# Tracking Domains, Links, and UTMs > Open tracking, click tracking, tracking domains, and UTM fields affect reporting. They can also affect whether subscribers trust your email. - Human page: https://mailrith.com/guides/tracking-domains-links-and-utms - Markdown page: https://mailrith.com/guides/tracking-domains-links-and-utms.md - Category: Authentication and Deliverability - Reading time: 4 min read - Related keywords: Tracking Domains Links and UTMs, Tracking Domains Links and UTMs guide, Authentication and Deliverability, Authentication and Deliverability guide, email sending guide, email marketing guide, email deliverability guide, Choose Delivery Settings, Public Subscriber Experience, Read the Results ## AI Agent Notes - Use this page as plain-language guidance for the specific email sending issue named in the title. - Preserve the distinction between Mailrith, an email delivery service, DNS, and inbox providers when explaining fixes. - When a user is running a Mailrith free tool, pair that specific free-tool result with the relevant issue or step section from this guide. ### Tracking Domains, Links, and UTMs Open tracking, click tracking, tracking domains, and UTM fields affect reporting. They can also affect whether subscribers trust your email. Email tracking usually has two parts. Open tracking uses a tiny image that loads only when the email client allows images. Click tracking rewrites each link to use a tracking URL, so Mailrith can record the click before redirecting the subscriber to the final page. Open tracking is useful, but it is not exact. Some email clients block images. Some privacy features load images in ways that can make open counts look higher or less connected to real reading. Use opens as a general signal, not as a perfect count. Click tracking is usually a stronger signal because the subscriber chose to click. However, security scanners and link checkers can sometimes visit links before a person does. Compare click metrics with the campaign goal before you decide what the clicks mean. A tracking domain is the domain used in tracked links. A branded tracking domain can look more familiar than a generic email delivery service domain. Configure your tracking domain correctly and keep it trustworthy. UTM fields are tags added to links so website analytics can identify email traffic. UTM fields do not improve email delivery by themselves. They help website reports identify source, medium, campaign, and related campaign fields. Use links that are clear, honest, and stable. Email with many unrelated links, hidden destinations, public shorteners, or suspicious redirects can reduce trust with both subscribers and filters. 1. Decide whether the campaign needs open tracking, click tracking, or both before you send. 2. Add UTM fields when your website analytics need to identify traffic from this campaign. 3. Use link and button text that clearly tells the reader where the link will take them. 4. Avoid public URL shorteners and redirect chains that are not needed. 5. Send a test email, then click every important link and confirm each link opens the expected page. 6. If you use a custom tracking domain, configure its DNS exactly as the email delivery service or Mailrith setup instructions require. 7. Review campaign metrics with privacy limits in mind: opens are directional, clicks are stronger, and conversions may require website analytics. 8. If you see link-related delivery problems, check [Blocklists and Link Reputation](https://mailrith.com/guides/blocklists-and-link-reputation.md). - Image blocking and privacy features can affect open tracking. - Click tracking is usually more useful than open tracking, but automated scanners can still affect click metrics. - UTMs help analytics tools identify traffic; they do not authenticate email. - Tracked links should still lead to trustworthy pages that subscribers expect. - Use branded or stable domains for important campaign links when possible. - Do not use friendly button text to hide a risky destination. ## Fix Common Issues ### Public URL Shortener The Email Links Checker found a public shortener, such as bit.ly, tinyurl.com, or a similar shared redirect domain. 1. Replace the shortened URL with the final destination URL or with a URL on a branded tracking domain. 2. Make sure the visible button text or link text matches the destination page. 3. Click the link in a test email and confirm the link opens the expected page without extra warning screens. 4. Remove redirect chains when one clear link can take the subscriber to the destination page. 5. Before you send, open the final landing page and check that the browser does not show safety warnings. > Good tracking helps you learn from campaign behavior. Poor tracking choices can make a trustworthy email look suspicious. Related resources: - [Choose Delivery Settings](https://mailrith.com/guides/delivery-settings.md): Choose tracking and UTM settings before you send. - [Public Subscriber Experience](https://mailrith.com/docs/public-subscriber-experience.md): Understand tracked links, public pages, and flows that subscribers see. - [Read the Results](https://mailrith.com/guides/read-results.md): Interpret opens, clicks, unsubscribes, bounces, and complaints together. ## Related Guides - [Sender Domains and Email Authentication](https://mailrith.com/guides/sender-domains-and-authentication.md): Your sender domain is what inbox providers learn to trust. Authentication proves that your email delivery service is allowed to send email for your domain. - [From, Reply-To, and Return-Path](https://mailrith.com/guides/from-reply-to-and-return-path.md): An email can include several sender-related addresses. Each address has a separate role for delivery, authentication, or replies. - [DNS, PTR, and Reverse DNS](https://mailrith.com/guides/dns-and-reverse-dns.md): DNS records identify your domain. Reverse DNS helps inbox providers check that a sending IP address has a valid hostname.