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Troubleshooting report numbers

Report figures such as opens, clicks, and unsubscribes can look higher or lower than you expect. Most surprises come from how metrics are measured rather than from a fault in the report. This page explains the common causes and how to read the numbers with confidence.

Symptom​

A metric on a Broadcast or campaign report does not match what you expected — for example, opens exceed the number of subscribers sent, click totals disagree between two views, or a figure keeps rising after the send appeared to finish.

Likely causes​

  • Timing and refresh. Engagement keeps arriving for hours or days after a Broadcast. A report viewed minutes after sending will look low; the same report later looks higher.
  • Unique vs. total counts. "Opens" often means total opens (one subscriber can open several times), while "unique opens" counts each subscriber once. Comparing the two looks like a discrepancy.
  • Open tracking is approximate. Opens rely on a tracking pixel. Image-blocking, plain-text reading, and privacy features (such as Apple Mail Privacy Protection) can inflate or suppress opens.
  • Bots and security scanners. Corporate link and image scanners can register machine-generated opens and clicks, raising numbers artificially.
  • Filtered or segmented view. A report scoped to a Folder, segment, date range, or single Edition will differ from an account-wide total.
  • Denominator differences. Rates change depending on whether the base is sent, delivered, or targeted subscribers.

Fixes​

  1. Let the data settle, then refresh the report — allow at least 24–48 hours before treating figures as final.
  2. Confirm whether each metric is a total or a unique count, and compare like with like (confirm the exact labels in your account).
  3. Treat open rate as a directional signal, not an exact count, and lean on clicks and downstream conversions for accuracy.
  4. Check the report's filters, date range, and scope so you are comparing the same population.
  5. Verify the denominator (sent vs. delivered) behind any percentage before drawing conclusions.
  6. See the metrics dictionary for the precise definition of each figure.

Still stuck?​

If a number still looks wrong after the data has settled, note the Broadcast, the exact metric, the view you used, and the time you checked, then contact your account support team so they can compare against the underlying delivery records.

Canonical terms: Author, Edition, Folder (Project Folder), Broadcast. See the Glossary.