In this article, you will understand bot clicks (also called server clicks) and crawlers and how they can affect your email and SMS engagement metrics. Not all clicks come from real users as some are triggered by automated systems. Bot clicks and crawlers may create the illusion of higher engagement of your email and SMS, which will potentially influence your marketing strategy.
In This Article
- What are Bot Clicks and Crawlers?
- How Bot Clicks and Crawlers Impact Your Data?
- How to Exclude Bot Clicks and Crawlers from Data?
What are Bot Clicks and Crawlers?
Bot Clicks, also known as server clicks, refer to automated interactions with links in emails or SMS messages that are not performed by a human. These clicks are typically triggered by security systems, spam filters, or automated scanning tools used by email providers and corporate networks to check for malicious links. As a result, bot clicks can create false engagement data, making it appear as though more recipients are interacting with your messages than they actually are.
Crawlers, also called web crawlers or spiders, are automated programs used by search engines, cybersecurity tools, and other systems to scan and analyze web content. These crawlers systematically browse the internet, following links to index and assess websites. While primarily used for web indexing (such as by Google), some security crawlers may also scan links in emails or SMS messages, triggering bot clicks.
How Bot Clicks and Crawlers Impact Your Data?
Both bot clicks and crawlers can inflate engagement metrics, making it harder to measure real user interest. For example:
- Higher click rates that don’t reflect actual user behavior
- False indicators of customer engagement
- Misleading data when analyzing campaign performance
To ensure accurate marketing insights, Smartpush offers bot filtering features, allowing you to exclude bot-generated interactions from performance reports.
How to Exclude Bot Clicks and Crawlers from Data?
- In SmartPush, go to Settings > Data and enable Exclude bot interactions from Email and Exclude bot interactions from SMS.
- After enabling the buttons, the system will process the data within one hour and retrospectively update the data metrics for the past 30 days. Metrics impacted include:
- Data Overview: Opens / Open Rate / Clicks / CTR
- Campaigns: Sent / Number of people delivered / Open Rate / Clicks / CTR
- Automations: Sent / Number of people delivered / Open Rate / Clicks / CTR
- Contacts & Segments: Average Email Delivery Rate / Average Open Rate / Average SMS Delivery Rate
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