by source. Soft bounces (temporary) are judged separately. If the rate climbs, stop using the source of the failing addresses before sending more.
Related questions: [What is an email bounce, and what is the difference between a hard and a soft bounce?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-a-hard-bounce-and-a-soft-bounce), [What is the HawkOpen Deliverability Guardian?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#what-is-the-deliverability-guardian)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Which email metrics should a small business watch?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#which-email-metrics-to-monitor
Start with replies, link clicks by people, bounces and unsubscribes. Treat open rate as a rough hint only, because privacy features and scanners load emails without a person.
HawkOpen shows per recipient opens and clicks with a label for their likely source, replies, bounces and unsubscribes; a campaign also counts copies sent, skipped, failed and cancelled. On the Business plan the Deliverability Guardian adds bounce and rejection rates for the last 30 days. Compare the same metric over time rather than against general averages.
Related questions: [What is an acceptable email bounce rate?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#what-is-an-acceptable-email-bounce-rate), [How can I improve my email open rate?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#how-to-improve-email-open-rate)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How can I improve my email open rate?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#how-to-improve-email-open-rate
Write a clear, specific subject, send to people who expect you, at a sensible frequency, and from a recognisable name. Measure the effect on replies and clicks, because open rate is distorted by Apple Mail Privacy Protection and scanners.
HawkOpen has no automatic subject-line A/B test in campaigns. On the Business plan, the Experiments page lets you compare two variants: you declare the hypothesis, the metric and the minimum sample in advance, and no winner is declared before that sample is reached. HawkOpen also labels opens by their likely source and counts machine and proxy opens apart from observed ones, which have no sign of a machine but do not prove that a person opened.
Related questions: [Which email metrics should a small business watch?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#which-email-metrics-to-monitor), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Email polls
How HawkOpen polls work in any mail app, which plan has them, and how they keep security scanners from voting.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls
### Is there a free tool for polls inside an email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls/free-email-poll-tool
Not in HawkOpen: polls are part of the Business plan. You can try them with HawkOpen Intro, €1 for the first 20 days with full Business access. From day 21, Business continues with yearly billing at €90 a year plus VAT and renews every year until canceled. You can choose monthly billing at €11/month instead.
A HawkOpen poll is one question with a few answer options. You get one link per option to put in your email; the recipient clicks an answer and confirms it on a short page, and the results appear in your dashboard.
If you need a long survey with many questions, a general form or survey tool is a better fit. HawkOpen polls are meant for quick answers inside an ordinary email, such as choosing a date.
Related questions: [Can I put a poll in an Outlook email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls/put-a-poll-in-an-outlook-email), [Why do email poll results show votes for every option, and how do I avoid bot votes?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls/why-do-email-polls-get-bot-votes), [How does the HawkOpen Intro offer work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-does-hawkopen-intro-work)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why do email poll results show votes for every option, and how do I avoid bot votes?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls/why-do-email-polls-get-bot-votes
Security scanners in company mail systems open every link in an email, so a poll that counts a click as a vote gets a vote for every option. In HawkOpen a poll link only opens a confirmation page; the vote counts when the person presses the confirm button.
Scanners follow links but do not press buttons on the page, so they leave no vote. A repeated vote from the same voter is not counted twice; the person sees that their vote was already recorded. Without a personal voter code in the link, HawkOpen tells voters apart by their connection, so two people on the same office network may count as one voter.
For link clicks in ordinary emails, HawkOpen labels likely scanner clicks instead of counting them as people. Polls are part of the Business plan.
Related questions: [Is there a free tool for polls inside an email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls/free-email-poll-tool), [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I put a poll in an Outlook email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls/put-a-poll-in-an-outlook-email
Yes. Create the poll in HawkOpen, copy the link for each answer and paste the links into your Outlook email. Because they are ordinary links, they work in Outlook on the web, in the desktop app and in any other mail app. Polls are part of the Business plan.
Step by step: in the HawkOpen dashboard open Polls, write the question and the answer options and save. HawkOpen shows a vote link for each option. In Outlook, write the answers as text and link each one to its vote link, then send the email as usual.
When someone clicks an answer, a short page asks them to confirm the vote, which keeps security scanners from voting. Results are counted in your HawkOpen dashboard. Outlook’s own voting buttons are a different feature that works only between Outlook users.
Related questions: [Why do email poll results show votes for every option, and how do I avoid bot votes?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls/why-do-email-polls-get-bot-votes), [Is there a free tool for polls inside an email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls/free-email-poll-tool)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I add a poll to an email in Gmail or another mail app?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls#add-a-poll-to-an-email
On the Business plan: create the poll in HawkOpen with one question and 2 to 6 answers, copy the link HawkOpen gives for each answer, and put the links into your email as text or buttons. They are ordinary links, so they work in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail and other mail apps.
When a recipient clicks an answer, a short page asks them to confirm, and only the confirmation counts as a vote. For a yes/no question, create a poll with the answers “Yes” and “No”. Results appear in your HawkOpen dashboard.
Related questions: [Can I put a poll in an Outlook email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls/put-a-poll-in-an-outlook-email), [Is there a free tool for polls inside an email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls/free-email-poll-tool), [Can a poll allow several answers or a free-text answer?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls#poll-multiple-choice-and-text)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can a poll allow several answers or a free-text answer?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls#poll-multiple-choice-and-text
No. A HawkOpen poll is one question with a single choice among 2 to 6 answers; recipients cannot pick several or write their own text.
For several questions, create several polls; for written answers, ask recipients to reply to the email or use a form tool. Polls are part of the Business plan.
Related questions: [How do I add a poll to an email in Gmail or another mail app?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls#add-a-poll-to-an-email), [Is there a free tool for polls inside an email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls/free-email-poll-tool)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Are poll answers anonymous, or can I see who voted for what?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls#poll-anonymous-or-named
You see only the number of votes and the percentage for each answer, not names or email addresses. To stop double voting, HawkOpen keeps a coded fingerprint of the voter’s connection (or of a voter code in the link), which it does not show to you.
So the results are anonymous to you, but the fingerprint comes from the connection, and two people on the same office network may count as one voter. Do not promise recipients complete anonymity.
Related questions: [Where do I see poll results, and can I export them?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls#poll-results-and-export), [Why do email poll results show votes for every option, and how do I avoid bot votes?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls/why-do-email-polls-get-bot-votes)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Where do I see poll results, and can I export them?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls#poll-results-and-export
In the HawkOpen dashboard, under Polls: each poll shows the votes and the percentage for each answer and the total. There is no export file; copy the numbers if you need them elsewhere.
Polls are part of the Business plan.
Related questions: [Are poll answers anonymous, or can I see who voted for what?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls#poll-anonymous-or-named), [Can I close a poll or set an end date?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls#poll-closing-date)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I close a poll or set an end date?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls#poll-closing-date
No. A HawkOpen poll has no end date and cannot be closed; its links keep accepting votes. If timing matters, state the deadline in your email and read the results at that time.
Polls are part of the Business plan.
Related questions: [Where do I see poll results, and can I export them?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls#poll-results-and-export), [How do I add a poll to an email in Gmail or another mail app?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls#add-a-poll-to-an-email)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I embed a Google Forms, Microsoft Forms or Doodle poll in an email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls#embed-forms-or-doodle-in-email
HawkOpen does not embed other services’ forms. Most mail apps do not run embedded forms anyway, so the usual way is a link to the form in the email. HawkOpen’s own poll works the same way: one link per answer, with a confirmation page.
HawkOpen polls are part of the Business plan.
Related questions: [How do I add a poll to an email in Gmail or another mail app?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls#add-a-poll-to-an-email), [Can I put a poll in an Outlook email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/polls/put-a-poll-in-an-outlook-email)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Integrations and CRM
Which tools HawkOpen connects to, what its webhooks send, how links work with analytics, and what the built-in CRM contains.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations
### Does HawkOpen integrate with my CRM, such as Pipedrive?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-integrate-with-a-crm
Not directly: HawkOpen has no ready-made connection to any CRM, including Pipedrive, and no public API with keys. On the Business plan it sends signed webhooks for opens, clicks, replies, bounces and unsubscribes, which you can pass on, for example through a Zapier Catch Hook.
A webhook is a message HawkOpen sends to a web address you choose whenever something happens. Each message is signed with a secret that only you and HawkOpen know, so the receiving tool can check it really came from HawkOpen. Failed deliveries are retried a few times.
If you do not use a CRM yet, the Pro and Business plans include HawkOpen’s own simple CRM; on Free it is a paid add-on with a 21-day trial. Many CRMs also offer their own email tracking; if you track in two tools at once, the same email gets two sets of tracking elements.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen have a CRM for Gmail or Outlook, and is it free?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-have-a-crm-for-gmail-or-outlook), [Do HawkOpen tracked links work with Google Analytics and UTM parameters?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/track-email-link-clicks-in-google-analytics)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Do HawkOpen tracked links work with Google Analytics and UTM parameters?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/track-email-link-clicks-in-google-analytics
Yes, side by side. When a link is tracked, HawkOpen counts the click itself and then sends the person to the link exactly as you wrote it, UTM parameters included, so Google Analytics sees the visit as usual. HawkOpen does not add UTM parameters and does not connect to Google Analytics.
UTM parameters are labels at the end of a link (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign) that tell an analytics tool where a visit came from. Add them to your links before you send; HawkOpen keeps them.
HawkOpen tracks a link only where your company has switched link tracking on and the recipient has consented to it; otherwise the link goes out unchanged and only your analytics tool sees the visit. Only https links are tracked; plain http links are left as they are. Expect the two tools to show different numbers: HawkOpen labels clicks by security scanners and link previews, while a website counts only visits that load the page.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen integrate with my CRM, such as Pipedrive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-integrate-with-a-crm), [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does HawkOpen have a CRM for Gmail or Outlook, and is it free?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-have-a-crm-for-gmail-or-outlook
HawkOpen has a simple CRM. It is included in the Pro and Business plans; on Free it is a paid add-on with a 21-day trial, then €3 a month or €30 a year plus VAT. It keeps companies, contacts, opportunities with stages and tasks, and shows each contact’s email activity next to your notes.
Opportunities move across a board through the stages of a pipeline; the default stages are lead, qualified, proposal, won and lost, and an owner or admin can change them or add pipelines. You can import records from a CSV file and export them to CSV. It runs in the HawkOpen dashboard, next to the mailboxes you connected, rather than inside Gmail or Outlook.
It is not a full sales platform: there is no automated email sequence and no ready-made link to other CRMs. On Free, the add-on trial needs a card at the start and allows up to 1,000 contacts; the paid add-on allows up to 5,000, Pro up to 25,000 and Business up to 250,000. You can cancel at any time; after that the CRM is read-only and can be exported for 90 days, then its data is deleted.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen integrate with my CRM, such as Pipedrive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-integrate-with-a-crm), [How does the HawkOpen Intro offer work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-does-hawkopen-intro-work)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What does a contact show in the HawkOpen CRM, and is there an activity timeline?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#what-a-crm-contact-shows
A contact shows its name, email address, company, phone, job title, lead source, tags, your own fields and whether the person has opted out, plus a history with the newest entries first: changes to the record, your team’s notes and the emails sent to that address through HawkOpen, with their opens, clicks, replies and bounces. The CRM is part of the Pro and Business plans; on Free it is a paid add-on with a 21-day trial.
For a company, the activity list also includes what happened to its contacts, opportunities and tasks, so you see the whole relationship in one place.
The history also lists proposals, PDF links, videos and signature requests sent to the address. Opens and clicks are shown as proxy, scanner or other, never as a person; an email that was not tracked is shown as not tracked, and after the person refuses tracking, their opens and clicks are no longer shown. You can also link other emails from your connected mailboxes and documents to a contact or a company.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen have a CRM for Gmail or Outlook, and is it free?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-have-a-crm-for-gmail-or-outlook), [Can I add notes, tasks and deals with stages in the HawkOpen CRM?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#crm-notes-tasks-and-deals)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I import and export CRM contacts as a CSV file, for example from Gmail or Outlook?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#crm-import-and-export-csv
Yes, through CSV files: the import with a preview takes up to 5,000 rows (1 MB) at a time, a larger file goes through the large import, and the export of each record type is limited by file size, not by a number of rows. There is no direct import from Google Contacts or Outlook, so export your contacts there as a CSV first.
When importing, you tell HawkOpen which column holds the email address and which holds the name; columns for the company, phone, job title, lead source, tags and your own fields are optional. The import with a preview saves all rows or none; the large import stores the file in batches and reports the rows it did not import.
Steps: export contacts from Google Contacts or Outlook as a CSV file, open the CRM in the HawkOpen dashboard, choose import, match the columns, check the preview and confirm. The CRM is part of the Pro and Business plans; on Free it is a paid add-on with a 21-day trial.
Related questions: [What does a contact show in the HawkOpen CRM, and is there an activity timeline?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#what-a-crm-contact-shows), [Does HawkOpen have a CRM for Gmail or Outlook, and is it free?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-have-a-crm-for-gmail-or-outlook)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I add notes, tasks and deals with stages in the HawkOpen CRM?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#crm-notes-tasks-and-deals
Yes. You can add notes to any record, create tasks with a person, a due date, a status and an optional email reminder, and move opportunities on a board through the stages of a pipeline: by default lead, qualified, proposal, won and lost.
An opportunity also has a value with a currency, an owner and links to a company and a contact. A task can be open, completed or cancelled and can point to a company, contact or opportunity. Notes appear in the record’s activity list.
An owner or admin can rename stages, add their own and create more pipelines; each stage counts as open, won or lost. An analytics section shows charts, including a forecast. HawkOpen is still not a full sales platform: there are no automated email sequences. The CRM is part of the Pro and Business plans; on Free it is a paid add-on with a 21-day trial.
