Pixels - Umami

Pixels are tiny, invisible tracking images that help you measure when content is viewed. Use pixels to track email opens, ad impressions, and content views across platforms where you can’t install JavaScript tracking code.

What are Tracking Pixels?

A tracking pixel is a 1x1 transparent image that loads when content is viewed:

Impression Tracking

Track when content is viewed:

Email opens
Ad impressions
Newsletter views
External content

Simple Implementation

Easy to add anywhere:

No JavaScript required
Works in emails
Compatible with most platforms
Invisible to users

How Pixels Work

Create Pixel

Generate a unique tracking pixel in Umami.

Embed Image

Add the pixel image to your content (email, page, etc.).

Content Viewed

When someone views the content, the pixel image loads.

Track Impression

Umami records the view with associated data (time, location, device).

Pixels are 1x1 transparent images, completely invisible to users but loaded by their browser/email client.

Use Cases

Email Marketing

Track email engagement:

Newsletter open rates
Campaign reach
Email client analytics
Geographic distribution

Display Advertising

Measure ad impressions:

Banner ad views
Sponsored content
Native advertising
Partnership tracking

External Content

Track off-site content:

Guest blog posts
Partner websites
Syndicated content
Third-party platforms

Print to Digital

Bridge offline and online:

QR codes with pixels
Digital versions of print ads
Hybrid campaigns
Cross-channel tracking

Creating Pixels

Generate a new tracking pixel:

Navigate to Pixels

Click Pixels in the main navigation.

Add Pixel

Click the Add Pixel button.

Name Your Pixel

Enter a descriptive name:

Purpose of the pixel
Campaign or content identifier
Easy to recognize later

Examples:

“Newsletter - Weekly Digest”
“Banner Ad - Homepage”
“Email Campaign - Product Launch”

Generate Pixel

Click Save to create your tracking pixel.

A unique pixel URL is automatically generated with a random slug.

Copy Pixel Code

Copy the generated pixel URL to use in your content.

Pixel URL Format

Your tracking pixel URL:

https://[your-domain]/pixels/[unique-slug]

Example:

https://analytics.umami.is/pixels/abc123xyz

The slug is a 9-character alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies your pixel.

Implementing Pixels

Add pixel to HTML emails:

<img src="https://analytics.umami.is/pixels/abc123xyz" 
     width="1" 
     height="1" 
     alt="" 
     style="display:block; border:0;" />

Place the pixel image at the bottom of your email for best tracking results.

HTML Page

Embed in any HTML content:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>My Page</title>
</head>
<body>
  <!-- Your content here -->
  
  <!-- Tracking pixel at the bottom -->
  <img src="https://analytics.umami.is/pixels/abc123xyz" 
       width="1" 
       height="1" 
       alt="" 
       style="display:none;" />
</body>
</html>

Markdown Content

Add to Markdown documents:

# My Blog Post

Your content here...

![](https://analytics.umami.is/pixels/abc123xyz)

Email Signature

Track email views:

<p>
  John Doe<br>
  <a href="https://example.com">example.com</a>
  <img src="https://analytics.umami.is/pixels/abc123xyz" width="1" height="1" alt="">
</p>

Rich Text Editors

For WYSIWYG editors:

Switch to HTML Mode

Toggle to HTML/source code view.

Paste Pixel Code

Add the image tag at the bottom of your content.

Return to Visual Mode

Switch back to visual editing (pixel will be invisible).

Pixel Analytics

Track impressions and analyze pixel performance:

Open Pixel Details

Click on any pixel from your pixels list.

View Analytics

See comprehensive impression analytics.

Analyze Trends

Explore data by time, location, and device.

Impression Metrics

Total Views

Total number of times the pixel was loaded.

Unique Viewers

Estimated unique viewers (based on sessions).

View Rate

Impressions over time showing engagement trends.

Analytics Dashboard

Each pixel has detailed analytics: Views Chart

Impression volume over time
Hourly, daily, or monthly views
Peak viewing times
Trend visualization

Geographic Data

Countries viewing your content
Regional distribution
City-level tracking (where available)
Interactive map visualization

Device Information

Desktop vs mobile views
Email clients (for email pixels)
Operating systems
Browser types

Time Analysis

Best viewing times
Day of week patterns
Opening behavior
Engagement timing

Pixel analytics use the same analytics engine as website tracking, providing consistent, detailed insights.

