Easy Tech TutsHow to Track When People Open Your Emails Using HubSpot Easily 2026
By Impran M N
HubSpot tracks whether someone opened your email using an invisible single-pixel image embedded in the message, which logs the moment it loads. This guide covers turning on that tracking, installing the Sales browser extension, and reading the resulting activity data. It ends with using real-time notifications to time your follow-up outreach.
01Understand how tracking works
Know that HubSpot uses an invisible tracking pixel to log when a recipient's email client loads your message.
02Enable tracking in settings
Go to your HubSpot CRM settings and activate default email and click tracking indicators.
03Install the Sales extension
Add the HubSpot Sales extension for Chrome, Outlook, or Safari to track emails sent from your regular inbox.
04Verify tracking on a draft
Draft a message and confirm the Track and Log checkboxes are enabled before sending.
05Watch real-time notifications
Keep an eye on desktop pop-up alerts that fire when a recipient opens your email.
06Review contact-level history
Open a contact's record timeline to see historical open events and exact timestamps.
Frequently asked questions
How does HubSpot know when someone opens my email?
It embeds an invisible single-pixel image in the message that logs an open event when the recipient's client loads it.
Can I get a real-time alert when someone opens my email?
Yes, desktop pop-up notifications can alert you the moment a tracked email is opened.
Does this work for emails sent from Gmail or Outlook too?
Yes, as long as the HubSpot Sales extension is installed and active in that inbox client.
Can I see which links a recipient clicked?
Yes, the activity feed can be filtered to isolate contacts who clicked embedded links in your email.
Watch the full walkthrough
The same steps, demonstrated on screen from start to finish.
