Want to know what tracking pixels are, or stop a sender from seeing when you open their emails?
Here’s how tracking pixels work, who uses them, and how to turn them off at any time, sender by sender.
This article is about tracking pixels in the emails you receive.
If you want to subscribe to or unsubscribe from a newsletter, see 📲 I want to follow, unfollow, or manage notifications for an organizer.
ℹ️ Tracking preferences are available on both the Shotgun app and website.
👉 What is a tracking pixel?
A tracking pixel is a tiny, invisible image included in an email. When you open the email, your mail app loads that image, which lets the sender know that you opened it, when you opened it, and which device you used.
Senders use this information to personalize what they send you, and how often.
👉 Who can use tracking pixels in my emails?
The newsletters covered in this article come from senders who collected your email address on Shotgun, when you subscribed to their newsletter. They may send them from Shotgun or from their own email tool.
- 📬 Shotgun: our own newsletters about events and news on Shotgun.
- 🎪 Organizers: the clubs, festivals and promoters whose newsletter you subscribed to.
- 🎧 Artists: the artists whose newsletter you subscribed to.
Each sender uses their own tracking pixels, so you can manage each one separately.
👉 What do my tracking preferences apply to?
- 📧 Your email address: your choices apply to the email address linked to your Shotgun account.
- 📱 All your devices: tracking pixels work on every device you use to read your emails, such as your phone, computer or tablet.
- 👤 Each sender separately: turning tracking pixels off for one sender doesn’t change anything for the others.
👉 Do I agree to tracking pixels when I subscribe to a newsletter?
Yes. When you subscribe to a newsletter, you also agree to the sender’s tracking pixels.
You can withdraw this consent at any time, without unsubscribing. See How can I turn tracking pixels off? below.
👉 I subscribed to a newsletter before tracking preferences were available. What changes for me?
Your subscriptions remain active. You can manage your tracking preferences separately at any time.
👉 How can I turn tracking pixels off?
You manage your choices on two pages. Both list Shotgun, each organizer and each artist separately:
- 📬 Email subscriptions: choose which newsletters you receive.
- 🔍 Tracking pixels preferences: choose which senders can use tracking pixels in their emails.
From any newsletter (no need to log in):
- Click the tracking pixels link at the bottom of the newsletter.
- You land on your Tracking pixels preferences page.
- Turn off each sender you no longer want to track your emails.
From your Shotgun profile:
- Go to your profile.
- Go to Email tracking.
You can turn tracking pixels back on for a sender at any time, from the same page.
👉 What happens after I turn tracking pixels off?
The sender no longer tracks when you open their emails. You keep receiving their newsletter as usual.
⚠️ Some senders use their own email tool to send their newsletters. Shotgun makes your tracking preferences available to them, and they’re responsible for applying your choices.
👉 Why don’t I see some emails on my Tracking pixels preferences page?
Some emails are sent because of something you did on Shotgun, such as an order confirmation or an invitation to an event.
These emails may contain a tracking pixel, but it’s only used to make sure our emails reach you: we only keep the date you last opened one of them, and nothing else. They contain no promotional content. Since these tracking pixels are used exclusively for email deliverability purposes they don't require your consent and therefore don't appear on your Tracking pixels preferences page.