Email tracker blocker for Gmail
Gmail's built-in image proxy masks the browser's raw IP, while Google may fetch remote images on its servers. After you opt into mail.google.com, Mailshade uses Chrome's declarativeNetRequest to cancel receiver-side Chrome requests that match its reviewed tracker-pixel endpoint catalog, including supported Gmail proxy URL forms. This demonstrates browser-side cancellation only; Google may have fetched or cached the remote image earlier. A local DOM scan detects pixels and supported tracking-link patterns in opened messages; recognized links offer the extracted direct destination or the original URL. Detected tracker occurrences are stored in local IndexedDB and charted by sender.
Gmail proxy scope
Gmail can serve remote images through Google's proxy. A Chrome extension can observe and cancel the receiver-side page request, but it cannot establish whether Google fetched or cached the remote asset earlier.
What Mailshade does in Gmail
- After opt-in, cancels receiver-side Chrome requests that match reviewed tracker-pixel endpoints, including supported Gmail proxy URL forms.
- Shows a red-eye overlay naming the tracker endpoint detected in an opened message.
- Detects supported tracking-link patterns locally and lets you choose direct or original.
- Logs detected tracker occurrences to a per-sender dashboard in IndexedDB.
Evidence and limits
The browser benchmark separately records direct requests, supported Gmail proxy forms and same-host benign controls. Its Gmail result describes receiver-side Chrome behavior and does not infer an earlier Google server fetch.
Keep ordinary images
Mailshade targets reviewed endpoint paths and supported proxy forms rather than disabling all remote images. The benchmark includes same-host benign controls to test that distinction.
FAQ
What does Gmail's image proxy change?
It can mask the browser's raw IP and serve an image through Google. Mailshade can cancel supported receiver-side Chrome requests that match reviewed tracker-pixel endpoints, but it cannot establish whether Google fetched or cached the image earlier.
How is Mailshade's Gmail behavior verified?
The published methodology separates receiver-side direct requests, supported Gmail proxy URL forms, benign controls and local detection evidence. Comparative efficacy is reported only by a dated benchmark run.
Does it work in the Gmail mobile app?
No. Mailshade is a Chrome MV3 extension for the Gmail web client at mail.google.com. The native mobile app does not support browser extensions.
Will blocking trackers break Gmail images?
Mailshade cancels requests that match reviewed tracker-pixel endpoints rather than disabling all images; the benchmark uses benign controls to check that non-matching image requests continue to load.
How much does the Gmail tracker blocker cost?
Core protection remains free after a 14-day Pro trial. Paid Pro starts at $3.99 per month or $19 one-time for Founders Lifetime, capped at the first 1000 seats.