Related questions: [What does a contact show in the HawkOpen CRM, and is there an activity timeline?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#what-a-crm-contact-shows), [Does HawkOpen have a CRM for Gmail or Outlook, and is it free?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-have-a-crm-for-gmail-or-outlook)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I tag contacts and keep saved lists in HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#crm-tags-and-lists
Yes. An owner or admin keeps the workspace’s list of tags, contacts carry tags (also from a CSV import), and you can filter the contact list by tag. On every plan you can also save recipient lists for campaigns.
In the CRM you can search contacts and sort them by name or date. Saved lists belong to campaigns: you pick a list as the recipients of a campaign. They are not a newsletter subscriber database with sign-up forms.
Related questions: [Can I add custom fields to contacts in the HawkOpen CRM?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#crm-custom-fields), [Can I use HawkOpen as a newsletter platform instead of a newsletter tool?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/which-newsletter-platform-to-choose)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I add custom fields to contacts in the HawkOpen CRM?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#crm-custom-fields
Yes. An owner or admin defines the workspace’s own contact fields, of the type text, number, date, choice list or yes/no, and each contact can have a value in each of them. Contacts also have built-in fields for phone, job title and lead source.
A field that is no longer needed can be archived. Own fields each have a column in the CSV export and can be filled from a CSV import. For anything else, write a note on the contact; notes appear in its history.
Related questions: [Can I tag contacts and keep saved lists in HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#crm-tags-and-lists), [What does a contact show in the HawkOpen CRM, and is there an activity timeline?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#what-a-crm-contact-shows)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does the HawkOpen CRM find and merge duplicate contacts?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#crm-duplicate-contacts
Yes. For a contact you can look up possible duplicates and merge two of them, choosing for the name, the email address and the company which version to keep. A merge can be undone.
Merging is a deliberate step: HawkOpen shows a preview first and does not merge contacts on its own. Each contact keeps a history of its merges, which is where you undo one.
Related questions: [Can I import and export CRM contacts as a CSV file, for example from Gmail or Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#crm-import-and-export-csv), [What does a contact show in the HawkOpen CRM, and is there an activity timeline?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#what-a-crm-contact-shows)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How does email sync work in the HawkOpen CRM?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#crm-email-sync
There is no automatic two-way sync, neither with other CRMs nor with your mail contacts. Inside HawkOpen, a contact’s history shows by itself the emails your team sent to that address through HawkOpen; other emails from your connected mailboxes you link yourself, and on Business, webhooks can send tracking events to other tools.
To bring contacts in, use CSV import. To keep another CRM up to date, pass HawkOpen webhooks on through an automation tool such as Zapier; HawkOpen has no ready-made connection to any CRM.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen integrate with my CRM, such as Pipedrive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-integrate-with-a-crm), [Can I import and export CRM contacts as a CSV file, for example from Gmail or Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#crm-import-and-export-csv)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I erase a CRM contact when someone asks me to delete their data?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#erase-a-crm-contact
Open the contact in the CRM and request its erasure; to prevent mistakes, you confirm by typing ERASE CONTACT. You can also mark a contact as opted out instead of erasing it.
Recipients of your tracked emails also have their own privacy page, reached through the link in the notice at the end of each tracked email, where they can ask for their tracking data or have it erased. This answer describes what the product does; whether and how you must respond to a request depends on the rules that apply to you.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Is the HawkOpen CRM GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#is-the-hawkopen-crm-gdpr-compliant), [What does a contact show in the HawkOpen CRM, and is there an activity timeline?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#what-a-crm-contact-shows)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is the HawkOpen CRM GDPR compliant?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#is-the-hawkopen-crm-gdpr-compliant
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
We do not make that promise: whether you meet the GDPR depends on how you collect and use your contacts, not only on the tool. HawkOpen gives you tools for it: erasing a contact, marking it as opted out, and exporting your records.
Two facts to weigh: HawkOpen has not yet published where its data is hosted, and its independent security assessment is still pending. This is a description of the product, not legal advice.
Related questions: [How do I erase a CRM contact when someone asks me to delete their data?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#erase-a-crm-contact)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I attach voice notes to contacts in the HawkOpen CRM?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#crm-voice-notes
Yes, as text. You dictate the note with your device’s own dictation, and HawkOpen receives and keeps only the text, never a recording. A voice note starts as a draft you can correct, and once approved it appears as a note in the history of the contact or opportunity.
HawkOpen does not accept audio files and does not transcribe recordings itself. Written notes work as before: they stay on the record and appear in its history, newest first, for everyone on your team who works in the CRM.
Related questions: [Can I add notes, tasks and deals with stages in the HawkOpen CRM?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#crm-notes-tasks-and-deals)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is a CRM, and what does CRM email mean?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#what-is-a-crm
CRM stands for customer relationship management: one place for your companies, contacts, sales opportunities and tasks. “CRM email” usually means emails that are saved on the contact they belong to, so the whole team sees the history.
HawkOpen includes a simple CRM in the Pro and Business plans (on Free it is a paid add-on with a trial), with companies, contacts, opportunities, tasks and notes, and you can link emails from your connected mailboxes to a contact. It is not a full sales suite.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen have a CRM for Gmail or Outlook, and is it free?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-have-a-crm-for-gmail-or-outlook), [What does a contact show in the HawkOpen CRM, and is there an activity timeline?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#what-a-crm-contact-shows)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can clients book a meeting from a HawkOpen proposal, or can I add a booking link such as Calendly?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#book-a-meeting-from-a-proposal-or-email
A proposal link offers the client a “request a meeting” action that lets you know, but HawkOpen does not connect to any calendar. In an email you can add any https booking link, for example Calendly, and where links are tracked, HawkOpen counts its clicks like any other link.
Proposal links are a preview: they work only once the external file scanning is switched on, because the server accepts files only after that check. The meeting request does not book a slot; you agree on the time with the client yourself.
A booking link in an email keeps its destination exactly as you wrote it, so the client lands on your booking page. Only https links are tracked, and a click from a security scanner is labelled as such.
Related questions: [Do HawkOpen tracked links work with Google Analytics and UTM parameters?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/track-email-link-clicks-in-google-analytics), [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is HawkOpen in the Google Workspace Marketplace or Microsoft AppSource?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#workspace-marketplace-or-appsource
No. HawkOpen is not listed in the Google Workspace Marketplace or Microsoft AppSource and has no Gmail add-on or Outlook add-in. It works through a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox and through the HawkOpen dashboard.
The extension works in Gmail, Outlook on the web and Yahoo Mail; the Chrome build is also meant for Edge, Brave and Opera, and the Firefox build needs version 109 or later.
Instead of the extension, you can connect a mailbox in the dashboard with your Google or Microsoft sign-in, or any other mailbox through IMAP/SMTP, and send tracked emails from there. If you write mostly in the Outlook desktop app, a tool with an Outlook add-in will be more convenient.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen integrate with my CRM, such as Pipedrive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-integrate-with-a-crm), [Does HawkOpen offer a public REST API and API keys?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#does-hawkopen-have-a-public-api)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I connect HawkOpen to Zapier, Make, n8n or Power Automate?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#connect-hawkopen-to-zapier-make-n8n
Through webhooks on the Business plan. HawkOpen has no ready-made app in Zapier or Make; instead you create a webhook trigger there, such as a Zapier Catch Hook, and paste its address into HawkOpen.
Steps: create the webhook trigger in your automation tool and copy its https address; in the HawkOpen dashboard add a webhook with that address and choose the events, for example opens, clicks or replies; send a test; then build the next steps in your tool. The same works in Make, n8n and Power Automate.
For Microsoft Teams there is a simpler way on Business: paste the https address of a Teams workflow, for example one made in Power Automate, into your settings and HawkOpen posts its alerts there.
Related questions: [Which events can HawkOpen webhooks send, and is an unsubscribe reported?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#which-events-do-webhooks-send), [Can I send HawkOpen events to Google Sheets, Airtable, Notion or Slack?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#send-events-to-sheets-notion-slack), [Does HawkOpen integrate with my CRM, such as Pipedrive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-integrate-with-a-crm)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I send HawkOpen events to Google Sheets, Airtable, Notion or Slack?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#send-events-to-sheets-notion-slack
Not directly: HawkOpen has no built-in connection to these tools. On the Business plan you can send its webhooks to an automation tool such as Zapier, Make or n8n, which then adds a row to a sheet, a Notion page or a Slack message.
Example: create a Zapier Catch Hook, add its address as a webhook in HawkOpen with the reply and click events, and add a Google Sheets step that writes the recipient, the event and the time. Keep in mind that an open is a signal, not proof of reading, and that each event carries HawkOpen’s label.
Related questions: [How do I connect HawkOpen to Zapier, Make, n8n or Power Automate?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#connect-hawkopen-to-zapier-make-n8n), [Which events can HawkOpen webhooks send, and is an unsubscribe reported?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#which-events-do-webhooks-send)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen offer a public REST API and API keys?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#does-hawkopen-have-a-public-api
No. HawkOpen has no public API and does not issue API keys. To get data out, use signed webhooks on the Business plan, which send events as they happen, and CSV export from the CRM.
Webhooks only go one way, from HawkOpen to you: you cannot create messages or contacts in HawkOpen through them. If your work depends on a full API, choose a tool that publishes one.
Related questions: [Which events can HawkOpen webhooks send, and is an unsubscribe reported?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#which-events-do-webhooks-send), [Can Zapier send an automated tracked email through HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#zapier-send-tracked-email)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Which events can HawkOpen webhooks send, and is an unsubscribe reported?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#which-events-do-webhooks-send
Ten message events: email sent, open signal, click, reply, bounce, unsubscribe, reminder due, report ready, alert triggered and a recipient’s refusal of tracking, plus five CRM events for new or changed companies and contacts and a contact import. Yes, an unsubscribe is reported as contact.unsubscribed. Webhooks are part of the Business plan.
The technical names are message.sent, message.open_signal, message.click, message.reply, message.bounce, contact.unsubscribed, reminder.due, report.generated, alert.triggered and recipient.tracking_declined, and for the CRM crm.account.created, crm.account.updated, crm.contact.created, crm.contact.updated and crm.contacts.imported. For each web address you choose which of them it receives, and a test button sends a sample delivery.
An open is called a signal on purpose: it can come from a person, a mail-provider proxy or a scanner, so treat it as an estimate. Every delivery is signed with a secret that only you and HawkOpen know.
Related questions: [What does a HawkOpen webhook delivery contain?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#webhook-payload-contents), [How do HawkOpen webhook retries and timeouts work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#webhook-retries-and-timeouts), [How do I connect HawkOpen to Zapier, Make, n8n or Power Automate?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#connect-hawkopen-to-zapier-make-n8n)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I connect HawkOpen to Claude, ChatGPT or other AI apps through MCP?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#connect-hawkopen-to-ai-apps-mcp
Not today. HawkOpen does not have an MCP connection or any other direct link to AI apps. The way to get its events into other tools is webhooks on the Business plan.
If your automation tool can pass data to an AI app, you can route HawkOpen webhooks through it, for example to summarise replies. Remember that the tracking data concerns your recipients, so think about what you send to a third-party AI service.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen offer a public REST API and API keys?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#does-hawkopen-have-a-public-api), [How do I connect HawkOpen to Zapier, Make, n8n or Power Automate?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#connect-hawkopen-to-zapier-make-n8n)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What does a HawkOpen webhook delivery contain?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#webhook-payload-contents
An HTTPS POST with a JSON body that holds the event’s own fields plus id, event and occurred_at. Headers carry the signature (X-HawkOpen-Signature), the delivery id, the event name and a creation and expiry time.
The signature is an HMAC SHA-256 made with the secret of your webhook. Reject a delivery after its expiry time, which is five minutes after it was created, and use the delivery id to ignore duplicates: a retry keeps the same id.
Related questions: [Which events can HawkOpen webhooks send, and is an unsubscribe reported?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#which-events-do-webhooks-send), [How do HawkOpen webhook retries and timeouts work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#webhook-retries-and-timeouts)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do HawkOpen webhook retries and timeouts work?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#webhook-retries-and-timeouts
Each attempt may take up to 15 seconds, and a delivery gets at most 4 attempts. HawkOpen retries only after a network error, a 5xx response or a 429; any other 4xx response ends the delivery at once.
The pauses between attempts grow and are partly random, so retries do not arrive all at once. Reply with a 2xx status as soon as you have stored the delivery and do slow work afterwards; a retry keeps the same delivery id, so you can ignore duplicates.
Related questions: [What does a HawkOpen webhook delivery contain?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#webhook-payload-contents), [Which web addresses can a HawkOpen webhook point to, and can it be localhost or a private address?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#webhook-address-rules)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Which web addresses can a HawkOpen webhook point to, and can it be localhost or a private address?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#webhook-address-rules
The address must use https and port 443, 8443 or a port above 1024, and it must lead to a public server. Localhost and private or reserved networks, such as 10.x or 192.168.x addresses, are refused.
This protects your internal network and HawkOpen’s servers. For testing on your own computer, use a tunnelling service that gives you a public https address, or the test button on the webhook.
Related questions: [How do HawkOpen webhook retries and timeouts work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#webhook-retries-and-timeouts), [How do I connect HawkOpen to Zapier, Make, n8n or Power Automate?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#connect-hawkopen-to-zapier-make-n8n)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can Zapier send an automated tracked email through HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#zapier-send-tracked-email
No. HawkOpen does not have this: its webhooks only send events out, and there is no action that lets Zapier or another tool send an email through HawkOpen.
To send tracked emails, use the browser extension, the HawkOpen dashboard or a campaign from your own mailbox (up to 50 recipients on Free and 500 on Pro and Business). A copy is tracked only where your company has switched tracking on and the recipient has consented.
