Introduction
With recent changes to Apple's privacy policies, it’s important to understand how this might affect the performance of the different types of links used in emails sent out by Customer.io. This article aims to shed light on the potential impact and what you could focus on moving forward.
Problem
Concerns arise around the impact of Apple's new link tracking protection on the performance of different types of links used in emails. The links of interest include deep links leading users in-app, FAQ links with UTM, blog links with UTM, website links with UTM, and redirections to partner websites.
Solution
The implications of Apple's changes on link tracking would largely depend on the recipient's choice of email app and browser. These changes are specific to the default Apple Mail app and Safari. General and customized UTMs are likely to remain unaffected.
Furthermore, the tracking of deep links is programmatically handled by the receiving app and thus, is not likely to be affected by these changes. Customer.io’s tracked links are logged and then directed to the original URL, a behavior not specifically targeted by Apple's new changes.
However, it should be noted that clicks and opens have become less valuable metrics due to factors such as automated clicking/opening by anti-virus software and trackers being removed entirely by some email clients. A suggestion is to focus more on conversions, such as whether the customer performs a specific event or views a specific page after opening the email.