This screen is comprised of a map divided into countries that you can zoom in to look closer. The USA is additionally divided into states. Below the map is a table which summarizes what the percentage is of each country's opens.
If you hover over a particular country, the sum of opens that occurred there will pop up in a box. Additionally, the United states are clickable and will take you to an extra screen from which you can get back easily to the main map. This screen also has its own summary but instead of countries, you can see which state has the most opens.
Keep in mind that the map of Canada works the same as the USA. Upon clicking it you will be taken to a detailed map of regions with its own summary.
The USA and Canada items in the world map's summary also expand into regions.
Understanding Geolocation Accuracy
Elastic Email uses IP-based geolocation to approximate the geographic location of your email recipients when they interact with your messages (e.g., opens and clicks). While this method is widely used and generally reliable, it's important to understand that geolocation data is an approximation and may not always perfectly reflect a recipient's exact physical location. Several factors can contribute to discrepancies between the reported and actual locations:
1. Privacy and Security Tools
VPNs and Proxy Servers: when recipients use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) or proxy servers, their internet traffic is routed through servers that can be in different cities or even countries. The IP address recorded by our system will correspond to the VPN or proxy server's location, not the user's actual location.
Apple Mail Privacy Protection (MPP): for users with Apple Mail Privacy Protection enabled (iOS 15+, macOS Monterey+), Apple's servers prefetch email content, including tracking pixels, through anonymous proxy servers. While these servers typically assign an anonymous IP address reflecting the user's general geographic macro-region (e.g., country or state), they mask the precise city or neighborhood.
Gmail Image Proxy: Google Gmail processes all images in emails, including tracking pixels, through its own proxy servers. This means the geolocation reports IP addresses belonging to Google's infrastructure, which might map to Google's data centers rather than the recipient's exact location.
2. Network Infrastructure
Corporate and Cloud Email Gateways: emails opened within corporate networks often route through centralized gateways or cloud security services. The recorded IP address will then resolve to the gateway's location, which could be a corporate headquarters or a data center, rather than the employee's physical location.
Shared IP Addresses (CGNAT): many internet service providers, particularly mobile carriers, use Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT), where multiple users share a single public IP address. The geolocation for this shared IP typically maps to the ISP's gateway, which might be in a different city or region from the user.
Bots and Automated Opens: security scanners, anti-spam gateways, and filtering bots often automatically verify incoming messages by opening them in a sandboxed environment. These automated opens can generate false location data corresponding to the security service's data center.
3. Database and Connectivity Limitations
Outdated Geolocation Databases: IP geolocation relies on third-party databases that map IP addresses to physical locations. These databases are updated periodically, but there can be a delay. If an ISP reassigns IP blocks or changes its infrastructure, the geolocation data may temporarily be inaccurate.
Mobile Network Roaming & Satellite Internet: when users are roaming on a foreign mobile network, their IP address might still be assigned by their home carrier. Similarly, satellite internet providers route traffic through ground stations that can be far from the user, causing the IP address to geolocate to the ground station's location.
Recommendations for Interpreting Geography Data
Given these factors, we recommend the following when analyzing your geography data:
Use geographic data as a general indicator of trends and overall audience distribution rather than relying on individual data points for precise locations.
Be aware that certain recipient segments (e.g., corporate users, mobile users, privacy-conscious users) are more likely to show location data discrepancies.
For a more complete understanding of your audience, cross-reference geographic data with other engagement metrics, such as click-through rates and conversion data.
By understanding these nuances, you can more effectively leverage the Geography screen to gain valuable insights into your email campaign performance.