The rise of non-human engagement
With email providers like Google and Yahoo enforcing updated expectations for deliverability, opt-ins, and privacy — and Apple’s Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) — many marketers are noticing a shift in how they measure success. While these changes are great news for consumers, they bring new challenges for marketers trying to track the true performance of their campaigns.
You may have noticed unexpected increases in engagement metrics. Privacy and security software — what we refer to as non-human interactions — can artificially influence open or click rates. This increase isn’t specific to Marigold, our products, or even our industry. Anyone using email as part of a digital marketing strategy is experiencing it.
The good news: non-human engagement isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It just means you may need additional insights to fully understand your campaign performance. At Marigold, we’re ensuring our customers and partners have the tools and resources to adapt, measure accurately, and make more informed, data-driven decisions.
What are non-human interactions?
Let’s start with email opens. Open data has long been a core metric for marketers — but with the rise of pre-caching services, its reliability has changed. Email providers and privacy tools like Gmail, Apple MPP, Barracuda, and Proofpoint now pre-fetch email content and tracking pixels as soon as an email hits a user’s inbox. This artificially inflates open rates by recording machine activity rather than human engagement.
Clicks tell a similar story. Non-human clicks occur when security systems — like virus scanners and enterprise firewalls — automatically check email links before or after delivery. These systems may click all or some links to determine if an email is safe, influencing click-through data.
These clicks and opens are not malicious — they’re added layers of protection. But marketers need to separate real audience engagement from automated system activity to preserve data accuracy. When your data is reliable and consistent, it remains invaluable for tracking engagement trends over time.
How do non-human interactions impact marketing campaigns?
While privacy and security systems benefit users, they can complicate how marketers evaluate success.
The effects include:
- Inaccurate marketing automation triggers
- Invalid A/B test results
- Unintentional opt-outs or unsubscribes
- Inflated open or click metrics
- Misleading engagement performance
In addition, changing deliverability requirements from Google, Yahoo, and Outlook make it harder to assess true impact. At Marigold, we’re continuously tracking these industry shifts and improving our tools to help marketers uncover accurate, actionable insights from their data.
What does this mean for the future of email marketing?
At Marigold, we want you to feel empowered that you have accurate data, can best understand campaign engagement and impact, and can ultimately measure success and ROI for your marketing efforts. In order to do all of this, you need accurate data and a clear picture of your audience engagement.
First, focus on world-class email marketing deliverability and best practices from inbox providers like Google and Yahoo. This will assist emails in being delivered without concern of spam or requiring additional security considerations. This includes subject line, email content, campaign design, and message frequency.
Second, focus on hyper-personalization to avoid any assumption of an email blast. Focus on personalized content, clear and specific call-to-action language, and dynamic content that converts customers into loyal fans who continually engage with your campaigns.
Finally, utilize the tools, resources, and elements of your email marketing platform to best review and understand your campaign performance. Use that data to make strategic and data-informed decisions.
Need more help? We’ve got you covered. Marigold is focused on supporting your marketing needs and ensuring that our products and services give you the tools and resources to connect with your customers and measure your marketing success.
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