Track open email

[3s2ng]

Hello Freaks,

I'm just wondering if its possible to track every sent email. I mean when the user reads the email using their email client. I just want to make a report if the email sent to the sure was read. I just want to track the date/time the email was read by the user.

Any inputs would be greatly appreciated.

[AbydosGater]

I dont think this can be done! It might require to have another mail() function hidden in the end of your email so when its opened, the mail() runs and emails you back, but ive never heard of a client that lets PHP run within emails!

[Cep]

No thats not possible, you can only do this on a private messaging system on your own site as you have no control over external email clients or servers.

[Psycho]

Well, there is one way to attempt to do this, but it won't work for every email client that the recipient may be using. The trick is to make it an HTML email and to include an image link to a php page that returns a transparent gif. When that specific gif is accessed (by the person reading the email) you will know they have read it. however, if the user's email does not render the HTML or if it blocks images by default, this will not work.

For example, you send an email to Bob and make the source for an image as www.mysite.com\blank.php&user=bob123. You could use any variable instead of 'user' but the value for each email sent must be unique. When the email is sent you store the information about the email and the unique identifier in a database or flat file. This would most likely be done in an automated process.

Then you create the php page that the user will reach when trying to download the image. The page will record that the particular user accessed the file.

[jaymc]

[quote author=mjdamato link=topic=113325.msg460544#msg460544 date=1162306964]
Well, there is one way to attempt to do this, but it won't work for every email client that the recipient may be using. The trick is to make it an HTML email and to include an image link to a php page that returns a transparent gif. When that specific gif is accessed (by the person reading the email) you will know they have read it. however, if the user's email does not render the HTML or if it blocks images by default, this will not work.

For example, you send an email to Bob and make the source for an image as www.mysite.com\blank.php&user=bob123. You could use any variable instead of 'user' but the value for each email sent must be unique. When the email is sent you store the information about the email and the unique identifier in a database or flat file. This would most likely be done in an automated process.

Then you create the php page that the user will reach when trying to download the image. The page will record that the particular user accessed the file.
[/quote]
Yeh thats what I would have done

Good thinkin

I cant really see their being any real feasable way around this, is does rely completely on the mail client the person is using. So the only real way is by using little tricks such as the image example

[3s2ng]

Thanks mjdamato. That make sense.

[Cep]

Of course that doesn't help if your clients dont except anything but plain text emails as well, so the answer is still no you couldnt track every single email, just a few and in the end if the results your getting arent accurate, whats the point :D

[3s2ng]

Yah. Thanks Cep. Its clear now.