Related questions: [How do I connect HawkOpen to Zapier, Make, n8n or Power Automate?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#connect-hawkopen-to-zapier-make-n8n), [Does HawkOpen offer a public REST API and API keys?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations#does-hawkopen-have-a-public-api)
Checked: 2026-11-12
## Everyday uses
Invoices, job applications, estate agents, lawyers and proposals: what tracking can and cannot tell you in each case.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases
### Is email tracking worth it for sales and business emails?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/is-email-tracking-worth-it
It is worth it if you read the signals with their limits: replies are certain, clicks are useful once scanner clicks are filtered out, and opens are only a hint. It helps you decide when to follow up, not prove that someone read your email.
Apple Mail Privacy Protection and mail-provider proxies load images without a person, and security scanners click links within seconds. HawkOpen checks every open and click against named rules and shows a label and the rule code, so you can tell likely human activity from a machine.
Some cold-email tools advise turning open tracking off for large outreach; you can do that per campaign in HawkOpen and keep link and reply tracking. Tracking runs only after your company’s owner or an administrator switches it on, and only for recipients with a recorded consent; every tracked email carries a short notice about it.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read), [Does open tracking hurt deliverability or send emails to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/does-open-tracking-hurt-deliverability)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I send a payment reminder email and see whether it was opened?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/payment-reminder-email-with-tracking
If tracking is switched on in your company and the client has a recorded consent, HawkOpen shows the reminder’s opens and link clicks, each with a classification; otherwise it goes out as an ordinary email. On Pro and Business you can also set a reminder for yourself in case the client does not reply. HawkOpen does not issue invoices or collect payments.
A good reminder names the invoice number, amount and due date, links to the payment page or attaches the invoice, and asks politely whether anything is missing. A click on the payment link is a stronger signal than an open, but neither proves that the person read or agreed to anything.
Tracking of invoice PDFs page by page is a preview in HawkOpen: the server accepts files only after an external malware scan is switched on. Until then, attach the invoice in your mail app or link to it.
Related questions: [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I email a recruiter who has not replied, and can I see whether they opened my application?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/email-a-recruiter-who-has-not-replied
Wait about a week, then reply in the same thread with a short, friendly note: restate the role, say you are still interested and ask whether there is an update. HawkOpen shows whether your email was opened or a link clicked only if the recruiter has a recorded consent to tracking; without one, the email goes out without tracking. Even then, recruiting systems often scan links, so treat the signal as a hint.
Do not mention that you saw an open; it can sound intrusive, and the open may have been a machine. One or two follow-ups are enough. If your email is tracked, the recruiter also sees a short notice in it that it contains tracking.
HawkOpen labels likely scanner clicks, for example a click a few seconds after delivery, so you do not mistake them for interest. On the Pro plan you can set a reminder for yourself; on Business, Safe Follow-up drafts a polite follow-up that you send yourself.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply), [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### I emailed an estate agent: can I see whether they read my message?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-an-estate-agent-read-my-email
Only as a likely signal. Send the email tracked, from Gmail, Outlook on the web or Yahoo Mail with the HawkOpen extension or from the dashboard, and, if the agent has a recorded consent to tracking, you will see opens and link clicks with a label; without one, the email goes out without tracking. An open never proves that the agent read it; a reply is the only certain sign.
Agencies often use shared inboxes and mail systems that load images or check links automatically. If several people open the same message, or a scanner does, the signal still belongs to the address you wrote to. Keep the message short: the property reference, when you can view it, and how to reach you.
If there is no reply after a few days, a short polite follow-up or a call works better than more emails. HawkOpen does not write the message or contact the agent for you.
Related questions: [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read), [I emailed a lawyer or law firm: can I see whether they read my message?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-a-lawyer-read-my-email)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### I emailed a lawyer or law firm: can I see whether they read my message?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-a-lawyer-read-my-email
Only as a likely signal, only if the address you wrote to has a recorded consent to tracking, and less reliably than usual: law firms often run security systems that open emails and click links automatically. HawkOpen labels such events, but only a reply shows that a person dealt with your message.
Without a recorded consent the email goes out as an ordinary one, with no tracking and no notice. A tracked email ends with a short notice that it contains tracking and the link “Do not track my activity”. If you prefer not to track this email, switch tracking off for it before sending, or exclude the firm’s domain in your settings.
For the message itself, keep it short and factual: who you are, what the matter is about, any deadline, and the documents you can send. HawkOpen gives no legal advice and does not judge whether tracking suits a particular conversation.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Can I exclude some recipients or countries from tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#exclude-recipients-or-countries-from-tracking), [Will recipients know that my email is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/will-recipients-know-their-email-is-tracked)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal
Today, send the proposal by email; if the client has a recorded consent to tracking, you see opens and link clicks. HawkOpen’s proposal links, with time on each page, forwarding detection and an accept button, are a preview: the server accepts files only after an external malware scan is switched on.
When file scanning is on, a proposal link shows how long the document was viewed on each page (if the client agrees to it on the page), flags when it was likely forwarded to someone else, and lets the client accept, ask a question or request a meeting after confirming their email with a one-time code. Link previews by bots are not counted as views.
Time on a page is an observation, not proof of reading. An attached PDF in an ordinary email cannot be tracked at all, because opening an attachment happens on the client’s computer. The surest sign is still the client’s reply or acceptance.
Related questions: [Can a campaign attach a different file for each recipient?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/different-attachment-for-each-recipient), [Is HawkOpen an alternative to DocSend for sharing and tracking documents?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/docsend-alternatives)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I send a proposal by email so that I can see whether it was read?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#how-to-send-a-proposal-by-email
Today, write a short email that sums up the proposal, attach or link the file and send it: if the client has a recorded consent to tracking, you see opens and link clicks with their classification. HawkOpen’s own proposal links, with time per page and an accept button, are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
Put the key facts in the email itself: what you offer, the price or range, the deadline and the next step. Many people decide from the email and open the file later, or never. An attached file cannot be tracked, because opening it happens on the reader’s computer.
When file scanning is switched on, you upload the proposal once and create a personal link for each recipient. Before accepting or taking another action, the client confirms their email address with a one-time code; you see likely forwarding, those actions and, if the client agrees to it on the page, time on each page.
Related questions: [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal), [Can a campaign attach a different file for each recipient?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/different-attachment-for-each-recipient)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What can a client do on a HawkOpen proposal page? Can they comment or approve it?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#what-can-a-client-do-on-a-proposal-page
You choose which actions the link offers: accept the proposal, request a meeting, ask a question, submit a form, confirm that they have read it, or sign the document on the page. There is no comment thread on the pages. Proposal links are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
Before any action the client confirms their email address with a one-time code shortly beforehand, and only the person the link was sent to can act: someone it was forwarded to can read but not act. Each action is recorded with a signed confirmation, which goes by email to the client and to you, and you get a notice in your dashboard. A question can carry a short text, so it works as a simple way to send remarks; real discussion still happens by email or phone.
Related questions: [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal), [How do I send a proposal by email so that I can see whether it was read?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#how-to-send-a-proposal-by-email)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is the signed confirmation of a client’s decision, and how can it be checked?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#signed-confirmation-of-a-client-decision
Every action on a proposal link gets a confirmation: which action, which confirmed email address, when, and which version of the document. HawkOpen signs it with an Ed25519 key and links it to the previous confirmation of the same link, so a change breaks the check. Anyone holding it can check it on a public page.
The check shows only that the confirmation has not changed since HawkOpen signed it and that it names the stored version of the document. It does not prove who the person is: the one-time code shows access to the mailbox, not identity or authority to decide for a company. HawkOpen also publishes the public key, so the signature can be checked outside HawkOpen. Proposal links are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
Related questions: [What can a client do on a HawkOpen proposal page? Can they comment or approve it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#what-can-a-client-do-on-a-proposal-page), [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What can I show if a client says they never accepted my proposal?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#client-says-they-never-accepted-the-proposal
If the client accepted on a HawkOpen proposal link, you have a signed confirmation with the confirmed email address, the time and the document version, and the client received a copy by email. It records what happened in HawkOpen; it does not settle on its own whether a contract was made.
Keep the confirmation together with the proposal file and your email exchange. The one-time code shows access to the mailbox, not who clicked. For agreements that must be signed, ask for a signature instead of an acceptance: a signature request, or signing on the proposal page. Proposal links are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
Related questions: [What is the signed confirmation of a client’s decision, and how can it be checked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#signed-confirmation-of-a-client-decision)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is accepting a proposal in HawkOpen the same as signing a contract?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#is-accepting-a-proposal-the-same-as-signing
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
Not necessarily. Clicking to accept can create a binding agreement under the law that applies, and an electronic signature cannot be denied legal effect or refused as evidence solely because it is electronic (eIDAS, article 25). That does not make every click a qualified signature, nor does it meet every special form a document may require. In HawkOpen, accepting a proposal and signing are two separate steps.
An acceptance on a proposal page records the client’s decision with a signed confirmation. Signing is a separate step: a signature request or, where you offer it on the proposal link, signing the document on the proposal page; both are a simple electronic signature, not an advanced or qualified one.
If a document needs a particular form, such as a qualified signature or a written form required by law, use that form. Proposal links and signature requests are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
Related questions: [What is the signed confirmation of a client’s decision, and how can it be checked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#signed-confirmation-of-a-client-decision), [What can I show if a client says they never accepted my proposal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#client-says-they-never-accepted-the-proposal)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Can a proposal link expire, and does HawkOpen remind me before it does?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#proposal-link-expiry-and-reminders
Yes. You can give each link an end date or a number of days counted from the first opening, and you get a notice in your dashboard 7 days and 1 day before the end. Proposal links are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
Other options on a link: a limit on the number of views, opening only for addresses of one domain, a watermark, and allowing or blocking the download. You can also revoke a link at any time. The reminder goes to you, not to the client; if you want to nudge the client, write to them yourself.
Related questions: [How do I send a proposal by email so that I can see whether it was read?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#how-to-send-a-proposal-by-email), [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Which file types can I use for a proposal in HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#which-file-types-can-a-proposal-be
PDF, Word, PowerPoint and OpenDocument text or presentation files, older Word and PowerPoint files, and images (JPEG, PNG, WebP). HawkOpen turns everything into a PDF, up to 25 MB and 300 pages. Proposal links are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
The type is read from the file’s content, not from its name, and other files, such as spreadsheets, are refused. Check the converted PDF before you share it: fonts and layout of an office file can shift a little in the conversion. If the layout matters, save the proposal as a PDF yourself and upload that.
Related questions: [How do I send a proposal by email so that I can see whether it was read?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#how-to-send-a-proposal-by-email), [Can I build proposals with templates and pricing tables in HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#proposal-templates-and-pricing-tables)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How does HawkOpen detect that a proposal was forwarded?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#how-does-hawkopen-detect-a-forwarded-proposal
Each recipient gets a personal link. If someone opens it and confirms a different email address with the one-time code, HawkOpen marks the visit as a confirmed forward. If it is opened on a new device from a new network without a confirmed address, it is marked as a likely forward. Proposal links are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
A likely forward is a guess: the client may simply have opened the link on their phone at home. Visits that look automated, such as link previews, are not counted as forwards. A forward is often good news, because it can mean the proposal reached a decision-maker. If the document must stay with one company, limit the link to that company’s email domain.
Related questions: [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal), [Can I see which person at a company opened my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#which-person-at-a-company-opened-my-email)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I reuse or duplicate a proposal for another client?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#reuse-a-proposal-for-another-client
The same document can be shared with any number of people: each one gets a separate personal link with its own report. There is no editor for copying and changing a proposal; for a different version, change the file on your computer and upload it again. Proposal links are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
If you upload exactly the same file again, HawkOpen recognises it and reuses the stored document instead of keeping a copy. Every confirmation names the version of the document it refers to, so clients who saw different versions are not mixed up.
Related questions: [How do I send a proposal by email so that I can see whether it was read?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#how-to-send-a-proposal-by-email), [Which file types can I use for a proposal in HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#which-file-types-can-a-proposal-be)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I build proposals with templates and pricing tables in HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#proposal-templates-and-pricing-tables
No. HawkOpen does not build proposals: there is no proposal editor, pricing table or quote calculator. You create the document in your own tool and upload it; HawkOpen then shares it and shows how it was read. Proposal links are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
A word processor or presentation program with your own template works well: save the file and upload it as it is, or as a PDF. For the covering email you can save reusable email templates in HawkOpen, with a subject and text.
Related questions: [Which file types can I use for a proposal in HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#which-file-types-can-a-proposal-be), [How do I send a proposal by email so that I can see whether it was read?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#how-to-send-a-proposal-by-email)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What are HawkOpen deal rooms, and can I use one as a data room for investors?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#deal-rooms-and-investor-data-rooms
A deal room, on the Business plan, gathers PDF links, videos and signature requests for one deal in one place. You invite people by email, each gets a personal access link, and you see an access log. For an investor deck it works as a tracked document; it is simpler than a dedicated data room. It is a preview until file scanning is switched on.
A room ends at the latest one year after you create it, and you can remove a person, a document or the whole room at any time. Inside a PDF link you see time per page once the recipient agrees to it on the PDF page, as with any tracked document. Before you choose it for due diligence, check that it covers what your investors expect, such as folder structures or question-and-answer workflows, which HawkOpen does not describe as features.
Related questions: [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal), [Is HawkOpen an alternative to DocSend for sharing and tracking documents?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/docsend-alternatives)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I get a certificate that proves I sent an email or a document?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#certificate-that-proves-i-sent-an-email
HawkOpen can produce an evidence report for a sent email, listing what it recorded, such as sending, acceptance by the mail server and the observed signals. The report itself states its limits: it is not proof that the email reached the inbox or that a person read it, and it is not a qualified electronic delivery service.
Acceptance by the mail server means only that the receiving side took the message, not that the recipient saw it. If you need proof of delivery with a legal effect, use a service or channel that the applicable rules recognise for that purpose. For documents and signature requests, HawkOpen keeps its own signed records, which are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
Related questions: [What is the signed confirmation of a client’s decision, and how can it be checked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#signed-confirmation-of-a-client-decision)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I know whether someone looked at the contract or letter I sent?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#did-they-read-the-contract-i-sent
Send it by email; if the recipient has a recorded consent to tracking, you see opens and link clicks, which are only signals. An attached file cannot be tracked. HawkOpen’s PDF links, with time per page once the reader agrees on the page, and signature requests, which show when a document was signed or declined, are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
Time on a page means the page was on screen, not that it was read or understood. The clearest answer is still a reply or, for a contract, a signature. This works the same for a private person, for example a landlord sending a lease, as for a company.
