Robotic Clicks

What are Robotic Clicks?

Robot clicks, also known as automated clicks or server clicks, occur when automated systems interact with the links in your emails. The automated software is predominantly used for spam filtering and email security. In the process the tools often test links for malicious content before the email reaches the recipient’s inbox. Clicks can then be generated as automated software scans the links, rather than when the real recipient clicks. These clicks can skew analytics, making it harder to accurately measure the success of your campaigns.

Why do Robotic Clicks Happen?

The primary reason for spam filtering and automation software is to protect recipients from harmful links and phishing attacks. Here’s a closer look at some scenarios where robot clicks occur:

• Spam filters testing links: Many email security systems automatically click every link in an email to verify its safety. This happens before the email even appears in the recipient’s inbox. This is so the email delivered to your inbox is mail that is meant for you rather than unsolicited email spam.

• Corporate security policies: Large companies often use advanced email security tools. These tools prioritize security over email engagement accuracy.  This is done to ensure that the websites the links are pointing to do not contain any malicious software or viruses and protect the company’s internal network from exploitation.

• Email testing and tracking: Some platforms track link behaviour for deliverability testing, which can inadvertently trigger robot clicks.

Rocketseed click track reporting can therefore be distorted due to the above processes.

Identifying Robot Clicks 

• Unusual Click Patterns

  • A high frequency of clicks in a very short time frame

  • A click on every single link in your campaign within a few seconds of one another

• IP Address Analysis

  • Repeated clicks from the same IP address

  • Clicks from regions that are inconsistent with your audience (e.g., a large number of clicks from countries you don't usually communicate with)

• Time Based Analysis

  • Clicks at odd times, such as the middle of the night or during non-working hours, this might be a sign of bot activity

  • Bots tend to click links almost immediately after the email is delivered
    
    

Rocketseed uses both machine learning and manual updates to manage bot clicks  

• Machine Learning
  Because bot click IP addresses change frequently, Rocketseed uses the above-mentioned identifying criteria to automatically put these IP addresses into a “quarantine” and suppresses clicks from the quarantined IP addresses for a period of four weeks.  After the four weeks are over, the IP addresses are removed from quarantine and clicks from the IP addresses are recounted.  If we notice more unusual click patterns from the IP address again, it is once again quarantined

• Manual Intervention
  The Rocketseed Account Management and Support Team manually checks reporting for IP addresses showing signs of unusual click activity.  Those IP addresses are then manually added to a permanent IP Block list

• Click Alert Emails
  Click alert emails are not generated if an email is clicked within ten seconds of being sent, Those clicks are automatically deemed to be from a bot and are disregarded.  Also, once an IP address is either quarantined or manually blocked, no click alert emails will be generated on clicks from those IP addresses.

How do Robotic Clicks Impact Rocketseed Reporting?

Rocketseed click tracking reporting could be distorted as there may be an inflated click rate which will make it difficult to gauge recipient engagement accurately.

How does Rocketseed Manage Robot Click Activity? 

If you believe there may be unusual spikes in clicks and reporting please highlight this to our support team or your Account Manager.  

Our Support Team will then review your reporting to look for high-volume and/or suspicious click IP activity.  These IP addresses will be flagged and blocked.

The blocked IP Addresses will no longer register as a click in your future reports.  The past report will need to have the clicks from those IP addresses manually filtered and removed to give a more accurate engagement rate.