# email.opened: someone (or something) rendered the email
The recipient opened the email, tracked via an open pixel. Useful for engagement dashboards and follow-up triggers.
## What to do on receipt
1. Record the open against `data.email_id`. Aggregate into campaign stats.
2. Use opens for relative comparisons (subject A vs subject B), not absolute claims ("1,000 people read it").
## The trap
Apple Mail Privacy Protection and similar features prefetch images, which fires open pixels for emails nobody read. Open rates are inflated industry-wide now. Never use opens as the sole engagement signal or as proof of consent, receipt, or reading. Pair with `email.clicked`, which requires a real interaction, and never punish or reward users based on opens alone.