> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.laposta.org/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.laposta.org/_mcp/server.

# How does Gmail affect your openratio and the number of opens?

> Gmail caches images. As a result, your statistics will show a subscriber's first open, but usually not any repeated opens.

With Gmail subscribers, you rarely see a second open, even if a subscriber views your newsletter multiple times. Your openratio (the percentage of unique opens) remains accurate, but the total number of opens for Gmail subscribers will be lower than it actually is.

## Why a second open is not measured

Like other providers, Laposta detects an open using an invisible, tiny image in your newsletter. When this image is loaded, Laposta's servers receive a signal and the open is registered.

When a subscriber opens your newsletter for the first time in Gmail, Gmail fetches all images from Laposta's servers and stores them on its own proxy servers. This means that first open is measured as normal.

Gmail then replaces the unique image URL in your newsletter with a link to Google's cache, where the images are kept for at least 24 hours. Your subscriber then reads the newsletter using the images stored by Google, including the invisible tracking image. Because of this, Laposta cannot register a second or subsequent open by the same subscriber (at least for the first 24 hours).

> **Note**
>
> Because Gmail chooses to store images itself, Laposta is unfortunately unable to measure these repeated opens.

If you see an unusually high number of opens for a single address, something else is going on: read why [you see many opens for the same address](/waarom-zie-ik-heel-veel-opens-voor-hetzelfde-adres). Security filters can also cause opens and clicks that do not come from a reader, as described in [Bot filter for scanner clicks](/kliks-door-robots-scanners).

## Advantages of Gmail's approach

Gmail's method also has advantages:

* By default, your Gmail subscribers immediately see your newsletter in its full design, including all images. They do not have to manually load the images first. A well-designed newsletter with a nice header is more likely to encourage reading and clicking through than a newsletter full of alt text. As a result, your openratio with Gmail is actually likely to be slightly higher.
* In this way, Gmail protects its users against images that compromise the security of their PC, tablet, or smartphone, such as viruses and malware.

The fact that your newsletter is immediately displayed in full in Gmail does not mean that it looks the same everywhere. Every email client displays your newsletter in its own way: see [why your newsletter differs from the preview](/in-de-mailbox-ziet-mijn-nieuwsbrief-er-anders-uit-dan-in-de-preview-hoe-kan-dat).

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