Some Smart Mail clickthrough activity may be caused by email security scanners rather than real recipient engagement.
These systems automatically inspect hyperlinks inside incoming emails to protect users from phishing, malware, and malicious redirects. As part of this process, the scanner may “click” every link inside the email immediately after delivery.
This can inflate Smart Mail clickthrough activity and make it appear as though a recipient interacted with the email when they may not have.
Why This Happens
When a Smart Mail reaches a recipient’s mailbox, corporate security tools or email providers may automatically scan all URLs inside the message.
This can include:
Artwork links
OVR links
Website links
LinkedIn links
Phone number hyperlinks
Email hyperlinks
Calendar booking links
Logo image links
Unsubscribe links
Tracking links or pixels
Because signatures often contain several hyperlinks, these systems may trigger multiple “clicks” at nearly the same time.
Common Security Systems That Cause This
The most common systems include:
Microsoft Defender / Safe Links
Proofpoint URL Defense
Mimecast
Barracuda
Google / Gmail security scanning
Corporate spam filters and antivirus gateways
These tools may:
Rewrite links
Open links automatically
Scan links at delivery time
Re-check links when the email is opened
Signs the Activity Is Likely a Security Scanner
The activity is usually considered automated scanner behavior when:
Multiple links are clicked within seconds
Every link in the email gets clicked together
Clicks happen immediately after delivery
Clicks occur before a realistic email open
All clicks share the same timestamp
The IP address belongs to Microsoft, Google, AWS, Proofpoint, Mimecast, or another security provider
Example:
A recipient appears to click:
the artwork link
website link
phone number
unsubscribe link
…all within 1–5 seconds of the email arriving.
This is typically scanner activity rather than human engagement.
How to Identify More Reliable Engagement
A later click is usually a stronger indicator of real recipient interest.
Examples of more reliable engagement:
A recipient clicks a link several minutes or hours later
Only one or two links are clicked
Clicks happen alongside replies
The behavior looks sequential and human-paced
FAQs
Q: Why did all links get clicked at the same time?
A: This is usually caused by automated email security scanning systems checking hyperlinks for malicious content.
Q: Why was a phone number or LinkedIn link clicked?
A: Security scanners often inspect every hyperlink inside an email, including signature links.
Q: Does this mean the collector actually opened the email?
A: Not necessarily. Some clicks may happen automatically before the recipient even sees the message.