tracking emails through 1x1 image

Anon

Hi,

This might be a simple question to answer but I am trying to track if an email is opened or not by using a php script imbedded into an image tag.

Ex. <img src="http://something.php?username=username" height=1 width=1>

Using this method how do I actually make an image appear, so that the user doesn't receive a broken image. I have also seen it don't through ->

Does anyone know how this is accomplished? Basically, I'm looking for a method of connecting the code to an image. Thank you.

-Chris

neuromancer

Another method is using CSS to "hide" the image.

As far as the http://something.gif?username=username shouldn't you pass some type of ID? What if a user recieved two diffrent messages or opened the same message twice?

If your tracking the messages you send in a database you might consider sending the PK and maybe a MD5 of the message to verify you have the right message.

Anon

If you really want to send an image, use the passthru() function in your script to pass a small gif file to the browser, just make sure you send the appropriate header first:

Header("Content-Type: image/gif");

-- Rich Rijnders
-- Irvine, CA US

Anon

just use the gd functions if your server has them:

header ("Content-type: image/gif");
$im = @ImageCreate 1, 1)
ImageGif ($im);

that'll pass out a 1x1 gif.

Just make sure all your code doesn't output anything at all (apart from the header & image, of course 🙂), and you'll be fine.

Anon

Does anyone know of a downloadable script/code that I can get to track if an email is opened or not. I am setting up a verbal opt in email campaign and would also like to track which of our counselors emails are being read.

Thanks.
Gern

Anon

Hopefully, nobody helps you with this.

Anon

ya i want a downloadable email tracker script.