unique open vs total opens

[rmahlman]

When i look at how the emails are tracking I see "unique opens' then "Total Opens". Total opens is always higher than unique opens but I can not tell who opened the total opens, only the unique opens. I am not seeing in some cases what looks to appear as twice as many opens and no email adrress. What is the differance?

[rmahlman]

I think it is crazy. I might have 20 unique opens then I see 50 + opens. I dont think the info that I am sending or selling is so important that some unique opener passes it on to 50 others. But hey more the marry er that see my email. Just wish I knew who sent it to so many people. Thats a good person and want to know who it is.

Thanx

Bob

[AdamLPW · Accepted solution]

Hi @rmahlman,

Total Opens is the total number of times your email has been opened.  If you sent your email to me and I opened it six times, this would be six total opens; one unique open.  

If you sent the same email to six separate individuals, each of whom opened it once, this would be six total opens; six unique opens.  

[rmahlman]

So you never know who the guy/gal is who opened it six times though? You can only assume it was one of the people who had a unique open? Also since this is caused by an email being opened more than once I have to assume it was opens by a unique open and I am not missing anything?Tx Bob

[AdamLPW]

Hi Bob,

No, you're absolutely right - all the total opens are by one of the unique openers.  You can't tell who (whom?!).  If someone else opened it, it would be a new unique open. 

🙂

[PureProcessing]

Hey Adam,

If the email is forwarded to others and they open it, those opens only count towards total opens, right? And it would look like the original recipient that forwarded opened it?

[AdamLPW]

You're absolutely right, it'll just show another open for the same customer/prospect...

You might want to upvote this idea in the ideas forum:

https://community.hubspot.com/t5/HubSpot-Ideas/Track-email-forwards/idi-p/338093

Agreed, it would be great to be able to know who's doing this! 🙂