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Use HTTPS in production. Many email clients block or downgrade non-HTTPS assets, which will prevent tracking pixels from loading.

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Why HTTPS is required

Modern email clients implement strict security policies:
  • Gmail, Outlook, and other providers proxy or block HTTP images
  • Mixed content policies prevent HTTP resources from loading in HTTPS contexts
  • Without HTTPS, your tracking pixels will not load reliably
HTTPS is not optional for production email tracking.

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Production deployment steps

Follow these steps to deploy Email Tracker with HTTPS:

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1. Configure DNS

Point your domain’s DNS A record to your server’s IP address: 
tracker.yourdomain.com.  A  203.0.113.10
Wait for DNS propagation (usually a few minutes, can take up to 48 hours).

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2. Configure firewall and NAT

Open the required ports on your server’s firewall: 
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
If your server is behind a router or NAT:
  • Forward ports 80 and 443 to your server’s internal IP
  • Configure port forwarding in your router’s admin interface

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3. Run Node server on localhost

Start the Email Tracker server on a local port (not exposed to the internet): 
PORT=8090 DASHBOARD_TOKEN=your-secure-token npm --workspace=server run start
The server should listen on 127.0.0.1:8090 (or your chosen port).

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4. Set up reverse proxy

Place a reverse proxy in front of your Node.js server to:
  • Terminate TLS/SSL connections
  • Proxy requests to the Node server
  • Handle HTTPS certificate management
Choose either Caddy (automatic HTTPS) or Nginx (manual certificate setup). See the Reverse proxy configuration page for detailed setup instructions with sample configurations.

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5. Obtain SSL certificate

Caddy automatically obtains and renews Let’s Encrypt certificates. No manual configuration needed.

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Verification

After completing the setup, verify your deployment:

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1. Check HTTPS is working

Visit your domain in a browser: 
https://tracker.yourdomain.com/health
You should see:
  • Valid HTTPS certificate (no browser warnings)
  • Response: {"status":"ok"}

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2. Test tracking pixel

Verify the pixel endpoint is accessible via HTTPS: 
curl -I https://tracker.yourdomain.com/t/test.gif
Expected response: 
HTTP/2 200
content-type: image/gif
...

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3. Update extension configuration

In the Chrome extension popup:
  1. Set Tracker Base URL to your HTTPS domain: 
    https://tracker.yourdomain.com
  2. Set Dashboard Token to match your DASHBOARD_TOKEN
  3. Send a test email and verify tracking works

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Troubleshooting

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Tracking pixel not loading

  • Verify HTTPS certificate is valid (no browser warnings)
  • Check reverse proxy is correctly forwarding to Node server
  • Confirm firewall allows ports 80 and 443
  • Test pixel URL directly in browser

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Certificate errors

  • Ensure DNS points to correct server IP
  • Verify domain name matches certificate
  • Check certificate hasn’t expired
  • Confirm intermediate certificates are included

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Connection timeout

  • Check Node server is running on expected port
  • Verify reverse proxy configuration is correct
  • Test local server: curl http://127.0.0.1:8090/health
  • Check firewall rules aren’t blocking traffic

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Next steps

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