How to block click-tracking links
Open-tracking gets the attention, but click-tracking is the other half: senders rewrite links so they route through a tracking server first, logging which link you clicked and when before redirecting to the destination. Blocking the open pixel does nothing about this separate mechanism. Mailshade locally detects supported click-tracking redirect patterns and, when you click, shows a choice: open the extracted direct destination or continue with the original tracked URL. Choosing the direct destination avoids that redirect request. This works in opted-in Gmail, Outlook, Office 365, Superhuman, Yahoo Mail and ProtonMail. This guide explains how redirect tracking works, how to spot it, and what the choice means.
How click-tracking works
Instead of linking directly to example.com, an email can link to track.sender.com/abc123, which records the click and then redirects you. The log entry is created before you reach the destination.
How to spot a tracked link
- Hover a link and the visible URL is a tracking domain, not the brand's site.
- The path is an opaque token rather than a readable page path.
How Mailshade handles known patterns
Mailshade detects supported redirect formats locally and presents the extracted direct destination alongside the original URL. You decide which to open. Choosing direct avoids contacting the recognized redirect server; choosing original preserves the sender's link unchanged.
Limits matter
Mailshade does not claim to resolve every redirect on the internet. It handles known local patterns, keeps the choice visible, and does not send the link to a resolution service.
FAQ
Is click-tracking different from open-tracking?
Yes. Open-tracking uses a pixel that fires when you read the email; click-tracking uses a redirect when you click. Mailshade network-blocks known pixel domains and separately warns on supported redirect patterns.
How does Mailshade stop click-tracking?
It detects supported redirect patterns locally and offers the extracted direct destination beside the original tracked URL. If you choose direct, the recognized redirect server is not contacted; choosing original preserves normal behavior.
Will unwrapping links break where they go?
Mailshade shows the extracted destination before navigation and keeps the original URL as an explicit fallback. Supported local patterns avoid a remote resolution request, but you remain in control of which URL opens.
Does click-link unwrapping work outside Gmail?
Yes. The local warning and direct-or-original choice run across opted-in Gmail, Outlook, Office 365, Superhuman, Yahoo Mail and ProtonMail.
How much does Mailshade cost?
Core link warnings remain free after a 14-day Pro trial. Paid Pro starts at $3.99 per month or $19 one-time; pricing is at mailshade.org and the source is open under AGPL-3.0.