Related questions: [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I see whether a recruiter or company opened my CV?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#did-a-recruiter-open-my-cv
Only if the recruiter has a recorded consent to tracking: then you see whether the email with your application was opened and whether links in it were clicked, also on the Free plan; without it, the email goes out without tracking. Treat it as a hint: company mail systems often open emails and test links automatically, and HawkOpen labels such events. An attached CV cannot be tracked.
A link to your portfolio or online profile clicked hours after sending is a better sign than an open. HawkOpen’s PDF links, which would show time per page of the CV itself once the recruiter agrees on the page, are a preview until file scanning is switched on. If your email is tracked, the recruiter also sees a short notice in it that it contains tracking, so do not mention in a follow-up that you saw an open.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How do I email a recruiter who has not replied, and can I see whether they opened my application?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/email-a-recruiter-who-has-not-replied), [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How can recruiters use email tracking with candidates responsibly?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#email-tracking-for-recruiters
Use it to time your follow-ups, not to judge people. Only candidates with a recorded consent are tracked; the others get an ordinary email. A tracked email carries a short notice with the link “Do not track my activity”. You can switch tracking off per campaign or per email, your company’s owner or an administrator for the whole account, and you can exclude addresses and domains.
Candidates may not expect tracking, and an open says little: phones, privacy features and company scanners load emails without a person. Never use an open or the absence of one in a hiring decision, and do not mention it to the candidate.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Will recipients know that my email is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/will-recipients-know-their-email-is-tracked), [Can I exclude some recipients or countries from tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#exclude-recipients-or-countries-from-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can a council or public authority use HawkOpen to see whether a letter sent by email was opened?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#can-a-public-authority-see-if-a-letter-was-opened
Technically it works like any tracked email, so only for citizens with a recorded consent to tracking, and an open is only a signal, not proof that the letter was received or read. HawkOpen is not a qualified electronic delivery service, so it cannot replace a channel that the rules require for official notices.
Citizens without a recorded consent get an ordinary email. A tracked email carries a short notice about tracking, and the citizen can turn it off with the link “Do not track my activity”. Whether an authority may track its correspondence at all is a question for its own rules and data protection officer.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Can I get a certificate that proves I sent an email or a document?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#certificate-that-proves-i-sent-an-email), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can an agency use HawkOpen for several clients?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#agency-with-several-clients
Yes, within limits. On the Business plan you can connect any number of mailboxes, for example one per client, and every email is shown under the mailbox it was sent from. If you belong to several teams, you can switch which team is active. There are no client logins with your own branding.
Emails go out through each client mailbox, so that mailbox’s own sending limits and reputation apply. Before connecting a client’s mailbox, agree with the client who may read its tracking data in HawkOpen.
Related questions: [How many recipients can a HawkOpen campaign have?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/how-many-recipients-can-a-campaign-have)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How can I get a proposal accepted and signed faster?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#get-a-proposal-accepted-faster
Make the next step one click: a proposal link with an accept button and a meeting request, signing on the same page or a separate signature request when a contract is needed, and a reminder for yourself in case nothing happens. Proposal links and signature requests are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
Signals help with timing: if the client agreed to time measurement and spent time on the price page, a short call may help more than another email. A signature request needs no account from the signer, who confirms access with a code sent by email. Reminders are on the Pro and Business plans.
Related questions: [What can a client do on a HawkOpen proposal page? Can they comment or approve it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#what-can-a-client-do-on-a-proposal-page), [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can a law firm use HawkOpen for email to clients?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#law-firm-client-email-tracking
Technically yes. Tracking applies only to clients with a recorded consent, and it is visible: every tracked email carries a short notice with the link “Do not track my activity”. Professional conduct rules for lawyers differ by country and may restrict tracking, so many firms keep it off for client matters. HawkOpen does not judge whether tracking suits a particular conversation.
Tracking stays off until your firm’s owner or an administrator switches it on, for the whole account or only for selected messages. You can switch open and link tracking off separately, per campaign or per email, or exclude clients’ addresses and domains in your settings. Law firms’ own mail systems also open emails and test links automatically, so signals from them are weak.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [I emailed a lawyer or law firm: can I see whether they read my message?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-a-lawyer-read-my-email), [Is secret email tracking ethical for lawyers and other professionals?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-covert-email-tracking-ethical)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How can an estate agent see who is really interested in a property listing?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#estate-agent-see-who-is-interested-in-a-listing
Send the listing to each buyer as a separate email with a link to the full details; clicks are recorded only for buyers with a recorded consent to link tracking. A click on that link, some time after delivery and classified as likely human activity, is a better sign of interest than an open; a reply or a viewing request is the real one.
Clicks within seconds of delivery are usually security scanners, and HawkOpen labels them. To reach many buyers at once, a campaign sends each person their own copy, up to 50 per campaign on Free and 500 on Pro and Business. HawkOpen does not publish listings or connect to property portals.
Related questions: [I emailed an estate agent: can I see whether they read my message?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-an-estate-agent-read-my-email), [Why was my link clicked seconds after I sent the email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/link-clicked-seconds-after-sending)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How can a salesperson use HawkOpen to time follow-ups?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#time-sales-follow-ups-with-tracking
Let HawkOpen tell you about replies and, on the Pro and Business plans, set alert rules for opens, such as several opens in a short time, then follow up when the signal is fresh. Machine events, such as privacy proxies and security scanners, are labelled and never fire an alert, so you do not call someone about a scanner.
Opens and clicks are recorded only for clients with a recorded consent to tracking; for the others, a reply is the only signal. When there is no signal at all, a reminder you add to the sent email tells you that it is time to try again, on the Pro and Business plans. Keep the follow-up about the client’s needs and never mention that you saw an open; on Business, Safe Follow-up can draft it for you.
Related questions: [Is email tracking worth it for sales and business emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/is-email-tracking-worth-it), [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can support or customer success teams use HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#customer-success-and-support-teams
Yes, for emails they send from their own mailboxes: opens and clicks with labels for recipients who consented to tracking, and replies on the Pro and Business plans. HawkOpen is not a ticketing system or a shared help-desk inbox, and it does not connect to one.
It helps most with one-to-one emails, such as a renewal reminder or a check-in after onboarding. On the Business plan, webhooks can pass events such as replies and clicks to your own system.
Related questions: [How can a salesperson use HawkOpen to time follow-ups?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#time-sales-follow-ups-with-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I track event invitations and RSVPs with HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#track-event-invitations-and-rsvps
Partly. You can send invitations by email, tracked for guests who consented to tracking, and, on the Business plan, add a poll so guests answer yes or no, or pick a date, with one click. HawkOpen has no event registration, ticketing or calendar invitations.
A vote is counted only after the guest confirms the choice on a short page, so scanners that open links cannot answer for them. Send the calendar invitation itself from your calendar app.
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can a nonprofit track emails to donors with HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#nonprofit-donor-email-tracking
Technically yes: personal emails to donors work on any plan, and campaigns, also on every plan, send each donor a separate copy with a “Do not send me messages” line. Only donors with a recorded consent are tracked, and every tracked email carries a short notice about it. HawkOpen is not a fundraising or donor-management system.
Opens and links are separate purposes, each with its own consent, so a donor may agree to one and not the other. You can also switch open tracking off for appeals and keep only link clicks.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What is an email campaign and how does one work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/what-is-an-email-campaign), [Will recipients know that my email is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/will-recipients-know-their-email-is-tracked)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can schools use HawkOpen for communication with parents?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#schools-and-parent-communication
HawkOpen is built for business email and has not been assessed for schools or for messages that concern children. Tracking stays off until the school’s owner or an administrator switches it on, and even then only parents with a recorded consent are tracked; a school can simply leave it off and use HawkOpen only for sending and replies.
Schools usually have their own rules and a data protection officer; ask them first.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Will recipients know that my email is tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/will-recipients-know-their-email-is-tracked)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I see which person at a company opened my email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#which-person-at-a-company-opened-my-email
Only per address you wrote to. Each tracked email goes to one recipient, so its opens and clicks belong to that address; if the email is forwarded to a colleague, their opens are counted under the same address and cannot be told apart.
To know about several people, send each of them their own copy. HawkOpen’s proposal links can flag a likely or confirmed forward, because the visitor confirms an email address with a code; they are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
Related questions: [How do I see which of several recipients opened my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/see-who-read-an-email-sent-to-several-people), [How does HawkOpen detect that a proposal was forwarded?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#how-does-hawkopen-detect-a-forwarded-proposal)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Did they read my email, and are they ignoring me on purpose?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#are-they-ignoring-my-email
Tracking cannot tell you that. An open can be a machine, such as Apple Mail Privacy Protection, and a missing open can be blocked images or a copy without tracking, because the recipient has no recorded consent. Even a real open does not show that the person read the email or decided not to answer.
People are busy, emails get buried and filters misplace them. Send one short, friendly follow-up in the same thread, or try another channel, and do not mention the open.
Related questions: [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read), [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I track a prospect’s engagement after a cold email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#track-engagement-after-a-cold-email
HawkOpen shows replies on the Pro and Business plans; opens and clicks, with a label for likely human activity or machine, only if the prospect has a recorded consent to tracking, otherwise the email goes out without tracking. HawkOpen’s terms do not allow unsolicited bulk messaging, and whether you may write to someone and whether you may track them are two separate questions.
A reply, or a click a person makes later, says more than an open.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Should I track opens and clicks in cold email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability#should-i-track-opens-in-cold-email), [Is email tracking worth it for sales and business emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/is-email-tracking-worth-it)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does email marketing still work, and is HawkOpen an email marketing tool?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases#does-email-marketing-still-work
Many businesses still use email to reach people who know them, and results depend on the list, the content and how relevant it is. HawkOpen is not an email marketing platform: it has no sign-up forms, subscriber management or automated sequences.
What HawkOpen does is send personal emails from your own mailbox and show what each recipient did: replies, and opens and clicks of those who consented to tracking. HawkOpen campaigns, in every plan, send the same message to up to 500 people at a time (50 on Free), each as a separate copy with a “Do not send me messages” line. For newsletters to large subscriber lists, a dedicated newsletter service fits better.
Related questions: [What is an email campaign and how does one work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/what-is-an-email-campaign)
Checked: 2026-11-12
## HawkOpen and other tools
How HawkOpen differs from other email trackers, sequencers, newsletter, document and e-signature tools, including where they do more.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare
### What is a good alternative to Mailtrack, and how does HawkOpen compare?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/mailtrack-alternatives
Both have a free plan with open tracking and link clicks in a limited number of emails a month. HawkOpen labels every open and click with a rule (likely human activity, mail proxy, scanner) and keeps each open; Mailtrack has an Outlook add-in, mobile apps and document and e-signature features available today, which HawkOpen does not.
According to Mailsuite’s pricing page, checked on 11 November 2026, the Mailtrack free plan has unlimited tracked emails, history of the first open only, a daily report, link clicks in 10 emails, 5 PDF documents, 5 signature requests, 100 bulk emails and 5 videos. Mailtrack runs in Gmail, has an Outlook add-in and Android and iPhone apps.
HawkOpen Free has opens without a limit with every open kept and classified, link clicks in 10 emails a month, 7 days of history and 1 mailbox, in Gmail, Outlook on the web and Yahoo Mail. Tracking stays off until your company’s owner or an admin switches it on, a recipient is tracked only with their recorded consent, and every tracked email tells the recipient about tracking. Campaigns are in every plan, and documents and e-signature are a preview until file scanning is switched on. For installing or cancelling Mailtrack, see Mailsuite’s own help pages.
Related questions: [What is an alternative to Yesware, and how does HawkOpen compare?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/yesware-alternatives), [What is the best email tracking software, and how do I choose one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/best-email-tracking-software), [Is there a free email tracker for Gmail?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/free-email-tracker-for-gmail)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is an alternative to Yesware, and how does HawkOpen compare?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/yesware-alternatives
Yesware has an Outlook add-in and a Gmail extension, and its free plan covers basic open and attachment tracking. HawkOpen Free adds link clicks in 10 emails a month and labels every open and click; it has no Outlook add-in, only an extension for Outlook on the web.
According to Yesware’s pricing page, checked on 11 November 2026, the free plan includes basic open tracking, basic attachment tracking and 10 campaign recipients a month; link click tracking and unlimited attachment tracking come with paid plans. Prices are on Yesware’s page; we do not repeat them here.
If you send from the Outlook desktop app every day, an add-in such as Yesware’s is more convenient; with HawkOpen you would send those emails from the HawkOpen dashboard. If you want to know which opens were likely machines, HawkOpen shows that for every event. Campaigns in HawkOpen are in every plan, Free included.
Related questions: [What is a good alternative to Mailtrack, and how does HawkOpen compare?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/mailtrack-alternatives), [What is the best email tracking software, and how do I choose one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/best-email-tracking-software)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do Streak, Superhuman and other read statuses compare with HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/streak-superhuman-and-other-read-statuses
Streak tracks emails and link clicks inside Gmail on all its plans and is stronger as a CRM in Gmail. Superhuman has its own read statuses. HawkOpen also works in Outlook on the web and Yahoo Mail and labels every open and click instead of showing a simple read mark.
According to Streak’s pricing page, checked on 11 November 2026, Streak runs only in Gmail, its free plan allows 50 mail-merge sends a day without CRM pipelines, and paid plans add pipelines. Superhuman describes its read statuses on its own blog; we could not confirm their current default settings on that date. We have no checked data on Boomerang or Bananatag, so we do not compare them.
Any read status built on a tracking image is affected by Apple Mail Privacy Protection and mail-provider proxies. HawkOpen shows which rule applied to each open and never presents an open as proof of reading.
