Turn on cold-campaign open tracking
Connect a matching tracking subdomain and understand what an open can tell you.
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Why replies can arrive while opens stay at zero
Cold campaigns record opens only after a custom tracking domain is connected and the campaign’s Track Open Rate option is enabled. Ticking that option alone is not enough: without the domain, the tracking pixel is not added. Sends, replies and bounces are tracked without this setup. Broadcasts track opens without requiring this custom tracking domain.
Choose an unused subdomain of your sending domain, such as track.example.com. If you send from several domains, add a tracking subdomain for each. The app uses the one matching the sending mailbox. This domain is separate from the branded app address and from SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
Connect the subdomain and wait for HTTPS
Add its DNS record
At your DNS provider, create a CNAME for the unused tracking subdomain. Copy the exact target shown beside the input in Outreach DigLab. If your DNS provider offers proxying, use DNS only for this record.
Expected result: The CNAME has the intended host and current target, without proxying.
Open the tracking settings
Go to Settings → Organizations, open your workspace and find Custom Tracking Domain. Enter the chosen tracking subdomain.
Expected result: The field contains the subdomain matching your sending domain.
Check and save the domain
Click Verify to check the CNAME, then Add domain to save it. If DNS is missing, inspect the record and allow propagation before trying again.
Expected result: The saved domain appears in the tracking-domain panel.
Wait for Active
The status can show Issuing certificate while HTTPS is prepared. The panel updates automatically; wait for Active.
Expected result: The domain status reads Active.
Enable tracking in the campaign
Open the campaign sending settings and tick Track Open Rate. It is off by default for each campaign.
Expected result: The option is enabled for the intended campaign and new messages use the active tracking setup.
Interpret opens as an approximate signal
Privacy features and corporate filters may load images automatically, creating an apparent open without a person reading the message. Other email clients block images, so a real reader may never register an open. Use replies and the content of those replies to judge interest. An open count is not proof of attention, a qualified lead or campaign success. Adding a tracking pixel also carries some deliverability risk; consider leaving it off while a new domain is warming up.
| Item | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Emails sent before activation | Tracking is not retroactive. Old messages do not acquire open counts when the domain becomes Active. |
| Several sending domains | Check that each mailbox’s domain has a matching active tracking subdomain. |
| An unexpected rise in opens | Compare with replies and sending dates before interpreting it as improved interest. |
Resolve the displayed tracking status
| Item | How to use it |
|---|---|
| CNAME missing | Check the record type, host and copied target. Allow DNS propagation; some providers take a few hours. |
| Issuing certificate for over an hour | Check for a proxied record or propagation delay. Contact support with the tracking subdomain if it persists. |
| Active but zero opens | Check Track Open Rate and confirm the emails were sent after activation. Image blocking can still prevent recorded opens. |
Example tracking check
Sender domain: example.com
Tracking subdomain: track.example.com
DNS target: copy from the current app panel
Domain state: Active
Campaign: Track Open Rate enabled
Review period: messages sent after activation