Contact-level open tracking lets you control whether Omnisend includes an open-tracking pixel in an email sent to a specific contact. Omnisend checks the contact’s tracking-consent status before including the pixel.
Each contact can have one of these tracking-consent statuses:
Given
Declined
Unknown (no recorded consent)
In this article, you’ll learn how tracking-consent statuses work, how to configure tracking for contacts with no recorded consent status, and how to collect or update open tracking consent.
Note: This article provides technical guidance for configuring consent-based email open tracking. It does not constitute legal advice. Email tracking requirements vary by jurisdiction and may depend on the purpose of your email and the location of your contacts. You are responsible for determining which requirements apply to your business. Consult your legal advisor before enabling this setting.
Privacy Requirements for Email Tracking Pixels
Some privacy regulations may require prior, explicit, and separate consent before an email tracking pixel is added to an email. Loading the pixel can itself be the regulated action.
The following jurisdictions have published requirements that may affect email open tracking consent:
France: The CNIL recommendation is in force; enforcement began on 14 July 2026.
Italy: The Garante provision in force; transition period for existing processing ends on 28 October 2026.
Important: Consent to receive marketing emails is not the same as consent to be tracked. A contact can agree to receive Email Campaigns and still decline email open tracking.
Note: As the sender, you are responsible for determining the consent requirements that apply to your business. Omnisend provides the technical settings described in this article, but does not provide legal advice.
Regulators value documented, active steps toward compliance. Keep records of the changes you make and the consent you collect.
What Is Contact-Level Open Tracking?
Omnisend adds a small, invisible image called an email open-tracking pixel to the emails you send. When a contact’s email client loads the pixel, Omnisend can record that the email was opened.
Contact-level open tracking controls whether Omnisend includes this pixel for each contact based on their tracking-consent status.
Email subscription consent and open tracking consent are separate:
A contact’s marketing subscription status determines whether they can receive marketing emails.
A contact’s open tracking consent determines whether Omnisend includes the open-tracking pixel in an email sent to them.
Changing a contact’s marketing subscription does not change their tracking consent.
Changing a contact’s tracking consent does not change their marketing subscription.
Tracking Consent Statuses
When Track opens based on consent is enabled, Omnisend handles tracking-consent statuses as follows:
Consent status | What happens to future emails |
Given | Omnisend includes the open-tracking pixel and can record an open. |
Declined | Omnisend does not include an open-tracking pixel. The email may still be delivered and opened, but the open is not tracked, reported, or used in open-based conditions. |
Unknown | The contact has no recorded tracking-consent preference. Omnisend follows the setting selected for contacts with no recorded consent. |
Before You Begin
Consent-based email open tracking applies to emails sent through both Email Campaigns and Automation Workflows.
Tracking email opens based on contact consent is turned off by default. When this setting is off, Omnisend includes the open-tracking pixel in all emails sent to contacts, regardless of their tracking-consent status.
This setting controls email open tracking only. It does not control click tracking.
When Track opens based on consent is enabled, Omnisend does not track email opens for contacts with Declined status.
Contacts with Unknown status follow the setting you select for contacts with no recorded consent.
If an email with a pixel was already delivered, withdrawing consent does not remove previously recorded opens.
A pixel included in an email delivered before consent was withdrawn may continue to generate an open event if the contact opens that email again.
Note: Website tracking cookies and email open tracking are separate. Website cookie settings do not control whether Omnisend includes an email open-tracking pixel. Learn more about Omnisend tracking cookies.
Enable Consent-Based Email Open Tracking
Step 1. Open Email Open Tracking Settings
Go to Store settings → Email → Email open tracking.
Step 2. Enable Consent-Based Tracking
Turn on Track opens based on consent.
Important: Enabling Track opens based on consent does not collect consent from contacts. It only determines whether Omnisend includes the open-tracking pixel based on each contact’s existing tracking-consent status.
Step 3. Choose How to Handle Contacts Without Recorded Consent
Choose how to handle contacts with Unknown status (no recorded consent):
Select Also track contacts with no recorded consent status to include the pixel for such contacts.
Unselect to include the pixel only for contacts with Given consent.
You can select Also track contacts with no recorded consent status checkbox only after you select Track opens based on consent.
After you enable this setting, Omnisend evaluates each contact’s tracking-consent status before including the pixel in a new email.
