BetaManage consent for email open and click tracking

Email tracking consent status	Definition	Tracking
Not specified (default)	There's no record of tracking consent for the recipient. This is the default value when the consent status hasn't been set and is displayed as -- on the contacts index page.	Not tracked
Consent declined	The recipient has explicitly denied email open and click tracking.	Not tracked
Consent given	The recipient has explicitly agreed to email open and click tracking.	Tracked
Consent not applicable	Prior consent isn't required for email open and click tracking based on the recipient's location or other applicable circumstances.	Tracked

Supported email types

Consent-based email tracking applies to emails sent through HubSpot or through a connected email account. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Marketing emails, including regular marketing emails, automated emails sent through workflows, and blog/RSS emails.
• One-to-one emails sent from the CRM or through the HubSpot Sales extension or add-in.
• Sequence emails.
• Emails sent through the help desk or the conversations inbox.
  
• Transactional emails, including those sent using the single-send API. 

Turn on consent-based email tracking

Turn on consent-based email tracking to track emails only when the recipient has given consent. This setting applies to all email recipients in your CRM. It cannot be limited to recipients in specific countries or regions.

Please note: before turning on consent-based email tracking, it’s recommended to set email tracking consent statuses for existing recipients so that the appropriate tracking is applied to future emails. For example, if you’ve collected tracking consent through a custom property, you can create a segment of contacts who provided consent, then update their email tracking consent status in bulk.

1. In your HubSpot account, click the settings icon in the top navigation bar.

2. In the left sidebar menu, select Privacy & Consent.
3. Toggle the Require consent to track emails switch on.

4. In the dialog box, click I understand.
5. Turn on marketing email tracking and one-to-one email tracking.

After you turn on consent-based email tracking, each recipient’s email tracking consent status is checked when an email is sent. If a recipient’s consent status does not allow tracking, the email is sent without applying open or click tracking.

Add the Email tracking consent card to the contact view

After you turn on consent-based email tracking, add the Email tracking consent card to your contact view to manage email tracking consent statuses for individual contacts.

1. In your HubSpot account, click the settings icon in the top navigation bar.

2. In the left sidebar menu, in the Data Management section, click Objects.
3. On the Objects page, click the Select an object dropdown menu and select Contacts.
4. Click the Record Customization tab.
5. Click the contact view.
6. Click the About tab.
7. Hover over the Enrollments section and click + Add card.
8. In the right panel, click the Card library tab.
9. Navigate to the Email tracking consent card and click Add card.

10. In the upper right, click Save and exit.

Learn more about managing cards on the record.

Set email tracking consent statuses in bulk

The Email tracking consent contact property is automatically set by HubSpot and can't be edited directly. To update email tracking consent statuses in bulk, use the edit actions on the contacts index page or in segments, or use the Manage email tracking consent action in workflows.

Update email tracking consent on the contacts index page

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to CRM > Contacts. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to CRM > Contacts directly.

2. Select the checkboxes next to the contacts you want to update.
3. Click the More dropdown menu, then select Edit email tracking consent.
4. In the right panel, click the Email tracking consent status dropdown menu and select the consent status.
5. Click the Email property values to update dropdown menu and select the email addresses to be updated (e.g., primary email address only or primary and additional email addresses).
6. Click Update.

Learn more about bulk editing records.

Update email tracking consent in a segment

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to CRM > Segments. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to CRM > Segments directly.

2. Click the name of an existing segment or create a contact segment.
3. Select the checkboxes next to the contacts you want to update.
4. Click the More dropdown menu, then select Edit email tracking consent.

5. In the right panel, click the Email tracking consent status dropdown menu and select the consent status.
6. Click the Email property values to update dropdown menu and select the email addresses to be updated (e.g., primary email address only or primary and additional email addresses).
7. Click Update.

Update email tracking consent using a workflow

When you're updating email tracking consent statuses in a workflow, use the Manage email tracking consent action. The Email tracking consent contact property is automatically set by HubSpot and can't be updated with the Edit record action. 

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to Automation > Workflows. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to Automation > Workflows directly.
2. Select an existing workflow or create a contact-based workflow.
3. Set up your enrollment triggers to decide which contacts are enrolled.
4. Click the add icon to add your workflow actions.
5. In the left panel, click CRM to expand the section, then select Manage email tracking consent.

6. Click the Contact dropdown menu and select the contact whose email tracking consent you want to update (e.g., Enrolled contact or All associated contacts).
7. Click the Set consent to track status to dropdown menu and select the email tracking consent status.
8. Click the Email property values to update dropdown menu and select the email addresses to be updated (e.g., primary email address only or primary and additional email addresses).
9. Click Save.

