What is link wrapping?

Link wrapping is the process of replacing original URLs in your email with tracking URLs. The wrapped links redirect through a tracking server before reaching the destination.

Original: <a href="https://shop.example.com/product">Buy now</a>

Wrapped: <a href="https://track.esp.com/c/abc123">Buy now</a>

The tracking URL (abc123) encodes the original destination plus identifiers for the recipient, campaign, and link position. When clicked, the tracking system decodes this, logs the event, and redirects.

What gets wrapped: Most ESPs wrap all links by default. Some allow exclusions for specific URLs (like unsubscribe links) or entire domains.

Security filter concerns: Wrapped links look different from the displayed text and visible domain. Security tools that compare displayed text with actual URLs may flag mismatches. Tools like Microsoft Safelinks and Google Safe Browsing may re-wrap your already-wrapped links, creating chains.

Encoding considerations: Query parameters, special characters, and very long URLs must be encoded carefully. Poor encoding breaks links or tracking.

Test wrapped links thoroughly. Click them in test emails to verify they redirect correctly and tracking registers the click.