Important: If you send emails to contacts in France or Italy, and the relevant requirements apply to your business, turn off Also track contacts with no recorded consent status after enabling consent-based tracking.
Then follow these steps:
Send an Email Campaign to contacts with no recorded consent, Unknown status. Explain that you use email open tracking and link to the Preference Management page.
When contacts with no recorded consent are not tracked, this Email Campaign is sent without the open-tracking pixel.
Add the tracking-consent checkbox to your Signup Forms for new contacts.
How Consent-Based Tracking Works
When Track opens based on consent is turned off, Omnisend includes the open-tracking pixel for every contact. The contact’s tracking-consent state does not affect whether the pixel is included.
When Track opens based on consent is turned on, Omnisend applies the following rules:
Given: Omnisend includes the pixel.
Declined: Omnisend does not include the pixel.
Unknown: Omnisend follows the Also track contacts with no recorded consent status setting.
If the setting is on, Omnisend includes the pixel.
If the setting is off, Omnisend does not include the pixel.
When a Contact Withdraws Consent
When a contact's consent changes to Declined, Omnisend stops including the open-tracking pixel in all future emails to that contact.
Opens recorded while the contact's consent was valid were collected lawfully and are not automatically removed. A pixel included in an email delivered before withdrawal may still generate an open event if the contact opens that email later.
If the contact later provides Given consent through a supported consent-collection method, Omnisend includes the pixel in future emails again.
Collect or Update Tracking Consent
You can collect or update a contact’s email open-tracking consent in the following ways:
Collect consent directly from contacts:
Use a Signup Form to collect consent from new contacts.
Use the Preference Management page to let contacts review, update, or withdraw their consent.
Record consent collected outside Omnisend:
Use a file import to migrate documented consent records from another system.
Use the Contacts API to add or update documented consent programmatically.
File imports and API requests record a consent status. They do not collect consent or create consent automatically. Only record Given or Declined when you have evidence of the contact’s choice. Use Unknown when no tracking preference has been recorded.
When you enable Track opens based on consent, existing contacts without a recorded tracking preference are assigned the Unknown (meaning no consent was recorded).
No consent is collected automatically. To collect consent from existing contacts:
Send an Email Campaign to the relevant contacts.
Explain that your business uses email open tracking.
Direct contacts to a Landing Page form (with a tracking-consent checkbox) or the Subscriber Preference Center page, as appropriate.
Use the submitted form to record the contact’s tracking-consent choice.
Collect Consent with a Signup Form
Go to Forms → open an existing form or create a new one → drag and drop a Legal consent item into the form → set it to Pixel tracking consent.
Note: The tracking-consent choice must be separate from consent to receive marketing emails. Consent to receive emails does not automatically mean consent to be tracked.
Use clear consent text that explains what is being tracked and why. Example:
Allow email tracking for personalized content. We track which emails you open so we can send you more relevant content. You can withdraw your consent anytime using the link in our emails.
This example is not legal advice. Make sure your consent text and privacy notice meet the requirements that apply to your business.
Manage Consent Through Preference Management
Add the tracking-consent control to the Subscriber Preference Page. Contacts can use this page to review, update, or withdraw their tracking consent.
Go to Store settings → Preference management.
Under Add new field, click Select field to open the dropdown.
Add Email open tracking control.
Add text explaining that the control manages email open tracking.
Review the Disclaimer for users with no tracking preference set and make sure it accurately reflects your Also track contacts with no recorded consent status setting.
Click Save & Update.
Note: The Preference Management link is included in the footer of tracked emails by default. Make sure the page contains the tracking-consent control so contacts can update or withdraw their consent.
Add or Update Consent with a File Import or API
You can use a file import or the Contacts API to add or update a contact’s email open-tracking consent.
Use these methods only for consent that the contact has already provided, declined, or that you have recorded as unknown through a documented process. Do not assign consent based on a contact’s subscription status, an assumption, or an internal decision. The import or API request records a consent status; it does not collect consent from the contact.
Import Tracking Consent from a File
Use a file import when you are migrating consent records collected outside Omnisend.
Before importing your file, include:
A column for the contact’s email open-tracking consent status: Given, Declined, or Unknown (no recorded consent status).
A column for the date on which the consent status was collected or recorded.
During the import, map each column to the corresponding tracking-consent field.
Check the mapped values and dates before completing the import. Only use Given when you have a record that the contact actively provided consent.
