What’s the difference between click tracking and engagement scoring?

Click tracking and engagement scoring serve different analytical purposes, though they're related.

Click tracking: Records specific click events. Who clicked, when, which link, how many times. Raw data about individual actions.

Engagement scoring: Combines multiple signals into a composite score representing overall recipient engagement. Uses clicks, opens, recency, frequency, and other behaviors to create a single metric.

Example engagement score components:

Opened last email: +5 points

Clicked in last 30 days: +10 points

Clicked in last 7 days: +20 points

No engagement in 90 days: -30 points

Recent purchase: +50 points

How they're used differently:

Click tracking: Campaign analysis, A/B testing link placement, understanding content interest, triggering automations.

Engagement scoring: List segmentation, sunset policy decisions, send frequency optimization, identifying VIPs and at-risk subscribers.

ESPs may offer both: raw tracking data and pre-built engagement scores. Some let you customize scoring rules; others use fixed algorithms.

Engagement scoring is strategic (who should receive your best content); click tracking is tactical (which content performed best). Both inform good email programs.