How to detect Mail User Agents (MUA) with a web bug
Hi
I'm currently building a mailshot system. I have put a web bug into the bottom of the email template so I can track email opens, I've also got all the links in the emails going via a redirect page so I can also track those.
I came across a website the other day http://fingerprintapp.com/ that offers the service of showing you the MAUs that are being used to view your emails. All you have to do once you have signed up is start a new campaign and they give you a HTML snippet of an < img > tag with a .gif in followed by a bit of querystring i.e. open.gif?12345somecodehere
I have been examining what I can get from the request.servervariables array in ASP when the request for my webbug comes in from an MUA. I get some strange results from both the server variables and the MSWC.BrowserType object . For example, when I open the email in outlook 2003 it all reports as IE7, also if I open it in gmail in firefox the request still appears as IE7.
Am I on the right lines here? The fingerprint app surely can't have access to more information than I do in a HTTP request. Do I need a better browscap.ini ?? or is it something completely different.
Thanks in advance.
I'm currently building a mailshot system. I have put a web bug into the bottom of the email template so I can track email opens, I've also got all the links in the emails going via a redirect page so I can also track those.
I came across a website the other day http://fingerprintapp.com/ that offers the service of showing you the MAUs that are being used to view your emails. All you have to do once you have signed up is start a new campaign and they give you a HTML snippet of an < img > tag with a .gif in followed by a bit of querystring i.e. open.gif?12345somecodehere
I have been examining what I can get from the request.servervariables array in ASP when the request for my webbug comes in from an MUA. I get some strange results from both the server variables and the MSWC.BrowserType object . For example, when I open the email in outlook 2003 it all reports as IE7, also if I open it in gmail in firefox the request still appears as IE7.
Am I on the right lines here? The fingerprint app surely can't have access to more information than I do in a HTTP request. Do I need a better browscap.ini ?? or is it something completely different.
Thanks in advance.
Last Comment
Hello,
No, I don't think you need a browscap.ini. You would just need to know which mail client (or app) uses which string in their user agent.
For example, on my computer, Outlook Express returned the full string:
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506.30)
From Firefox 3:
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-GB; rv:1.9.0.1) Gecko/2008070208 Firefox/3.0.1
From Mozilla Thunderbird:
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-GB; rv:1.8.1.14) Gecko/20080421 Thunderbird/2.0.0.14
I guess what you're paying the provider for is to keep an updated database of which user agent belongs to which.
On a side note: instead of using a small gif image as your bug, I would just build it into a larger image like a logo. A lot of mail clients (and MailScanner) identify small images as web bugs and block them.
No, I don't think you need a browscap.ini. You would just need to know which mail client (or app) uses which string in their user agent.
For example, on my computer, Outlook Express returned the full string:
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.04506.30)
From Firefox 3:
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-GB; rv:1.9.0.1) Gecko/2008070208 Firefox/3.0.1
From Mozilla Thunderbird:
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-GB; rv:1.8.1.14) Gecko/20080421 Thunderbird/2.0.0.14
I guess what you're paying the provider for is to keep an updated database of which user agent belongs to which.
On a side note: instead of using a small gif image as your bug, I would just build it into a larger image like a logo. A lot of mail clients (and MailScanner) identify small images as web bugs and block them.
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Hello,
Thank you for the suggestions and apologies for the slow reply (I am trying to find time to fit this part of development in around a whole bunch of other stuff currently).
The HTTP_USER_AGENT appears in most cases to just tell me IE6 or IE7, I'm guessing the version depends on what the major version is on the email recipients machine. I am continuing to collect viewing information from the first few mailshots sent with this system.
The point about the 1x1 webbug being blocked and to put the tracking on the logo is a interesting suggestion and I will look to do this in future.
I will reply again when I get a chance to examine some of my collected data further
Eric
Thank you for the suggestions and apologies for the slow reply (I am trying to find time to fit this part of development in around a whole bunch of other stuff currently).
The HTTP_USER_AGENT appears in most cases to just tell me IE6 or IE7, I'm guessing the version depends on what the major version is on the email recipients machine. I am continuing to collect viewing information from the first few mailshots sent with this system.
The point about the 1x1 webbug being blocked and to put the tracking on the logo is a interesting suggestion and I will look to do this in future.
I will reply again when I get a chance to examine some of my collected data further
Eric
I think I gave a reasonable enough answer to the question, and was under the impression that my input was at least somewhat useful to the asker.
ASKER
MUA usage was already being investigated, did confirm that it is the only method to identify clients but not exactly how to, especially considering web clients.
Thank you
Thank you
Web Development
Web development includes all aspects of presenting content on intranets and the Internet, including delivery development, protocols, languages and standards, server software, browser clients, databases and multimedia generation.
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