Related questions: [Is Streak or CRM email tracking accurate?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/is-streak-email-tracking-accurate), [Does Apple Mail Privacy Protection create false opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/apple-mail-privacy-protection-false-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is Streak or CRM email tracking accurate?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/is-streak-email-tracking-accurate
No tracker based on a tracking image is exact, whichever tool it is in. Opens are missed when images are blocked, and false opens appear when Apple Mail or a mail provider loads images automatically. We have not tested Streak or any CRM ourselves.
A tracker that shows only “opened” or “not opened” cannot tell these cases apart. HawkOpen checks each open and click against named rules, for example Apple Mail Privacy Protection, Gmail and Microsoft image proxies, security scanners and burst clicks, and shows the label and rule code. The result is still an estimate, at most “likely”.
The most reliable signals are a reply and a click that is not from a scanner. If two tools track the same email, each adds its own tracking image, and both are affected by the same limits.
Related questions: [How do Streak, Superhuman and other read statuses compare with HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/streak-superhuman-and-other-read-statuses), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is the best email tracking software, and how do I choose one?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/best-email-tracking-software
There is no single best tool; it depends on where you write, what you need to know and how much certainty you expect. We do not publish a ranking. Compare tools on the mail apps they support, how they handle false opens, per-recipient tracking, the free plan and how recipients are informed.
What HawkOpen offers, so you can compare: a browser extension for Gmail, Outlook on the web and Yahoo Mail; a classification and rule code for every open and click; tracking only after your company’s owner or an admin switches it on and only for recipients whose consent is recorded, each in a separate tracked copy; a free plan with no time limit; and a notice about tracking in every tracked email, with a link where the recipient can turn it off.
What HawkOpen does not offer: an Outlook desktop add-in, mobile apps, automated email sequences, ready-made CRM integrations, and document and e-signature features in production (they are a preview until file scanning is on). If you need those, another tool may suit you better.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What is a good alternative to Mailtrack, and how does HawkOpen compare?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/mailtrack-alternatives), [What is an alternative to Yesware, and how does HawkOpen compare?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/yesware-alternatives), [Is Streak or CRM email tracking accurate?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/is-streak-email-tracking-accurate)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is HawkOpen an alternative to Mixmax, Saleshandy or GMass?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/mixmax-saleshandy-gmass-alternatives
Only partly. These tools are built for outreach: personalised mail merge and, in some, automated follow-up sequences. HawkOpen has neither; it tracks individual emails and simple campaigns of the same text, with every open and click labelled.
From their own pricing pages, checked on 11 November 2026: Mixmax has a free tier for 50 recipients a month and tracks opens, clicks and replies, with Gmail named as the client; Saleshandy has no permanent free plan but a 7-day trial and tracks opens, clicks and replies; GMass works in Gmail, has no free plan (it can be tried from the Chrome Web Store) and reports opens, clicks and replies.
If you run cold outreach with personal fields and automatic follow-ups, those tools do more. If you write to people one by one and want to know which signals were likely machines, HawkOpen is the narrower, more careful choice. Its Safe Follow-up on Business writes a draft but never sends automatically.
Related questions: [Can I send a mass email or a mail merge from Gmail or Outlook with HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/mass-email-and-mail-merge-from-gmail-or-outlook), [What is the best email tracking software, and how do I choose one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/best-email-tracking-software)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I use HawkOpen as a newsletter platform instead of a newsletter tool?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/which-newsletter-platform-to-choose
No. HawkOpen has no sign-up forms, no subscriber management and no newsletter designer or automation. It sends personal emails and simple campaigns of up to 500 recipients from your own mailbox. For a regular newsletter, use a dedicated newsletter platform; we do not rank them.
Newsletter platforms send from their own servers, manage consent and unsubscribes for large lists and offer templates and statistics. HawkOpen campaigns go out through your Gmail, Outlook or IMAP/SMTP mailbox, so your provider’s sending limits apply, and they are meant for people who know you.
What HawkOpen adds where it fits: every recipient gets a separate copy that ends with a “Do not send me messages” link and carries a one-click unsubscribe header; a copy is tracked, with labelled opens and clicks, only where your company has switched tracking on and the recipient has consented; and addresses that bounced hard or unsubscribed are skipped. When choosing a newsletter tool, compare sending limits, price per contact, how consent is recorded and where data is stored.
Related questions: [What is an email campaign and how does one work?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/campaigns/what-is-an-email-campaign), [Is HawkOpen an alternative to Mixmax, Saleshandy or GMass?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/mixmax-saleshandy-gmass-alternatives)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is HawkOpen an alternative to DocSend for sharing and tracking documents?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/docsend-alternatives
Not today. HawkOpen’s document links, with time on each page and forwarding detection, are a preview: the server accepts files only after an external malware scan is switched on. HawkOpen is also not a data room for due diligence.
We could not read DocSend’s pricing page on 11 November 2026, so we do not compare its plans or prices. If you need to share a pitch deck or contract and see engagement today, a dedicated document-sharing or data-room tool is the right choice.
What HawkOpen does today: it tracks the email that carries your link, with labelled opens and clicks per recipient. When file scanning is on, its document and proposal links add time per page (once the recipient agrees to it on the page), likely-forwarding flags and client actions such as accepting or asking a question.
Related questions: [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal), [Is HawkOpen a cheaper alternative to DocuSign or PandaDoc for e-signatures?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/docusign-alternatives)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is HawkOpen a cheaper alternative to DocuSign or PandaDoc for e-signatures?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/docusign-alternatives
Not today. HawkOpen’s e-signature is a simple electronic signature only, not advanced or qualified, and it is a preview until file scanning is switched on. Dedicated tools such as PandaDoc offer more today, including a qualified signature on some plans.
According to PandaDoc’s pricing page, checked on 11 November 2026, its free plan covers 5 documents a month and up to 5 templates, all plans offer e-signatures under eIDAS and ESIGN, a qualified electronic signature is available on Business and Enterprise with an annual plan only, and US or EU data residency is offered only on Enterprise. We do not repeat DocuSign’s or PandaDoc’s prices.
In HawkOpen, signature requests are counted per month: 1 on Free and 5 on Pro. When a contract needs an advanced or qualified signature, use a provider that offers it. HawkOpen’s strength is knowing what happened to the email around the document.
Related questions: [Is HawkOpen an alternative to DocSend for sharing and tracking documents?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/docsend-alternatives), [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does HawkOpen have public reviews or ratings?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#does-hawkopen-have-public-reviews
Not yet. HawkOpen is in a controlled launch and has no public reviews or ratings, and we do not publish testimonials in their place.
To judge HawkOpen yourself, start with the Free plan: it costs €0, needs no card and has no time limit. Our pages also list what HawkOpen does not do yet, for example that documents and e-signature stay a preview until file scanning is switched on.
Related questions: [Where is HawkOpen weaker than established email tracking tools?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#where-hawkopen-is-weaker), [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Should I use my sales CRM’s built-in email tracking or HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#hawkopen-or-crm-built-in-email-tracking
If your team already works in a sales CRM, its own tracking logs opens and clicks right on the contact record, and HawkOpen will not replace that CRM. HawkOpen is the narrower tool: it labels every open and click with the rule behind it, but it has no ready-made link to any CRM.
Both kinds of tracking rely on the same tracking image and tracked links, so both are affected by Apple Mail Privacy Protection, mail-provider proxies and security scanners. HawkOpen shows which rule applied to each event; a CRM usually shows a simple opened or clicked mark. If you track the same email in both tools, it carries two sets of tracking elements.
To pass HawkOpen events on, the Business plan sends signed webhooks that an automation tool can forward. Pro and Business also include HawkOpen’s own simple CRM (on Free it is a paid add-on with a trial), which suits people who do not use a CRM yet.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen integrate with my CRM, such as Pipedrive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-integrate-with-a-crm), [Is Streak or CRM email tracking accurate?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/is-streak-email-tracking-accurate)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How does HawkOpen compare with PandaDoc for proposals and document tracking?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#hawkopen-vs-pandadoc-for-proposals
PandaDoc is the stronger choice today: it tracks documents and offers e-signatures in production, including a qualified signature on some plans. HawkOpen’s proposal links and its simple e-signature are a preview until file scanning is switched on.
According to PandaDoc’s pricing page, checked on 11 November 2026, real-time document tracking and an audit trail are on its Free and Starter plans, recipient analytics and automatic reminders start with Business, all plans offer e-signatures under eIDAS and ESIGN, and a qualified electronic signature is on Business and Enterprise with an annual plan only. We do not repeat PandaDoc’s prices.
With any tool, document tracking works only when the client opens the document through the tool’s link, not when you attach a PDF to an email. When file scanning is on, HawkOpen’s proposal links add time per page (once the client agrees to it on the page), likely-forwarding flags and client actions: accept, request a meeting, ask a question, submit a form or acknowledge. Its e-signature is a simple electronic signature, not advanced or qualified.
Related questions: [Is HawkOpen a cheaper alternative to DocuSign or PandaDoc for e-signatures?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/docusign-alternatives), [Is HawkOpen an alternative to DocSend for sharing and tracking documents?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/docsend-alternatives)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is Mailtrack legal under the GDPR, and does it tell recipients their email is tracked?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#is-mailtrack-legal
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
HawkOpen does not assess whether another company’s product meets the law. Whether a tracking service is permitted depends on how it actually works and on the law of the country concerned. What is public: in appeal decision RR/00541/2023 (case PS/00328/2022), Spain’s data protection authority, the AEPD, upheld fines against the company behind Mailtrack.
The AEPD’s assessment rested on how that specific service worked: its purposes, its effect on the processing and how recipients were informed. The decision does not show that every tracking provider is treated the same way, and we have not established the outcome of any later court review. We have not checked how Mailtrack works today; see its provider’s own pages.
For HawkOpen itself: a recipient without a recorded consent gets an email without tracking, and a tracked email ends with a short notice that it contains tracking elements and the link “Do not track my activity”, which opens a page where the recipient refuses tracking by that company.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What is a good alternative to Mailtrack, and how does HawkOpen compare?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/mailtrack-alternatives)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Mailbutler vs Yesware: which is better for Gmail, Outlook or Apple Mail?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#mailbutler-vs-yesware
It depends on your mail app. Yesware lists an Outlook add-in and a Gmail extension and has a free plan; Mailbutler has no free plan and its pricing page does not say which mail apps it supports. We do not rank them, and HawkOpen does not work in Apple Mail.
From their pricing pages, checked on 11 November 2026: Mailbutler offers a 14-day trial without a card; basic tracking is in its Starter and Professional plans, and Smart adds engagement, device and location data and per-recipient tracking. Its “e-signature” means an email signature, not signing documents. Yesware’s free plan has basic open and attachment tracking; link clicks come with paid plans. We could not confirm Superhuman’s prices, so we do not compare it.
HawkOpen runs as a browser extension in Gmail, Outlook on the web and Yahoo Mail, in Chrome and Firefox, and labels every open and click with the rule behind it. If you write mainly in Apple Mail or the Outlook desktop app, choose a tool that supports it.
Related questions: [What is an alternative to Yesware, and how does HawkOpen compare?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/yesware-alternatives), [Do Mailtrack or Yesware work with Outlook or on mobile?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#does-mailtrack-work-with-outlook)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do Mailtrack, Yesware, Streak, Mixmax and Boomerang compare?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#mailtrack-yesware-streak-boomerang-compared
They differ mainly in which mail apps they support and what their free plans include; all of them track opens with a tracking image, so all share the same limits. We have no checked data on Boomerang.
From their pricing pages, checked on 11 November 2026: Mailtrack (now under the Mailsuite name) works in Gmail, has an Outlook add-in and Android and iPhone apps, and its free plan has unlimited tracked emails with first-open history and link clicks in 10 emails. Yesware has an Outlook add-in and a Gmail extension; its free plan covers basic open and attachment tracking, link clicks are paid. Streak runs only in Gmail, tracks emails and link clicks on every plan including the free one, and adds CRM pipelines on paid plans. Mixmax names Gmail, tracks opens, clicks and replies, and has a free tier for 50 recipients a month.
Whatever the tool, Apple Mail Privacy Protection and mail-provider proxies create opens nobody made, and security scanners click links. HawkOpen shows the rule behind each event instead of a plain read mark; it runs in Gmail, Outlook on the web and Yahoo Mail, without mobile apps or an Outlook desktop add-in.
Related questions: [What is a good alternative to Mailtrack, and how does HawkOpen compare?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/mailtrack-alternatives), [What is an alternative to Yesware, and how does HawkOpen compare?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/yesware-alternatives), [How do Streak, Superhuman and other read statuses compare with HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/streak-superhuman-and-other-read-statuses)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I switch from Mailtrack to HawkOpen, and can I import my history?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#switch-from-mailtrack-to-hawkopen
Install the HawkOpen extension or connect your mailbox, and switch off the other tracker. HawkOpen cannot import tracking history from Mailtrack or any other tool, so your old history stays there.
Step by step: add the HawkOpen extension to Chrome (also Edge, Brave or Opera) or Firefox, or connect Gmail or Outlook with your Google or Microsoft sign-in, or another mailbox through IMAP/SMTP. Then switch off or remove the old tracker, otherwise each email carries two sets of tracking elements. Export or keep what you need from the old tool before you cancel it there. In HawkOpen, tracking starts only after your company’s owner or an admin switches it on, and only for recipients whose consent is recorded.
Only CRM contacts can be brought in: on the Pro and Business plans (or with the CRM add-on on Free) you can import them from a CSV file. Open and click history always starts fresh in HawkOpen.
Related questions: [What is a good alternative to Mailtrack, and how does HawkOpen compare?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/mailtrack-alternatives), [Is there a free email tracker for Gmail?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/free-email-tracker-for-gmail)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What makes HawkOpen different from other email trackers?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#what-makes-hawkopen-different
HawkOpen explains every signal: each open and click gets a category, such as likely human activity, mail-provider proxy or security scanner, and the rule that decided it. It never presents an open as proof of reading.