Update Tracking Consent with the Contacts API
Use the Contacts API to add or update email open-tracking consent programmatically.
Include the email open-tracking consent status and the date when it was recorded. Use the status values and date format specified in the API documentation.
Example consent payload:
curl --request POST \ --url https://api.omnisend.com/api/contacts \ --header 'Omnisend-Version: 2026-03-15' \ --header 'accept: application/json' \ --header 'content-type: application/json' \ --data ' { "trackingConsents": { "emailOpen": { "status": "given", "statusDate": "2026-08-01T12:00:00Z" } } } '
Identify Contacts by Consent Status
You can segment contacts based on their open tracking consent, just as you segment contacts using other contact properties.
Go to Audience → Segments → Create segment → Create from scratch.
Click Add filter → select Email open tracking consent.
Select the consent status you'd like to filter: Given, Declined, or Unknown.
Once done, click Save & show contacts.
You can also view a contact’s open tracking consent status in their contact profile. This lets you check an individual contact’s preference in addition to creating segments.
How Consent-Based Tracking Affects Open-Rate Reporting
Your reported open rate may decrease after you enable consent-based email open tracking. This is a measurement change and does not necessarily indicate a decrease in contact engagement.
Contacts with Declined consent do not generate new open events. Contacts with Unknown status also do not generate new open events when Also track contacts with no recorded consent status is turned off.
This can affect any feature that relies on tracked opens, including:
Open rates in Email Campaign and Automation workflow reports
Segments based on email opens
Automation workflow conditions based on email opens
A/B tests that use open rate as the performance metric
Use click rate and other available non-open metrics to evaluate performance after enabling the setting.
Troubleshooting
My open rate is lower than expected
Check how many contacts have:
Declined tracking consent.
Unknown - no recorded tracking consent while Also track contacts with no recorded consent status setting is turned off.
These contacts do not receive the open-tracking pixel in new emails, so they cannot generate new open events. This changes how open rates are calculated, but does not necessarily mean that engagement has decreased.
A contact withdrew consent, but I still see an open
Withdrawal applies to future emails. Opens recorded before withdrawal are not deleted. A pixel included in an email delivered before withdrawal may also generate an open event if the Contact opens that email later.
A contact is subscribed but is not tracked
Marketing subscription status and tracking consent are separate. A contact can be subscribed to Email marketing while their tracking consent is Declined or Unknown. The contact can receive the email, but Omnisend does not include the open-tracking pixel when consent is No. For contacts with Unknown status, Omnisend follows the Also track contacts with no recorded consent status setting.
I changed website cookie settings, but email opens are still tracked
Website cookie tracking and email open tracking use separate settings. Omnisend tracking cookies apply to your website. They do not control the email open-tracking pixel.
FAQ
Does this setting control click tracking?
No. It controls email open tracking only.
What is the difference between email subscription consent and tracking consent?
Email subscription consent determines whether a contact can receive marketing emails. Tracking consent determines whether Omnisend includes the open-tracking pixel. Consent to receive emails is not the same as consent to be tracked.
What happens to existing contacts when I enable consent-based tracking?
Existing contacts without a recorded tracking-consent preference are assigned the Unknown status. Omnisend does not collect consent automatically. These contacts follow the Also track contacts with no recorded consent status setting until they submit a supported consent choice.
What happens when Track opens based on consent is turned off?
Omnisend includes the open-tracking pixel for every contact. Turning this off resumes tracking for all contacts, including those who declined or withdrew consent. If you have collected refusals, disabling consent-based tracking may conflict with those documented preferences. Consult your legal advisor before changing the setting.
What happens when a contact has Unknown status?
Omnisend follows the setting selected under Also track contacts with no recorded consent status.
Does withdrawing tracking consent unsubscribe a contact?
No. Withdrawing tracking consent does not change the contact’s marketing subscription status.
Are historical opens deleted when a contact withdraws consent?
No. Opens recorded before withdrawal are not deleted. A pixel in an email that was already delivered may also continue to generate an open event.
Can contacts withdraw their tracking consent?
Yes. Add the tracking-consent field to your Subscriber Preference Page so contacts can update their choice.
Why did my open-based segment or automation workflow change?
Contacts without tracked opens do not generate new open events. This can change open-based segments, automation workflow conditions, and A/B test results.
Need help? If you are unsure how to configure the consent field or interpret open-rate reporting, contact us via in-app chat or at [email protected].