Who can use this: Any team member
Available on: Gong Engage
Ideal for: Sales rep, Sales manager
Gong tracks opens and link clicks on HTML emails you send to CRM contacts through the Gong Extension. Some emails aren't tracked, so check the conditions below if an email shows no engagement data.
What gets tracked
Gong tracks two types of engagement for emails you send to CRM contacts while the extension is active.
Opens: Gong adds an invisible tracking pixel to the email. Each time the email is opened, the pixel loads and records the open.
Link clicks: Gong replaces link URLs in your email with a custom tracking URL that redirects to the original destination. Each click is recorded before the redirect. This process is invisible to the recipient.
Where tracking data appears
After sending a tracked email, engagement data appears in two places.
Gmail inbox view: Next to the email's subject line, a number and lightning bolt icon show the total opens and link clicks for that email across all time. Hover over the icon to see a breakdown.
Extension side panel: Open any email to see opens and clicks in the side panel, along with which contacts from the thread are in your CRM.
When emails are not tracked
Several conditions prevent an email from being tracked:
Recipient not in CRM: Gong only tracks emails sent to addresses linked to a contact or lead in your CRM. If an address is not in your CRM, it is not tracked, even if other recipients in the same thread are.
Plain text emails: Tracking requires HTML formatting. Plain text emails cannot include a tracking pixel or modified link URLs.
Gmail mobile app: Emails sent from the Gmail mobile app are not tracked. Tracking applies only to emails sent from the Gmail web app.
Outlook (self-install only): If the Outlook add-in was installed by the team member rather than deployed by an admin, email tracking is not available. For tracking to work in Outlook, the add-in must be installed company-wide by an admin.
Opens that do not count
Not all pixel loads count as tracked opens. Gong filters out opens from people who are unlikely to be the intended recipient.
An open is not counted when:
You open the email yourself while the extension is installed and you are logged in to Gong.
An internal colleague opens the email with the extension installed and logged in.
Someone the email was forwarded to opens it while the extension is installed and logged in.
Mixed-recipient threads
If you send an email to a mix of CRM contacts and non-CRM addresses, interaction stats appear at the thread level for everyone included, regardless of whether each person is in your CRM.
Retroactive tracking
If you send an email to someone and then add their address to your CRM afterwards, any previous emails to that address are tracked retroactively. The tracking data appears once the contact is linked.
Frequently asked questions
Why is an email showing no tracking data when I know it was opened?
The most common reasons are:
The recipient is not linked to a contact or lead in your CRM
The email was sent as plain text
The open came from you, an internal colleague, or someone who received a forward while the extension was active.
If none of these apply, check that your admin has enabled email tracking for your company.
Do forwarded or internal opens count toward tracking?
No. This includes you, a colleague, or a person who received a forward.
Are emails I send from the Gmail mobile app tracked?
No. Gong interaction stats apply to emails sent from Gmail on the web while the Chrome extension is active. Emails sent from the Gmail mobile app aren’t included in the interaction stats shown in the web app.
Are emails exported to Salesforce?
Depending on the email export settings your admin has configured, emails you send using Gong Extension can be exported to Salesforce as tasks or events. To learn more, see Export data as Salesforce tasks or events.
Does tracking work if I installed the Outlook add-in myself?
No. For email tracking to be available in Outlook, the add-in must be installed company-wide by an admin. If you installed it yourself, the add-in works for other features, but tracking is not available. Ask your admin to deploy it for your company if you need tracking in Outlook.