Other points we can check in the product: tracking stays off until your company’s owner or an admin switches it on, and a recipient is tracked only with their recorded consent; each tracked recipient gets a separate copy, so a signal belongs to one person; every tracked email carries a short notice with a link where the recipient can turn tracking off; the Free plan has no time limit; and it works in Gmail, Outlook on the web and Yahoo Mail, plus any mailbox you connect through IMAP/SMTP. The verdict is still an estimate, at most “likely”.
We compared these points only with what competitors’ pricing pages said on 11 November 2026, not with full tests of their products. Where HawkOpen is weaker, for example no mobile apps and documents still in preview, is described in a separate answer.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Where is HawkOpen weaker than established email tracking tools?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#where-hawkopen-is-weaker), [What is the best email tracking software, and how do I choose one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/best-email-tracking-software)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Where is HawkOpen weaker than established email tracking tools?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#where-hawkopen-is-weaker
HawkOpen is newer and smaller: it is in a controlled launch, has no public reviews yet, no mobile apps and no Outlook desktop add-in, and its document and e-signature features are still a preview.
PDF, proposal, video and e-signature links work only once external file scanning is switched on; until then the server does not accept files. The e-signature is a simple electronic signature only, while some tools offer a qualified one. HawkOpen has no automated email sequences, no ready-made CRM integrations and no public API.
An independent security assessment is still pending, and the hosting region has not been published yet. If you need any of these today, an established tool may suit you better.
Related questions: [What makes HawkOpen different from other email trackers?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#what-makes-hawkopen-different), [What is the best email tracking software, and how do I choose one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/best-email-tracking-software)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Do Mailtrack or Yesware work with Outlook or on mobile?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#does-mailtrack-work-with-outlook
Yes, according to their pricing pages checked on 11 November 2026: Mailsuite, which sells Mailtrack, lists an Outlook add-in and Android and iPhone apps, and Yesware lists an Outlook add-in next to its Gmail extension.
Here both tools are stronger than HawkOpen, which has no Outlook desktop add-in and no mobile apps. HawkOpen runs as a browser extension in Outlook on the web, Gmail and Yahoo Mail; for emails written in the Outlook desktop app you would send them from the HawkOpen dashboard instead.
Related questions: [What is a good alternative to Mailtrack, and how does HawkOpen compare?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/mailtrack-alternatives), [What is an alternative to Yesware, and how does HawkOpen compare?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/yesware-alternatives)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is a free email tracker plan a trap, and is cancelling hard?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#is-a-free-tracker-plan-a-trap
We can only answer for HawkOpen: its Free plan has no time limit and needs no card, and its limits are listed up front. A paid plan is cancelled from the dashboard and ends at the end of the period you paid for.
On Free you get opens without a limit, link clicks in 10 emails a month, 1 mailbox and 7 days of history, and emails sent with a chosen look (a mail design) carry a short HawkOpen line in the footer. The one offer that renews by itself is HawkOpen Intro: €1 for 20 days, after which, unless you cancel during Intro, it becomes a Business subscription billed yearly, or monthly if you chose that when buying Intro.
Related questions: [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include), [How do I cancel my HawkOpen subscription?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-do-i-cancel-my-subscription)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Is Mailtrack the same as Mailsuite or Mailtracker?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#is-mailtrack-the-same-as-mailsuite
Mailtrack and Mailsuite come from the same company, The Mail Track Company, S.L.: on 11 November 2026 Mailtrack’s pricing page redirected to Mailsuite’s, where Mailtrack is one plan and Mailsuite a higher one. We have no checked information on other trackers with similar names.
HawkOpen is a separate product with no link to these brands; it is made by TriStiX S.L. in Spain.
Related questions: [What is a good alternative to Mailtrack, and how does HawkOpen compare?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/mailtrack-alternatives)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is a sales engagement platform or an email sequence, and do I need one?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare#what-is-a-sales-engagement-platform
A sales engagement platform sends a series of emails, and often calls and tasks, to many prospects and stops for each person when they reply. HawkOpen is not one: it has no automated sequences.
You need one if you contact many new prospects and want follow-ups to go out by themselves. If you write to people one by one, HawkOpen offers lighter help instead: reminders when someone has not replied (Pro and Business), Safe Follow-up on Business, which prepares a draft after at least 24 hours but never sends it for you, and campaigns of the same text without personal merge fields.
Related questions: [Is HawkOpen an alternative to Mixmax, Saleshandy or GMass?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/compare/mixmax-saleshandy-gmass-alternatives)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Alerts, notifications and teams
What notifies you (replies, bounces and alerts, not single opens or clicks), your own alert rules, alerts by email, Microsoft Teams and Slack, and how team seats, roles and invitations work.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account
### Can I be alerted only when an open or a click is classified as likely human activity?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#alerts-only-for-likely-human-activity
Alerts already work that way: an open or a click classified as a machine, such as Apple Mail Privacy Protection, a mail provider’s proxy or a security scanner, never fires an alert; it is only listed in the email’s history. A single open or click does not send a browser notification at all: notifications come for replies, bounces, unsubscribes and fired alerts.
Every open and click gets a category. The rule for a return after days of silence ignores opens classified as a machine, the rule for several opens in a short time counts only opens classified as human activity, and email click alerts on Business ignore scanner clicks.
Machine activity is not hidden: it stays in the email’s history with its category and rule code, so you can see why it did not fire an alert.
Related questions: [How can I get a notification when someone opens my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/get-notified-when-someone-opens-outlook-email), [Are bot clicks inflating my click rate, and how do I filter scanner clicks?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/bot-clicks-inflate-click-rate), [Why does my tracker say an email was opened when nobody opened it?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-tracker-says-opened-when-nobody-opened)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I create my own alert rules?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#custom-alert-rules
Yes, on the Pro and Business plans. There are three kinds of rule: several opens in a short time, a return to the email after days of silence, and no reply after a set time; you choose the numbers for each.
What you can set: for repeated opens, how many opens (2 to 100) within how many minutes (up to 24 hours), by default 3 opens in 30 minutes; for a return, how many days of silence (1 to 365), by default 7; for no reply, how many hours (up to 90 days), by default 24. A rule can be switched off without deleting it.
Each rule alerts you once per email, not on every further open, and opens classified as a machine never count. The Free plan has one fixed rule: an alert when there is no reply within 24 hours.
Related questions: [How can I get a notification when someone opens my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/get-notified-when-someone-opens-outlook-email), [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies), [Am I notified on every open or only on the first one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#notify-on-every-open-or-first-only)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What alerts do I get on the Free plan?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#alerts-on-the-free-plan
On the Free plan there is one fixed alert when an email gets no reply within 24 hours, and the browser extension shows notifications for fired alerts, bounces and unsubscribes; a single open or click does not send a notification. Your own alert rules start with Pro; alerts by email, to Microsoft Teams or by webhook come with Business.
The settings have one notification switch, for replies: a single open or click never sends a notification, so there is no switch for it. Reply notifications need reply detection, which starts with Pro.
Related questions: [Can I create my own alert rules?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#custom-alert-rules), [What does the HawkOpen Free plan include?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/what-does-the-free-plan-include), [Why am I not getting notifications when my email is opened?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#not-getting-open-notifications)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Does HawkOpen send browser or phone push notifications?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#browser-and-phone-push-notifications
In the browser, yes: the HawkOpen extension shows desktop notifications while the browser is running. On a phone, no: HawkOpen has no mobile app, so there are no phone push notifications; on Business you can receive alerts by email or in Microsoft Teams and read them on your phone.
Browser notifications come for replies (Pro and Business), bounces, unsubscribes and fired alerts; a single open or click does not send one. If they do not appear, check that your computer allows notifications from the browser.
Related questions: [Is there a HawkOpen app for Android or iPhone?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/mailboxes/email-tracking-app-for-android-iphone), [Can HawkOpen send alerts to my email address?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#email-alerts), [Can I get HawkOpen alerts in Microsoft Teams?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#microsoft-teams-alerts)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can HawkOpen send alerts to my email address?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#email-alerts
Yes, on the Business plan. In the settings you switch email alerts on separately for opens, for link clicks and for PDF documents; all three are off until you switch them on.
An email alert goes out when one of your alert rules fires, for example several opens in a short time or no reply after a set time, and, with click alerts on, at the first click on a link in an email.
If you set quiet hours, alerts that fall into them are held and sent when the quiet hours end, in the time zone you chose. On Free and Pro, notifications appear in the browser extension instead.
Related questions: [What alerts do I get on the Free plan?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#alerts-on-the-free-plan), [Does HawkOpen send browser or phone push notifications?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#browser-and-phone-push-notifications), [Can I create my own alert rules?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#custom-alert-rules)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I get HawkOpen alerts in Microsoft Teams?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#microsoft-teams-alerts
Yes, on the Business plan. In Teams you create a workflow that receives a webhook request, copy its address and paste it into HawkOpen’s settings; HawkOpen then posts each alert as a short text message to that chat or channel.
Use the Workflows app in Teams (it runs on Power Automate) with a template that starts with “When a Teams webhook request is received”. The address must begin with https. If you post to a shared channel, the whole team sees the alerts.
Only alerts go to Teams, not every single open, and your quiet hours apply to them as well.
Related questions: [Can I get HawkOpen alerts in Slack?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#slack-alerts), [Can I create my own alert rules?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#custom-alert-rules), [Can HawkOpen send alerts to my email address?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#email-alerts)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I get HawkOpen alerts in Slack?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#slack-alerts
Not directly: HawkOpen has no built-in Slack integration. On the Business plan you can send HawkOpen webhooks, including an event for every fired alert, to an automation tool such as Zapier or Make, and let that tool post the message to Slack.
In HawkOpen you add the webhook address from the automation tool and choose the events to send, for example alert.triggered, message.reply or message.click. Each delivery is signed, so the receiver can check that it came from HawkOpen. If your team uses Microsoft Teams, alerts can go there directly, without an extra tool.
Related questions: [Can I get HawkOpen alerts in Microsoft Teams?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#microsoft-teams-alerts), [Does HawkOpen integrate with my CRM, such as Pipedrive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-integrate-with-a-crm)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Why am I not getting notifications when my email is opened?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#not-getting-open-notifications
Because HawkOpen does not send a browser notification for a single open. You hear about opens through alert rules on the Pro and Business plans, such as several opens in a short time or a return after days of silence; opens by Apple Mail, a mail provider’s proxy or a scanner never fire one. If an alert does not come, check that the extension is signed in while the browser runs and that the email was really sent with tracking.
Go through these points: you have an alert rule for opens switched on; your computer allows notifications from the browser; the email appears in your HawkOpen history as tracked; the recipient’s mail app loaded images, because without that no open is recorded at all.
Tracking itself may be off for that recipient: it works only after your company’s owner or an administrator has switched it on, and only for recipients whose consent to tracking opens is recorded for your company. Without that consent the recipient gets an ordinary email, and no open can be recorded.
Email alerts on Business are off until you switch them on, and quiet hours hold them until the quiet hours end. Alert rules fire once per email, so a second round of opens does not alert you again.
Related questions: [Why is my email not being tracked?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/setup/why-is-my-email-not-tracked), [Can I be alerted only when an open or a click is classified as likely human activity?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#alerts-only-for-likely-human-activity), [What happens if the recipient blocks images?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/what-if-recipient-blocks-images)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Am I notified on every open or only on the first one?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#notify-on-every-open-or-first-only
Neither: a single open or click does not send a browser notification. To hear about opens, use an alert rule on the Pro or Business plan; each rule alerts you once per email, for example after several opens in a short time.
There is no setting for “first open only”. The rule for several opens in a short time counts only opens classified as human activity, and the rule for a return after days of silence ignores opens classified as a machine.
Related questions: [Can I create my own alert rules?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#custom-alert-rules), [Why does one email show many opens?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/why-one-email-shows-many-opens)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I invite teammates to HawkOpen?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#invite-teammates
Not at the moment. In the current production version of HawkOpen, team invitations cannot yet be sent, accepted or revoked, so for now each person uses their own HawkOpen account.
What works today in a team you already belong to: seeing the team and its members, and switching which of your teams is active. Creating a new team and adding people to it are not available yet.
Related questions: [How do team seats work, and is there a discount for larger teams?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#team-seats-and-volume-discounts), [What roles does a HawkOpen team have, and can I transfer ownership?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#team-roles-and-ownership), [Can teammates see each other’s tracked emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#can-teammates-see-my-tracked-emails)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do team seats work, and is there a discount for larger teams?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#team-seats-and-volume-discounts
You pay per person (seat), from 1 to 10,000 seats in one team. From 5 seats the price per seat goes down, and the discount grows with the size of the team, up to 20%.
The discount follows the number of seats, so the price shown before you pay already includes it. You can change the number of seats later, but not below the number of people already in the team or invited to it.
Related questions: [How much does HawkOpen cost?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-much-does-hawkopen-cost), [How do I invite teammates to HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#invite-teammates)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can teammates see each other’s tracked emails?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#can-teammates-see-my-tracked-emails
No, not email by email. In a HawkOpen team each person sees their own tracked emails, mailboxes and templates. What the team shares is the plan, the seats, the billing and the summary numbers in the dashboard, which count the whole team without addresses.
The owner and administrators see the member list and pending invitations and manage roles and seats. There is no shared feed of everyone’s opens and clicks; if a team wants alerts in one place, Business can post alerts to a shared Microsoft Teams channel.
In the current production version of HawkOpen, inviting people, removing members and changing roles are not available yet; viewing the team and its members and switching the active team work.
Related questions: [How do I invite teammates to HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#invite-teammates), [Can I get HawkOpen alerts in Microsoft Teams?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#microsoft-teams-alerts), [What roles does a HawkOpen team have, and can I transfer ownership?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#team-roles-and-ownership)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I have several teams or client workspaces under one login?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#several-teams-under-one-login
One login can belong to more than one team, next to its personal workspace, and you switch which one is active; each team has its own plan, seats and members, and there is no combined view across teams. In the current production version, though, new teams cannot be created and invitations cannot be sent or accepted yet, so you can switch only between teams your login already belongs to.
