Google started blocking images in emails sent to Gmail users and notifying them about potentially suspicious emails. This appears to be part of Google's ongoing efforts to protect users from spam and protect their privacy.<\/span><\/p>\n The key takeaway from this update:<\/strong><\/p>\n Gmail is pushing email outreach toward safer, more trusted standards, encouraging senders to follow best practices and focus on meaningful, relevant outreach.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n What this means for open tracking:<\/strong><\/p>\n When images are blocked, tracking pixels are also blocked, which prevents open tracking from working correctly \u2014 meaning opens won\u2019t be detected or logged in your stats.<\/p>\n What does it mean for Snov.io users:<\/strong><\/p>\n Even if the email is plain text with no images, the Gmail banner may appear if it contains a tracking pixel.<\/span><\/p>\n If you're using open tracking or adding images to your email content, your recipients may see a notification that says: \"Images in this message are hidden. This message might be suspicious or spam.\"<\/span><\/p>\n Tracking pixels can contribute to suspicion, but they aren\u2019t the sole reason for a warning like \u201cThis message seems suspicious.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Google doesn\u2019t directly target open tracking. However, it may flag the email as suspicious based on other signals. It focuses more on the overall reputation and content of the email, not just the presence of a tracking pixel.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n If an email is considered unwanted or suspicious based on these broader signals, Gmail may block images (including tracking pixels) or show warnings.<\/p>\n Gmail warnings are triggered by a combination of factors, such as:<\/p>\n Pro tip: Improve your lead targeting <\/strong>with ICPs<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n When your email is relevant and clearly personalized, recipients are more likely to engage, even if a warning appears. In many cases, Gmail removes the alert in follow-up emails once it recognizes your messages as wanted.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n To help minimize the potential risks of open tracking, here are some actionable tips:<\/p>\n Step 1: Turn off open tracking and use link tracking instead<\/b><\/p>\n Link tracking is an alternative way to track lead interest. You can also <\/span>add Clicked on link conditions<\/span><\/a> to your sequence.<\/span><\/p>\n Remember to configure a custom tracking domain\u2014this will make link tracking safe to use. <\/span>How to set up a custom domain.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Snov.io recommends using open tracking only when it's specifically necessary. For example, if the email sequence you want to test relies on \u201cemail opened\u201d conditions<\/a>, or you need open rate data for reporting in the specific campaign.<\/p>\n For all other campaigns,\u00a0it's best to turn open tracking off to protect your sender reputation.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Step 2: Add images properly<\/b><\/p>\n The simplest solution is to avoid adding images, but if they help convey value in your emails, you\u2019ll want to keep using them. Reconsider how you use images in your emails\u2014remove anything unnecessary and keep only what's needed.<\/span><\/p>\n To add images safely:<\/span><\/p>\n Step 3: Measure engagement using Reply rate or Booked meetings<\/b><\/p>\n Don\u2019t count on the open rate as a valid metric for measuring engagement. The reply rate is a much better indicator of your campaign's success. Snov.io tracks replies for emails and messages sent through LinkedIn Automation.<\/span><\/p>\n You can monitor the reply rate on the statistics <\/span>dashboard for specific campaigns<\/span><\/a> or the general <\/span>Reports<\/span><\/a> dashboard.<\/span><\/p>\n For those who don\u2019t use reply rates as one of the main KPIs, you can use <\/span>the integration with Calendly<\/span><\/a> to track booked meetings.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Step 4: Send multichannel campaigns<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n Email is not the only available channel\u2014use <\/span>LinkedIn automation<\/span><\/a> as well.<\/span><\/p>\n Combine email and LinkedIn in multichannel campaigns to have an additional way to contact prospects.<\/span><\/p>\n If you want to learn more about using automated LinkedIn actions, see our <\/span>LinkedIn Automation course on Udemy.<\/span><\/a><\/b><\/p>\n Step 5: Improve your sender reputation<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n Having a good sender reputation is crucial now\u2014your emails are less likely to be flagged if your reputation is strong. Email warm-up can help you gain a good sender score or restore a damaged reputation.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"tip\"](\"https:\/\/snov.io\/knowledgebase\/wp-content\/themes\/knowledgebase-n\/assets\/img\/academicons_ideas-repec.svg\")
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<\/p>\nWhy does the Gmail warning appear<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/div>\nWhat are the next steps<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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