Managing Pixels

Editing Pixels

Update pixel details:

Find Pixel

Locate the pixel in your pixels list.

Click Edit

Click the edit icon next to the pixel name.

Update Name

Modify the pixel name for better organization.

The pixel URL and slug cannot be changed after creation.

Save Changes

Click Save to update.

What Can Be Changed

Name: Update the internal reference name

What Cannot Be Changed

Slug: The pixel URL code is permanent
Creation Date: Historical timestamp
View History: Analytics data is preserved

Deleting Pixels

Remove pixels you no longer need:

Deleting a pixel is permanent. The pixel will stop tracking immediately, and all view data will be lost.

Select Pixel

Find the pixel you want to delete.

Click Delete

Click the delete icon.

Confirm Deletion

Confirm that you want to permanently delete the pixel.

Before deleting, consider:

Is the pixel still active in any content?
Do you need the historical view data?
Export analytics data if needed
Remove pixel from all content first

Team Pixels

Pixels can be created under teams for shared access:

Creating Team Pixels

Select Team Context

When creating a pixel, select the team from the dropdown (if available).

Create Pixel

Follow the normal pixel creation process.

Team Access

All team members can view and manage the pixel based on their role.

Team Permissions

Manager

Full access:

Create pixels
Edit pixels
Delete pixels
View analytics

Member

Standard access:

Create pixels
Edit own pixels
View all analytics
Cannot delete team pixels

View Only

Read-only access:

View pixels
View analytics
Cannot create/edit
Cannot delete

Email Tracking Considerations

Email Client Compatibility

Pixel tracking works in most email clients: Full Support:

Gmail (web)
Outlook (web)
Apple Mail
iOS Mail
Most webmail services

Limited Support:

Outlook (desktop) - may cache images
Privacy-focused email clients
Clients with image blocking enabled

Some email clients cache images or block tracking pixels. Your actual open rates may be higher than reported.

Privacy Features

Modern email clients have privacy protections: Apple Mail Privacy Protection (iOS 15+):

Preloads images on server
Masks IP addresses
May inflate open rates
Location data less accurate

Gmail Image Proxy:

Caches images on Google servers
May delay tracking
Obscures some data

Despite privacy features, pixel tracking still provides valuable aggregate engagement insights.

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

Use clear, descriptive names: Good Names:

“Newsletter - Weekly Tech News - 2024”
“Email Campaign - Product Launch - March”
“Banner Ad - Homepage - Q1”
“Partner Content - Blog XYZ”

Poor Names:

“Pixel 1”
“Test”
“New”
“Email”

Implementation Tips

Place pixels at the bottom of content
Use appropriate image attributes (width=“1” height=“1”)
Include alt="" for accessibility
Test pixel loading before deployment
Don’t use multiple pixels in the same content

Privacy and Ethics

Always comply with privacy regulations (GDPR, CAN-SPAM, etc.) when using tracking pixels in emails.

Best practices:

Include privacy policy link in emails
Provide opt-out mechanisms
Don’t use pixels to collect sensitive information
Be transparent about tracking
Respect “Do Not Track” preferences
Comply with email marketing regulations

Organization

Use consistent naming conventions
Create pixels under appropriate teams
Archive or delete old campaign pixels
Document pixel usage
Keep a record of where pixels are deployed

Pixels vs Other Tracking Methods

Method	Pixels	JavaScript	Links
Works in Email	Yes	No	Yes (for clicks)
Tracks Views	Yes	Yes	No (clicks only)
Requires Images	Yes	No	No
Detail Level	Basic	Comprehensive	Click-focused
Best For	Impressions	Full analytics	Click tracking

Use pixels for impression tracking in emails and restricted environments. Use JavaScript tracking for comprehensive website analytics. Use links for click tracking.

