Email Logs
What are email logs?
Email logs are detailed records that track the journey of each email you send. They show when an email was sent, and whether it was delivered, bounced, opened, or marked as spam. Think of email logs as a “report card” for your emails that helps you understand how your emails perform and where issues occur.
Why are email logs important?
Reliable record-keeper
Email logs act as a digital archive of sent emails, maintained for a set period depending on the service.
Optimize engagement
Track and analyze email metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates to gauge the effectiveness of email campaigns.
Protect sender reputation
Use insights from email logs to improve email practices and maintain a positive reputation with internet service providers (ISPs).
Easy to troubleshoot
If an email fails, email logs help identify delivery failures and their causes (soft bounce, hard bounce, spam complaint). So you can find ways to resolve them quickly.
Monitor and improve email deliverability
By checking logs, you can spot delivery issues early, safeguard your domain reputation, and improve inbox placement.
What key information can be found in email logs?
Email logs capture essential data that helps you track and troubleshoot messages. Each email log entry contains these details for sure. Typical details include:
Email details: Sender, recipient address, request IDs, and timestamps.
Delivery status: Whether the email was sent, delivered, queued, bounced, or rejected.
Event history: Actions like opens, clicks, unsubscribes, and spam reports.
Content preview: A copy of the email body or its HTML template.
Timeline: The sequence of events from send to delivery with time.
Error codes: Diagnostic codes explaining delivery failures or issues.
How do you filter details from email logs?
Most platforms offer features to help you find the details you need within your email logs quickly. Common options include:
Filters and search: Refine results by recipient, subject line, event type (like delivery, bounce, or open), or mailbox provider.
Retention period: Email logs are typically stored for a set duration (commonly around 30 days).
Export options: Many tools allow you to download logs for offline analysis, reporting, or record-keeping.