Your tracked emails, mailboxes and templates belong to you inside the active team, so switching teams shows that team’s data.
Related questions: [How do I invite teammates to HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#invite-teammates), [What roles does a HawkOpen team have, and can I transfer ownership?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#team-roles-and-ownership)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What roles does a HawkOpen team have, and can I transfer ownership?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#team-roles-and-ownership
A team has one owner, administrators and members. The owner controls billing, seats and roles; administrators invite and remove members; members use HawkOpen with their own data. Ownership cannot be transferred in HawkOpen today.
The owner cannot be removed or given another role. If the account has to pass to someone else, that person sets up their own team and subscription, and the current owner cancels theirs at the end of the paid period.
Only the owner or an administrator can switch tracking on for the company, for the whole account or only for selected messages and campaigns, and record recipients’ consents that the company collected; members cannot switch tracking on for the company.
In the current production version of HawkOpen, inviting people, removing members and changing roles are not available yet; viewing the team and its members and switching the active team work.
Related questions: [How do I invite teammates to HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/account#invite-teammates), [How do I cancel my HawkOpen subscription?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/pricing/how-do-i-cancel-my-subscription)
Checked: 2026-11-12
## Reports and analytics
What the dashboard, the weekly and monthly reports and the exports show, and how rates are counted.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports
### What are the weekly and monthly reports, and is there a daily digest?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#reports-weekly-monthly
On the Business plan HawkOpen prepares a report every Monday for the past week and on the 1st of each month for the past month: emails sent, observed opens and clicks next to machine and proxy opens and scanner clicks, replies, open and click rates, and the average time to reply. Observed means that nothing pointed at a machine, not that a person opened. There is no daily digest.
Reports appear in the dashboard, and the live stream announces each new one. When no copy in the period was tracked, the report shows that tracking was off instead of zeros. For day-to-day news, use notifications, which come for replies and fired alerts (a single open or click does not send one); email alerts are part of Business.
Related questions: [How is the click rate calculated, and are scanner clicks excluded?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#click-through-rate-calculation), [Are events shown in real time?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#real-time-updates)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What analytics does the dashboard show?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#analytics-dashboard
On every plan, a summary for a chosen period: emails sent, observed opens and clicks next to machine and proxy opens and scanner clicks, replies where your plan detects them, and rates over the recipients whose copy was tracked. The period is limited by your plan’s history: 7 days on the free plan.
Business adds a fuller analytics view with downloads, weekly and monthly reports and an overview for the account owner and administrators. Every figure counts the same way: there is no “human” number; observed only means that nothing pointed at a machine, and a period with no tracked copy shows that tracking was off instead of zeros.
Related questions: [Can I export tracking data to CSV, Excel or PDF?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#export-tracking-data), [What is the command center?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#command-center)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I export tracking data to CSV, Excel or PDF?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#export-tracking-data
On the Business plan, yes: the analytics view can be downloaded as CSV (which opens in Excel), JSON or PDF. There is no one-click export of every raw event on the other plans.
An export carries what the analytics view shows, and like every figure in HawkOpen it has no “human” number. The weekly and monthly reports stay available in the dashboard.
Related questions: [What analytics does the dashboard show?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#analytics-dashboard), [What are the weekly and monthly reports, and is there a daily digest?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#reports-weekly-monthly)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How is the click rate calculated, and are scanner clicks excluded?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#click-through-rate-calculation
Yes, scanner clicks are left out. The click rate is the share of recipients with a tracked copy, accepted by the sending server, who have at least one observed click: a click with no sign of a machine, which does not prove that a person clicked. Clicks classified as a security scanner, a link preview or another machine are counted separately.
The open rate is counted the same way. Because it counts recipients, not clicks, one person clicking five links still counts once. A recipient without a recorded consent gets an untracked copy and is left out of the rate; when no copy in the period was tracked, the dashboard shows that tracking is off instead of a zero. The rate is lower than in tools that count every click, which is expected.
Related questions: [Are bot clicks inflating my click rate, and how do I filter scanner clicks?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/clicks/bot-clicks-inflate-click-rate), [Does HawkOpen show an open rate per campaign?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#open-rate-per-campaign)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Does HawkOpen show an open rate per campaign?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#open-rate-per-campaign
Each campaign shows sent, replied, bounced and unsubscribed, and for its tracked copies the observed opens and clicks next to machine and proxy opens and scanner clicks, both as events and as recipients. There is no ready-made rate, but you can work it out from those numbers; observed means no sign of a machine, not proof that a person opened.
Opens from Apple Mail Privacy Protection, provider proxies and scanners are counted as machine or proxy opens, not as observed ones, so the observed figure is lower and steadier than a raw open rate. Compare campaigns using the same way of counting.
A recipient without a recorded consent gets an untracked copy and can never show as opened or clicked; a campaign with no tracked copy shows that tracking is off instead of zeros.
Related questions: [How is the click rate calculated, and are scanner clicks excluded?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#click-through-rate-calculation), [What is a good email open rate?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/average-email-open-rate)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What does the event history for a recipient show?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#event-history-per-recipient
Every event of the message in time order, for each recipient: sending, image requests, clicks on tracked links and, on Pro and Business, replies. Each has its time, category, confidence and rule codes, and the newest verdict if later signals changed it.
Open an email from the message list, which shows your newest 200 emails. Machine events stay in the list so you can see why an open was counted as a machine.
A recipient without a recorded consent gets an untracked copy, so their history has no image requests or tracked clicks.
Related questions: [What exactly does HawkOpen record about a sent email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#what-hawkopen-records), [Can I see exactly when the email was opened?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#exact-time-of-open)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Are events shown in real time?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#real-time-updates
Yes. The dashboard and the extension keep a live connection, so new events appear without reloading. HawkOpen does not publish a guaranteed delay, and some verdicts are refined a few seconds later when related clicks arrive.
Notifications come for replies, bounces, unsubscribes and fired alerts, not for single opens or clicks, so scanner bursts right after sending stay quiet.
Related questions: [What are the weekly and monthly reports, and is there a daily digest?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#reports-weekly-monthly), [What does the event history for a recipient show?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#event-history-per-recipient)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I A/B test subject lines or content?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#statistical-experiments
Business has statistical experiments: you define variants and a measure, HawkOpen assigns each recipient to a variant in a repeatable way and estimates the difference with its uncertainty. You prepare the variants yourself; campaigns do not split subject lines automatically.
Choose a measure that depends less on machines, such as observed clicks (clicks with no sign of a machine) or replies; opens are distorted by privacy proxies.
Related questions: [How is the click rate calculated, and are scanner clicks excluded?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#click-through-rate-calculation), [Does HawkOpen show an open rate per campaign?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#open-rate-per-campaign)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I filter and search messages in the dashboard?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#dashboard-filters-and-search
You can search the message list by subject or recipient address. The list shows your newest 200 emails, and you can filter it by mailbox and by status, such as replied, bounced, rejected by the provider, or an observed open or click.
There is no “unread” filter, because HawkOpen cannot know what was read; open the message to see the category of each event.
Related questions: [What does the event history for a recipient show?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#event-history-per-recipient), [What analytics does the dashboard show?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#analytics-dashboard)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Which time zone are times shown in?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#timezones-in-dashboard
Event times in the dashboard follow your device’s clock. The time-zone setting in your account, UTC until you change it, is used for quiet hours of notifications, for the calendar month of the monthly plan limits and for some overview views.
Set your time zone in the account settings so that quiet hours start and end when you expect.
Related questions: [Can I see exactly when the email was opened?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#exact-time-of-open), [Are events shown in real time?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#real-time-updates)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I see opens broken down by email client or device?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#opens-by-email-client-report
Not as an aggregate report. Each event shows its category, such as Apple Mail Privacy Protection or proxy cache, and the summary separates proxy opens, but there is no breakdown of all opens by mail program or device.
Proxies hide the real program and device anyway, so such a breakdown would mostly show Apple, Google and Microsoft servers rather than your readers.
Related questions: [What categories can an open or click have?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy#open-signal-categories), [What analytics does the dashboard show?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#analytics-dashboard)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is the command center?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#command-center
An overview of the whole account for its owner and administrators, over the last 7, 30 or 90 days within the plan’s history. It brings together sending, signals and replies across the team; other members do not see it.
Like every other figure in HawkOpen, it has no “human” number: it counts recipients with an observed click, that is a click with no sign of a machine, keeps machine signals apart, and shows that tracking was off instead of a zero when nothing was measured.
Related questions: [What analytics does the dashboard show?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#analytics-dashboard), [What is the action workspace?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#action-workspace-risk)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is the evidence graph?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#evidence-graph
A Business view that shows how recorded events connect to recipients and documents. It describes recorded technical activity, not proof that someone read or understood a message.
Document sharing in it depends on files, which wait for the malware-scanning service; until it is switched on, that part is a preview.
Related questions: [What counts as certain evidence in HawkOpen?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works#what-evidence-hawkopen-provides), [What is the command center?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#command-center)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What is the action workspace?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#action-workspace-risk
A list of things that need your attention, such as delivery problems, signatures waiting for the next step or recipient access ending within seven days. It only shows them; you act in the relevant part of HawkOpen.
Signatures and document access depend on files, which wait for the malware-scanning service, so those items are a preview until it is switched on.
Related questions: [What is the command center?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#command-center), [What is the evidence graph?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/reports#evidence-graph)
Checked: 2026-11-11
## Countries and markets
Local questions from the US, the UK, Germany, India and France: read receipts at Yahoo, BT, GMX, Orange, Zoho and in Outlook, and local rules such as PECR, § 25 TDDDG, the CCPA and India’s DPDP Act.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets
### How do I request a read receipt in GMX, WEB.DE or T-Online Mail, and why does none arrive?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets/gmx-webde-t-online-read-receipts
In the GMX and WEB.DE web mailers you tick Read receipt under Options while writing the email; in their Android apps it is in the three-dot menu. A receipt comes back only if the recipient’s program supports it and the recipient agrees, so many emails never get one.
GMX and WEB.DE describe the option for the email you are writing; their help pages name no setting that requests a receipt for every email. For T-Online, freenet or Vodafone mail, look in the options of a new email or in the provider’s help. A receipt only says that the recipient’s program reported an opening, not that the text was read.
A read receipt is a request inside your email; the recipient’s program decides whether to answer it. The standard for receipts (RFC 8098) recommends that programs ask the recipient first and send nothing by default, so a missing receipt does not mean the email was not read.
HawkOpen does not use read receipts. You can connect a GMX, WEB.DE, T-Online or other mailbox to HawkOpen with IMAP and SMTP, using the server names, ports and password from your provider (many providers ask for an app password), and send tracked emails from the HawkOpen dashboard. Only mail servers on public addresses are accepted, by default on ports 465 or 587 for SMTP and 143 or 993 for IMAP. HawkOpen is in a controlled launch, so each provider connection is verified before it is offered in production.
Every email tracked by HawkOpen ends with a short notice that it contains tracking elements, with a link where the recipient can turn tracking off. An open is an estimate, not proof that someone read the email.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What is a read receipt and where are its settings?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/what-is-a-read-receipt), [What is the difference between a delivery receipt, a read receipt and open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-vs-open-tracking), [Does email open tracking in Germany need consent under § 25 TDDDG?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets/tdddg-consent-for-email-open-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I make Outlook request a read receipt for every email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets/outlook-always-request-read-receipt
Only classic Outlook for Windows has a setting for all emails: File, Options, Mail, then tick the read receipt box under Tracking. In the new Outlook and Outlook on the web, Microsoft describes the request only for one email at a time, in the Options tab of a new message.
Microsoft itself suggests asking for receipts only on important messages, because recipients who are asked rarely are more likely to answer. It also notes that the option is not available for IMAP or POP accounts such as Gmail, Yahoo or iCloud in Outlook, and that recipients can decline, so a receipt that never comes proves nothing.
HawkOpen does not use read receipts. It records image loads and clicks for each tracked email: from Outlook on the web through the extension for Chrome or Firefox, or from the Outlook desktop app by sending through the HawkOpen dashboard with your connected Microsoft mailbox. Each open gets a category, and none is more than “likely” a person.
Related questions: [Does Outlook have read receipts and how do I request one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-outlook-have-read-receipts), [Where is the read receipt option in the new Outlook and in the Outlook mobile app?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets#new-outlook-and-mobile-read-receipts), [Why don’t Outlook read receipts arrive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/outlook-read-receipt-not-working)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Where is the read receipt option in the new Outlook and in the Outlook mobile app?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets#new-outlook-and-mobile-read-receipts
In the new Outlook, open a new email, go to the Options tab and tick Request a Read Receipt in the Tracking group; if you do not see it, choose More options at the end of the ribbon. Microsoft’s guide to read receipts does not describe the option for the Outlook app on iPhone or Android.
The option is unavailable for IMAP or POP accounts such as Gmail, Yahoo or iCloud added to Outlook, and Microsoft says you cannot request a read receipt in Outlook.com. The new Outlook has no setting that asks for a receipt on every email; that setting exists only in classic Outlook for Windows (File, Options, Mail, Tracking). Under Settings, Mail, Message handling you only choose how to answer other people’s requests.
HawkOpen does not rely on read receipts: in Outlook on the web its extension for Chrome or Firefox records image loads and clicks, and every open gets a category instead of a promise that someone read the email.
Related questions: [How do I make Outlook request a read receipt for every email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets/outlook-always-request-read-receipt), [Does Outlook have read receipts and how do I request one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-outlook-have-read-receipts)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What happens to a read receipt if the recipient deletes my email unread?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets#read-receipt-when-deleted-unread
The read-receipt standard (RFC 8098) lets the recipient’s program report that a message was deleted, and says the recipient may or may not have seen it. Whether such a notice is sent depends on that program and its settings; often nothing arrives at all.
