WhoReadMe

What WhoReadMe is

WhoReadMe is a web service for tracking sent email and receiving alerts when a tracked message is opened. It works by placing an invisible, uniquely identified image in an HTML email; an alert is sent when the image loads from WhoReadMe’s server. Reports can include how long a message was read, the recipient’s location, browser and operating system, organization and internet service provider, and indications of proxy use or forwarding. The service also reports delivery failures and tracks link clicks and attachment downloads.

Email controls include expiry settings, scheduled sending, custom signatures, and the option to send through a personal SMTP server. Contacts can be imported from Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail, AOL, or Outlook. Messages can also be sent through clients such as Outlook and Thunderbird by adding .whoreadme.com to the recipient address, without installing additional software. Tracking can fail if the recipient’s email client blocks images.

The Free plan costs nothing and includes 20 email credits and 50 read notifications per day. Each email can contain up to 8 MB of attachments, and executable attachments are not accepted. Optional one-time donations offer lifetime account upgrades. WhoReadMe is available on the web.

Who it suits

WhoReadMe suits people who want to track email opens, link clicks, attachment downloads, and delivery failures through a web service. It may also suit Outlook or Thunderbird users who want to send tracked messages without installing additional software.

Limits

The Free plan includes 20 email credits and 50 read notifications per day. Each email can contain up to 8 MB of attachments, and executable attachments are not accepted.

Getting started

1. Open the WhoReadMe website.
2. Use the Free plan, or choose a one-time donation upgrade.
3. Import contacts from Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail, AOL, or Outlook if needed.
4. Send a tracked email through the service, or add .whoreadme.com to the recipient address in Outlook or Thunderbird.

Verdict

Choose WhoReadMe if you want web-based email tracking with open alerts, click and attachment tracking, and delivery failure reports. Look elsewhere if your recipients’ email clients commonly block images, since that can prevent tracking.