Workflow enrolment by clicking link in email - however Hubspot changes the link URL when delivered

[ktraver]

Hi there,

I want to use the "clicked link in email" for a workflow enrolment. The link is a whitepaper I've uploaded to Hubspot.

I have use "Original URL" and pasted the same link into the workflow as I pasted into the email, let's call it hs-123.document.pdf

However, I have tested this to a list of private accounts on Gmail and Hotmail with a live email (not a preview email) and the link in my inbox is different to the actual URL of the document - let's say hubspotlinks.url/lotsofnumbers.

When I look at my email analytics, it shows the link as hs-123.document.pdf with all of our users having clicked on it, however no one has been enrolled into the live workflow.

I believe Hubspot is changing the link within the email for tracking and then redirecting to the actual page, so how exactly do I use the link click workflow enrolment trigger with this added layer of complexity?

Enrollment trigger:

Enrollment criteria:

Marketing email link clicks:

URL as it is in the inbox:

[ktraver]

I have solved my own problem by using "contains any of" as the match, instead of "is equal to any of". Despite the complex link redirection, it was still using the URL I had put into the workflow.

It boils down to Hubspot not actually having any difference between Original and Raw URL. They say to use Original "if you want to track clicks based on the core URL, without concern for tracking parameters" however this is absolutely not the case - Original still counts everything in the query string.

Hubspot should take steps to either make Original URL as they describe it - only the core URL without concern for tracking parameters - or they need to get rid of the two separate parameters because there actually is no distinction between Raw and Original URL.

[VPathania]

You're absolutely right—HubSpot modifies links in emails to add tracking parameters. Instead of using the "Original URL" Use the "Clicked Link in Email" option and select the specific email and the link you want to track from the dropdown list. HubSpot will recognize the tracked link automatically because it tracks all links within the email.

[ktraver]

Hi VPathania, thank you for your suggestion, however I can't find my marketing emails in the selection list.

I can only find emails that are published or have already been delivered.

For the workflow to work as expected, I need the workflow to target the email before it's been delivered, otherwise I imagine clicks that happen after the update won't count toward enrolment.

[theoliverhenry]

Instead of using the original URL of your whitepaper in the workflow, use the tracked URL that HubSpot generates. This tracked URL is what recipients actually click on in their emails. 

[ktraver · Accepted solution]

Hi Oliver, thank you for your suggestion, however I don't believe that will work.

Each tracked link URL is unique, for instance I had a URL that ended /VX569Y2PSc6xVlYNHt1Tr_etc etc etc... And my colleague had one that ended /VWMJqk1_ etc etc etc...

And all of our tracked email links start the same - across all emails: https://d14etc04.etc.hubspotlinks.com/etc/unique

That means I'm unable to use tracked links, because I would have to know every individual's unique URL, and I can't use the start of the URL, because it's the same across all emails regardless of the particular link or campaign.