So a deletion notice does not prove the email was unread, and no notice proves nothing either. HawkOpen does not use receipts; it records image loads, clicks and replies, and an image load is an estimate, not proof of reading.
Related questions: [What is a read receipt and where are its settings?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/what-is-a-read-receipt), [What is the difference between a delivery receipt, a read receipt and open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-vs-open-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Does email open tracking in Germany need consent under § 25 TDDDG?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets/tdddg-consent-for-email-open-tracking
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
§ 25 TDDDG allows storing information on a user’s device, or accessing information stored there, only with consent based on clear and comprehensive information, unless one of two narrow exceptions applies. The European Data Protection Board says the EU rule behind it, Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive, applies to tracking pixels in emails.
The two exceptions in § 25(2) TDDDG are: the sole purpose is to transmit a message over a public telecommunications network, or the storage or access is strictly necessary so that a provider can deliver a digital service the user has expressly asked for.
The EDPB’s Guidelines 2/2023 (version 2, adopted on 7 October 2024) describe the case of a sender who includes a pixel to detect when the receiver reads the email. They say that delivering a pixel counts as storage on the device and that collecting the identifier it sends back counts as gaining access. HawkOpen does not assess whether an exception fits your use; ask a lawyer or your data protection authority.
What HawkOpen does: a notice in every tracked email with a link where the recipient turns tracking off, and settings to exclude addresses, domains or countries from tracking.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Is an email tracking pixel GDPR compliant?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-tracking-pixel-and-gdpr), [Which exceptions to consent for email tracking pixels exist?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/consent-exceptions-for-tracking-pixels), [Can I exclude some recipients or countries from tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#exclude-recipients-or-countries-from-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is a read receipt proof under German law that an email was received?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets/read-receipt-as-proof-of-receipt-germany
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
Under § 130 BGB a declaration made to someone who is not present takes effect when it reaches them, so the law looks at receipt, not reading. A read receipt can be one piece of evidence that an email arrived; how much it proves is for the court, which weighs all the evidence according to its free conviction (§ 286 ZPO).
A missing read receipt shows nothing, because the recipient or their program can decline to send one. For important declarations with deadlines, such as a termination, ask a lawyer which form of delivery and which proof suit your case.
HawkOpen does not use read receipts. It records when your sending server accepted the message, whether it bounced, and later image loads, clicks and replies. Acceptance by the sending server is not delivery to the recipient, and an image load is an estimate, not proof of reading.
Related questions: [Can an email be used as evidence in court?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/email-as-evidence-in-court), [How can I prove that an email was sent or received?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/how-works/how-to-prove-an-email-was-sent-or-received), [Read receipts and data protection: can a sender get one without the recipient’s agreement?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets#read-receipt-without-recipient-consent)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Read receipts and data protection: can a sender get one without the recipient’s agreement?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets#read-receipt-without-recipient-consent
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
A read receipt is sent by the recipient’s own mail program, and the standard behind it recommends asking the recipient first and sending nothing by default; the recipient can decline. A tracking pixel is different: it reports a request for an image without the recipient doing anything, and rules on access to the recipient’s device, such as § 25 TDDDG, are discussed for pixels.
A program can be set to send receipts automatically; then a receipt goes out without a question each time, because the recipient chose that setting. The standard also says a program must not send one automatically when the address asking for it differs from the message’s return address. Whether processing a receipt meets data-protection law in your case, HawkOpen does not assess.
HawkOpen does not use read receipts. Its tracked emails end with a notice and a link where the recipient turns tracking off.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Does email open tracking in Germany need consent under § 25 TDDDG?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets/tdddg-consent-for-email-open-tracking), [What is the difference between a delivery receipt, a read receipt and open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-vs-open-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I request a read receipt in Orange, SFR, Free or laposte.net mail, and why does it not work?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets/orange-sfr-free-laposte-read-receipts
In Mail Orange you choose the read-receipt option while writing the email, and Orange says you get a receipt only if the recipient agrees to send it. For SFR Mail, Free webmail and laposte.net, look in the options of a new email or in the provider’s help; the same limit applies everywhere.
Orange’s help also says that the Mail Orange page of the orange.fr mobile portal cannot request a read receipt; use the app or the webmail on a computer. In the settings you decide how you answer other people’s requests: always send, never send, or ask me. Do not confuse this with La Poste’s acknowledgement of receipt for a registered letter, which is a postal service.
A read receipt is a request inside your email; the recipient’s program decides whether to answer it. The standard for receipts (RFC 8098) recommends that programs ask the recipient first and send nothing by default, so a missing receipt does not mean the email was not read.
HawkOpen does not use read receipts. You can connect an Orange, SFR, Free, laposte.net or other mailbox to HawkOpen with IMAP and SMTP, using the server names, ports and password from your provider (many providers ask for an app password), and send tracked emails from the HawkOpen dashboard. Only mail servers on public addresses are accepted, by default on ports 465 or 587 for SMTP and 143 or 993 for IMAP. HawkOpen is in a controlled launch, so each provider connection is verified before it is offered in production.
Every email tracked by HawkOpen ends with a short notice that it contains tracking elements, with a link where the recipient can turn tracking off. An open is an estimate, not proof that someone read the email.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What is a read receipt and where are its settings?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/what-is-a-read-receipt), [What is the difference between a delivery receipt, a read receipt and open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-vs-open-tracking), [What do the CNIL and other EU regulators say about tracking pixels in emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cnil-eu-guidance-on-tracking-pixels)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Do Yahoo Mail, AOL Mail and Xfinity (Comcast) email have read receipts?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets#yahoo-aol-xfinity-read-receipts
Yahoo says Yahoo Mail has no read-receipt feature, so you cannot request one there. For AOL Mail and Xfinity (Comcast) email, check the provider’s help; wherever the option exists, a receipt arrives only if the recipient’s program supports it and the recipient agrees.
A read receipt is a request inside your email; the recipient’s program decides whether to answer it. The standard for receipts (RFC 8098) recommends that programs ask the recipient first and send nothing by default, so a missing receipt does not mean the email was not read.
The HawkOpen extension for Chrome and Firefox works in Yahoo Mail in the browser; when Yahoo loads the tracking image through its own proxy, HawkOpen labels the open as a proxy (R-OPEN-YAHOO), not as a person. AOL Mail, Xfinity and other mailboxes are connected with IMAP and SMTP from servers on public addresses, by default on ports 465 or 587 and 143 or 993, and you send tracked emails from the HawkOpen dashboard. HawkOpen is in a controlled launch, so each provider connection is verified before it is offered in production.
Related questions: [How do I know if someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/how-to-know-if-someone-read-my-email), [What is the difference between a delivery receipt, a read receipt and open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/read-receipt-vs-open-tracking), [Does Outlook have read receipts and how do I request one?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/does-outlook-have-read-receipts)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### What does email tracking mean in Dynamics 365, and does it show opens?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets#dynamics-365-email-tracking
In the Dynamics 365 App for Outlook, tracking an email means saving a copy of it as an activity in Dynamics 365, optionally linked to a record (Set Regarding); it says nothing about opens. Opens are a separate Dynamics 365 Sales feature, email engagement, which an administrator has to turn on.
Microsoft describes email engagement as counting opens with a one-pixel image, so an open is counted only when the recipient’s program downloads images, and it calls the data approximate. HawkOpen works separately from Dynamics 365: it tracks emails you send from Outlook on the web with its extension or from its dashboard, and gives every open a category (for example a proxy or a scanner), never more than “likely” a person.
Related questions: [Does HawkOpen integrate with my CRM, such as Pipedrive?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/integrations/does-hawkopen-integrate-with-a-crm), [How accurate is email open tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/how-accurate-is-email-open-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Do US state privacy laws such as the CCPA limit email open tracking, and when is tracking data sold or shared?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets#us-state-privacy-laws-and-open-tracking
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
The CCPA gives California residents the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal information, and the California Privacy Protection Agency links sharing to cross-context behavioral advertising. Whether your use of open data counts as a sale or sharing depends on who receives it and why; HawkOpen does not assess that for you.
The CCPA covers only businesses that meet its conditions, and other states have their own privacy laws with different scopes and duties. Check the current rules with the state authority or an adviser.
What HawkOpen offers: a notice in every tracked email linking to a recipient page where people turn tracking off, download their tracking data or ask for erasure, after a one-time code sent to their own address; you can also exclude addresses, domains or countries from tracking.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Does the CCPA apply to small businesses that track emails?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us/ccpa-and-small-businesses), [Are email tracking pixels a CIPA wiretap or pen register risk in California?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-us/california-cipa-and-tracking-pixels), [Can I exclude some recipients or countries from tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#exclude-recipients-or-countries-from-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Do UK PECR rules and ICO guidance require consent for tracking pixels in emails?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets/uk-pecr-ico-tracking-pixels
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 11, 2026.
The ICO says the email marketing rules in PECR cover the email itself, while tracking pixels fall under PECR’s separate rules on storage and access technologies (regulation 6). Under those rules, storing or reading information on a recipient’s device needs consent unless an exception in Schedule A1 applies.
Schedule A1, in force since 5 February 2026 (added by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025), lists the exceptions: transmitting a communication; what is strictly necessary for an online service the user requested; statistics about how your own online service or website is used, when the user is clearly informed and can object for free; adapting a website’s appearance or functions; and emergency assistance. Consent requires clear and comprehensive information about the purpose.
The ICO’s guidance describes an organisation that puts a tracking pixel in its marketing emails and says regulation 6 applies where the pixel stores or reads information on the device. HawkOpen does not assess whether an exception covers your use; check the ICO’s guidance or ask an adviser.
What HawkOpen does: a notice in every tracked email with a link where the recipient turns tracking off, and settings to exclude addresses, domains or countries from tracking.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [Is cold emailing legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/legal-eu/cold-emailing-legality), [Is email open tracking legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-email-open-tracking-legal), [Can I exclude some recipients or countries from tracking?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients#exclude-recipients-or-countries-from-tracking)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Can I get read receipts with BT Email, Sky Mail or Virgin Media Mail?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets#bt-sky-virgin-media-read-receipts
Whether BT Email, Sky Mail or Virgin Media Mail lets you request a read receipt is up to each provider, so check its help pages. Even where the option exists, a receipt arrives only if the recipient’s program supports it and the recipient agrees.
A read receipt is a request inside your email; the recipient’s program decides whether to answer it. The standard for receipts (RFC 8098) recommends that programs ask the recipient first and send nothing by default, so a missing receipt does not mean the email was not read.
HawkOpen does not use read receipts. You can connect a BT, Sky, Virgin Media or other mailbox to HawkOpen with IMAP and SMTP, using the server names, ports and password from your provider (many providers ask for an app password), and send tracked emails from the HawkOpen dashboard. Only mail servers on public addresses are accepted, by default on ports 465 or 587 for SMTP and 143 or 993 for IMAP. HawkOpen is in a controlled launch, so each provider connection is verified before it is offered in production.
Related questions: [How do I know if someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/how-to-know-if-someone-read-my-email), [What is a read receipt and where are its settings?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/what-is-a-read-receipt)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### How do I enable, request or turn off read receipts in Zoho Mail?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets/zoho-mail-read-receipts
In Zoho Mail you can ask for a receipt on one email (More options, then Ask receipt while writing) or on every outgoing email (Settings, Compose, Read receipt). The recipient decides whether to answer, so you get nothing if they decline, even if they read the email.
To turn off receipts you send to others, Zoho Mail lets you choose how to answer requests: always send, never send, or ask me. A receipt only says that the recipient’s program reported an opening.
HawkOpen does not use read receipts. You can connect a Zoho Mail mailbox to HawkOpen with IMAP and SMTP, using the server names, ports and password from your provider (many providers ask for an app password), and send tracked emails from the HawkOpen dashboard. Only mail servers on public addresses are accepted, by default on ports 465 or 587 for SMTP and 143 or 993 for IMAP. HawkOpen is in a controlled launch, so each provider connection is verified before it is offered in production.
The HawkOpen browser extension works in Gmail, Outlook on the web and Yahoo Mail, not inside Zoho Mail; with a Zoho mailbox you write and send tracked emails in the HawkOpen dashboard.
Every email tracked by HawkOpen ends with a short notice that it contains tracking elements, with a link where the recipient can turn tracking off. An open is an estimate, not proof that someone read the email.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [What is a read receipt and where are its settings?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/read-receipts/what-is-a-read-receipt), [Is email tracking allowed in India, and does the DPDP Act require consent?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets#email-tracking-india-dpdp-act)
Checked: 2026-11-11
### Is email tracking allowed in India, and does the DPDP Act require consent?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets#email-tracking-india-dpdp-act
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law. Last reviewed: November 13, 2026.
India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 allows processing personal data for a lawful purpose with the person’s consent or for certain legitimate uses listed in the Act. Its provisions and rules enter into force in stages set by government notification, so not every duty applies from the same date. Whether open tracking needs consent in your case, HawkOpen does not assess.
Consent under the Act must be free, specific, informed, unconditional and unambiguous, given by a clear affirmative action, and it can be withdrawn as easily as it was given. A request for consent comes with a notice describing the data and the purpose, which the person must be able to read in English or in a language of the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. The Act also covers processing outside India connected with offering goods or services to people in India. Check which provisions already apply in the Gazette of India or with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and whether other rules apply to you too.
HawkOpen’s notice in tracked emails and its pages for recipients are available in seven European languages, English, Polish, German, Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese, like the site; there is no Hindi or other Indian language.
Where rules that require consent apply, tracking may start only after that consent has been obtained. The link in the message lets the recipient withdraw consent later.
Related questions: [How do I enable, request or turn off read receipts in Zoho Mail?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/markets/zoho-mail-read-receipts), [Is email open tracking legal?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/recipients/is-email-open-tracking-legal)
Checked: 2026-11-13