Checking if user did read an email

[asantos]

Is there a special parameter or configuration in the mail() function to have a feedback from the destinatary email when he reads the email?

[eelixduppy]

No.

I don't think you'll be able to implement this. You may want to try sending them a link with a unique id number and asking them to confirm or something. I guess it really depends on what you are doing.

[hughie]

they way i've always done it is to set up a PHP script that returns an image, with the email/user ID as part of the image request.

It used to work a treat until outlook finally turned auto-image download off in 2002 (i think).

Now you just have to present the email so that people want to view the relevant images, and choose to download them from the server.

I've not really done this for a while so there might be some other techniques around.

[eelixduppy]

That's not a bad idea, hughie.

I'm the kind of guy, though, that doesn't allow images in my emails ;)

[hughie]

me to, you just have to work on becoming a trusted source to that person (if it's a mailer) so that they want to open the images.

[asantos]

hughie, nice approach.
but just think about this: if the user doesnt allow the pic loading in a certain email, he probably didnt bother to read the email as well.

i think ill use that technique, since there is no other way for doing it hehe.

thanks,
andres

[hughie]

indeed, just make the non-downloaded images very visible to the user, with interesting alt tags so that they're enticed into taking a look.

[Steerpike]

The image with a link in it trick is a sure fire way to be flagged as spam by any of the checkpoints your email passes through.

Just a word of caution.

[Stuperfied]

The best way I know of to find out if someone has read an email is to put a unique id in the email which they then have to return to your website. This often works best with either a consequence or reward attatched as seen in validation where the users account is not active until they return the unique id. However again, the user could just scan the email for the id without even bothering to read it.

[hughie]

The image with a link in it trick is a sure fire way to be flagged as spam by any of the checkpoints your email passes through.

Couldn't you just use .htaccess to disguise the file as a legitmate jpg, with the embeded image being called something like imgname12981.jpg?

I would expect spam trappers might give an increased score to the image naming convention, but surely if you strutured the email well it wouldn't be a problem.

Cheers,
Hugh

[the_nerd]

The image with a link in it trick is a sure fire way to be flagged as spam by any of the checkpoints your email passes through.

And outlook will tell the user: "in order to show the mail, I have to download something that might compromise your privacy"

What's the benefit of knowing who read the mail if you risk to reduce the number of mails that are actually read?

[hughie]

The benefit i suppose, is that you can more accurately assess the actual reach of any email marketing campaign, rather than just the number of emails it was sent to.

[henry0]

If you really want to weight your campaign result
Then purchase for a few $ a system that tells you when the addressee got it, if the mail was opened and at what time.
It also tells you how much time between the mail arrival and reading time
It works with Outlook and others, and even ring a bell when a message is open!
But it's heavy and after a while I was really happy to throw it in the garbage
I do not even remember its name, but there are a few of those around

[Steerpike]

I would tend to agree with Henry0 there. If you want to do an email marketing campaign, spend a few bucks and buy a system that you properly research and know works.

Trying to develop your own php email marketing system is fraught with major issues that could easily get your hosting server blacklisted if you try and do it. Make sure you know what you're doing.

[hughie]

Trying to develop your own php email marketing system is fraught with major issues that could easily get your hosting server blacklisted if you try and do it. Make sure you know what you're doing

That's exactly why i jacked in promoting mine to clients unless there was a absolute dire need about two years ago, far too many intricacies. Unless it's you're full time job it's probably not worth it.