Troubleshooting

Pixel not tracking

Possible causes:

Images blocked by email client
Pixel code not properly embedded
Typo in pixel URL
Content not yet viewed

Solutions:

Test pixel in different email clients
Verify HTML code is correct
Check pixel URL in browser
Ensure content has been delivered/viewed
Look for browser console errors

Duplicate tracking

Possible causes:

Multiple pixels in same content
Email client preloading images
User opening email multiple times

Solutions:

Use only one pixel per content piece
Understand client-specific behavior
This is normal user behavior
Consider unique vs total views

Inflated numbers

Possible causes:

Apple Mail Privacy Protection
Email client preloading
Spam filters scanning content
Automated email scanners

Solutions:

Expect some inflation with Apple Mail users
Focus on trends rather than absolute numbers
Compare to historical data
Use multiple metrics (not just opens)

No geographic data

Possible causes:

Privacy features masking location
Image proxies obscuring origin
VPN or proxy usage

Solutions:

Accept that some data will be masked
Look at aggregate patterns
Combine with other tracking methods
Focus on available data points

Advanced Use Cases

Campaign Comparison

Track multiple variations:

Campaign A:
  Pixel: newsletter-a-subject-test
  
Campaign B:
  Pixel: newsletter-b-subject-test
  
Compare:
  View rates, engagement timing, geographic response

Multi-Channel Tracking

Combine tracking methods:

Email Campaign:
  Pixel: Tracks email opens
  Link: Tracks click-through
  Website: Tracks on-site behavior
  
Complete Attribution:
  Email opened → Link clicked → Website conversion

Content Performance

Measure content reach:

Guest Post:
  Pixel: guest-post-site-xyz-march
  
Metrics:
  How many readers?
  Geographic reach
  Reading times (if pixel in different sections)

Privacy and Compliance

Pixel tracking respects privacy:

Anonymized data: IP addresses are anonymized
No cookies: Pixel tracking doesn’t use cookies
No PII: No personally identifiable information
GDPR compliant: When used appropriately
Transparent: Include in privacy policies

Always ensure your use of tracking pixels complies with applicable privacy laws and regulations in your jurisdiction.

Limitations

What Pixels Can Track

View/impression count
Approximate location (country/region)
Device type
Time of view
Email client (in emails)

What Pixels Cannot Track

Individual user identity
Email addresses
Exact reading time
Clicks (use links for this)
On-page behavior (use JavaScript for this)
Cross-device activity

Next Steps

Links

Create tracking links for click measurement

Website Tracking

Install full JavaScript tracking

Teams

Create shared pixels for your team

Reports

Analyze campaign performance with reports

Core Features

Analytics

Additional Features

​What are Tracking Pixels?

Impression Tracking

Simple Implementation

​How Pixels Work

​Use Cases

Email Marketing

Display Advertising

External Content

Print to Digital

​Creating Pixels

​Pixel URL Format

​Implementing Pixels

​Email Newsletter

​HTML Page

​Markdown Content

​Email Signature

​Rich Text Editors

​Pixel Analytics

​Impression Metrics

Total Views

Unique Viewers

View Rate

​Analytics Dashboard

​Managing Pixels

​Editing Pixels

​What Can Be Changed

​What Cannot Be Changed

​Deleting Pixels

​Team Pixels

​Creating Team Pixels

​Team Permissions

Manager

Member

View Only

​Email Tracking Considerations

​Email Client Compatibility

​Privacy Features

​Best Practices

​Naming Conventions

​Implementation Tips

​Privacy and Ethics

​Organization

​Pixels vs Other Tracking Methods

​Troubleshooting

​Advanced Use Cases

​Campaign Comparison

​Multi-Channel Tracking

​Content Performance

​Privacy and Compliance

​Limitations

​What Pixels Can Track

​What Pixels Cannot Track

​Next Steps

Links

Website Tracking

Teams

Reports

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

What are Tracking Pixels?

How Pixels Work

Use Cases

Creating Pixels

Pixel URL Format

Implementing Pixels

Email Newsletter

HTML Page

Markdown Content

Email Signature

Rich Text Editors

Pixel Analytics

Impression Metrics

Analytics Dashboard

Managing Pixels

Editing Pixels

What Can Be Changed

What Cannot Be Changed

Deleting Pixels

Team Pixels

Creating Team Pixels

Team Permissions

Email Tracking Considerations

Email Client Compatibility

Privacy Features

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

Implementation Tips

Privacy and Ethics

Organization

Pixels vs Other Tracking Methods

Troubleshooting

Advanced Use Cases

Campaign Comparison

Multi-Channel Tracking

Content Performance

Privacy and Compliance

Limitations

What Pixels Can Track

What Pixels Cannot Track

Next Steps