A tracking pixel is a 1×1 pixel image embedded in an HTML email. When your mail client loads the image, it makes an HTTP request to the sender's server. That request logs your IP address, approximate location, device type, email client, and the exact time you opened the message — without your knowledge or consent.
How it works technically
The pixel's src URL is unique to each recipient. When your client fetches it, the server matches the URL to the recipient record and marks the email as "opened." The image itself is invisible — one transparent pixel — so there is nothing to see.
What data is collected
- Whether and when you opened the message
- Your IP address (from which location and network are inferred)
- Your email client and operating system (from the User-Agent header)
- How many times you opened it
- Whether you forwarded it (if another IP fetches the same pixel URL)
How to protect yourself
- Block remote images by default — the most effective approach. Your client does not fetch images until you explicitly allow them.
- Use a temporary inbox — EmailGenerator.pro blocks all remote images before messages are stored. Tracking pixels never fire, regardless of your client settings.
- Use a privacy-focused email client — some clients proxy image requests through their own servers, masking your real IP.
Questions
Does blocking images break email layouts?
Sometimes. Marketing emails are designed around images. Newsletters with text content are usually readable; promotional emails with image-heavy layouts may appear mostly blank.
Can tracking pixels be in plain-text email?
No. Plain-text email has no HTML, so image tags cannot be inserted. Tracking pixels only work in HTML email.