To measure clicks on a link, the link must have a click name in MailPro. This is often simplified to: “a link without a click name is not measured”. However, there is a technical process behind this that explains why the click name is necessary.
MailPro can only register a click when the recipient is first directed through a MailPro link. The click name tells MailPro to create this "tracking" link and determines the name under which the measured clicks are stored in the statistics.
What happens when the email is sent?
When a link has a click name, MailPro replaces the original URL with a unique tracking URL when the email is sent.
For example:
Original URL: https://www.example.com/product Tracking URL in the sent email: https://mail.example.com/x/c/?...
When the recipient clicks the link, the following happens:
- The browser first opens the tracking URL.
- MailPro registers the click.
- MailPro immediately redirects the recipient to the original URL.
The recipient therefore still arrives at the intended page. The intermediate step through MailPro makes it possible to include the click in the statistics.
What happens without a click name?
When a link does not have a click name, MailPro does not create a tracking URL. The link points directly to its original destination.
The link still works, but MailPro is not involved between the recipient and the destination. MailPro therefore cannot detect the click and it will not appear in the click statistics.
| Setting | Result |
|---|---|
| Link with a click name | MailPro creates a tracking URL and measures the clicks |
| Link without a click name | The link goes directly to its destination and is not measured |
What is the click name used for?
The click name is the name under which the measured clicks are displayed in the statistics.
If multiple links have the same click name, their results are combined under that name. Use different click names if you want to compare the performance of links separately.
Examples of recognisable click names are:
view-productdownload-brochurebook-appointmentread-more-article
How do I set a click name?
In the email editor, you can enter a click name for a link or button. MailPro uses this setting to create the tracking URL when the email is sent.
Before sending, use the mail analysis to check that all links you want to measure have a click name.
How does this work with custom HTML?
In custom or supplied HTML, you can add the click name to the link using the title attribute:
<a href="https://www.example.com/product" title="view-product"> View the product </a>
In this example, MailPro uses view-product as the click name. A tracking URL is created for this link when the email is sent.
A link without a title attribute does not have a click name in this situation and is therefore not measured:
<a href="https://www.example.com/product"> View the product </a>
Which domain does the tracking URL use?
The tracking URL uses the local domain configured for the mailing. This domain can differ from:
- the domain of the visible sender;
- the domain of the original link;
- the website the recipient eventually visits.
The local domain must be available over HTTPS. This allows the browser to open the tracking URL securely before MailPro redirects the recipient.
Good to know
- A link without a click name still works, but is not measured.
- MailPro can only measure clicks that pass through a tracking URL.
- Adding click tracking does not change the original destination.
- Results from different links with the same click name are combined in the statistics.
- The mail analysis helps you find links without a click name before sending.