10. Add any additional actions to your workflow, and edit the workflow settings.
11. In the upper, right click Review and turn on.

Manage email tracking consent for an individual contact

Update email tracking consent statuses and view ‌the status history for individual contacts using the Email tracking consent card. The Email tracking consent contact property is automatically set by HubSpot and cannot be edited directly.

Please note: if the Email tracking consent card isn’t displayed on your contacts, learn how to add the card to your contact view.

Edit email tracking consent

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to CRM > Contacts. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to CRM > Contacts directly.

2. Click the name of the contact.
3. In the middle column, click the About tab.
4. In the Enrollments section, navigate to the Email tracking consent card and click View and manage statuses.

5. In the right panel, review the contact’s email tracking consent status for the contact’s primary and additional email addresses.
6. To update a status, hover over the email address and click Update status.

7. In the dialog box, click the Email tracking consent status dropdown menu and select a consent status.
8. Click Update.

View email tracking consent history

1. In your HubSpot account, click More, then navigate to CRM > Contacts. If More doesn't appear in your account, navigate to CRM > Contacts directly.
2. Click the name of the contact.
3. In the middle column, click the About tab.
4. In the Enrollments section, navigate to the Email tracking consent card and click View and manage statuses.
5. In the right panel, click the History tab.
6. Review the email tracking consent status and the following details:
   • Updated by: the user who updated the consent status.
   • Update source: how the consent status was updated (e.g., through a workflow or the subscription preferences page).
   • Date: the date and time the consent status was recorded.

Email tracking consent source data is automatically populated by HubSpot and cannot be edited.

Collect email tracking consent from contacts

Contacts can opt in to or out of email open and click tracking from their subscription preferences page. The subscription preferences page is customized based on the recipient’s email address.

Whether the email tracking consent option appears depends on the consent status associated with the recipient’s email address:

• Consent given, Consent declined, or Not specified (default): the email tracking consent option appears on the subscription preferences page.
• Consent not applicable: the email tracking consent option does not appear on the subscription preferences page.

When a contact changes their email tracking consent preference, HubSpot automatically updates the email tracking consent status associated with the email address.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to commonly asked questions about managing consent for email open and click tracking.

If a contact opts out of email tracking, will their existing tracking data be deleted?

No. When a contact opts out of email tracking, opens and clicks will no longer be tracked for future emails sent to the contact. Previously collected open and click data remains unchanged.

What happens to email tracking if a recipient’s email tracking consent changes after an email is sent?

If a recipient’s email tracking consent status changes after an email is sent, HubSpot uses the recipient’s current email tracking consent status and the account’s email tracking settings at the time the email is opened or clicked to determine whether to record the email engagement.

For example, if an email was sent when the recipient’s consent status allowed tracking, but their status later changes to Consent declined, an open or click that occurs after the status changes will not be recorded. Similarly, if email tracking is turned off after the email is sent, subsequent opens or clicks will not be recorded.

How is email performance data calculated when some recipients have not given consent to tracking?

When consent-based email tracking is turned on, marketing email open, click, and reply rates are calculated using only emails that were both delivered and tracked. Delivered emails that were not tracked because of the recipient’s consent status are excluded from these calculations.

For example, if a marketing email is delivered to recipients with different email tracking consent statuses, only recipients whose emails were delivered and tracked are included when calculating these rates. You can also view the number of tracked and untracked emails to understand how consent-based email tracking affects the email’s performance data.

Please note: sequence performance data calculations remain unchanged when consent-based email tracking is turned on.

Can email tracking data be collected anonymously when a recipient has not consented to tracking?

No. Anonymous email tracking is not supported in this beta. If a recipient’s email tracking consent status doesn't allow tracking, email opens and clicks are not tracked for that recipient.

Can I send an email without tracking if the recipient has consented to tracking?

Yes. If you turn off tracking, email opens and clicks will not be tracked, regardless of each recipient’s email tracking consent status.

For example, if you’ve turned off tracking for an individual marketing email, recipients with a Consent given or Consent not applicable status will not be tracked.

What happens if I turn off the Require consent to track emails setting?

When this setting is turned off, HubSpot does not check a recipient’s email tracking consent status. If email tracking is turned on, opens and clicks are tracked regardless of the recipient’s email tracking consent status.

How can I audit changes to the Require consent to track emails setting?

To review when the Require consent to track emails setting was turned on or off, check your account's audit logs:

1. In your HubSpot account, click the settings icon in the top navigation bar.

2. In the left panel, under Account Management, click Audit Logs.

3. Click the Category dropdown menu and select Security Activity.
4. Click the Subcategory dropdown menu and select Email tracking [enabled/disabled].

Learn more about viewing and exporting account activity history.