# Filter Email Opens by Security Scanners

**URL:** <https://community.hubspot.com/t/filter-email-opens-by-security-scanners/130925>\
**Category:** HubSpot Ideas\
**Tags:** analytics-tools\
**Created:** [May 1, 2025, 3:43pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/filter-email-opens-by-security-scanners/130925 "2025-05-01T15:43:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tighe\_Lory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/47e85d/32.png) [@Tighe\_Lory](https://community.hubspot.com/u/Tighe_Lory)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 3:43pm UTC](https://community.hubspot.com/t/filter-email-opens-by-security-scanners/130925/1 "2025-05-01T15:43:41Z")

</div>

Currently, HubSpot tracks email opens using a 1x1 tracking pixel. However, this method is increasingly unreliable due to modern security tools (e.g., Microsoft Defender for Office 365, Mimecast, Proofpoint, etc.) that pre-scan emails for phishing and malware. These scanners trigger false open events by automatically loading all links and images, including the tracking pixel — often within seconds of delivery.

**Why this matters:**  
These false opens lead to:

- Artificially inflated open rates
- Premature or inappropriate workflow triggers
- Misleading performance reporting
- Poor segmentation and lead scoring decisions

**Request:**  
Please add a setting to automatically **filter out or suppress open events** that are clearly generated by bots or email scanners. This could include:

- Filtering based on known bot **IP addresses** or **user-agent strings**
- Suppressing opens that occur within 1–2 seconds of delivery (likely scanner behavior)
- Allowing admins to configure a list of **domains, IPs, or headers** to exclude from open tracking
- Flagging opens as “suspicious” or “probable bot” in engagement logs

**Optional Enhancements:**

- Add a toggle in email performance reports to include/exclude bot traffic
- Make this logic available in **workflow triggers and suppression lists**

**Impact:**  
This would improve the accuracy of open data, reduce automation misfires, and help HubSpot users better comply with privacy-focused best practices and engagement scoring.