Sarbacane already takes care of most of it for you: the pixel is only inserted for contacts who have given their consent (who are marked as “active” in your address book), and the tracking opt-out link is automatically added when you create new campaigns or templates. You only have 3 things to do:
Check your tracking preferences in Settings > Campaigns > Pixel tracking preferences (standard page or redirect to your own page). This setting applies to the entire account. View the article
Update your contacts' consent that you can prove: by importing it, from the address book, or by requesting it via a campaign or form.
Add an unchecked-by-default checkbox to your signup forms for new contacts, and keep proof of consent.
To learn more: Email tracking pixels: what you need to know and do.
Yes, it's automatic, and you don't have to duplicate anything. When you send, Sarbacane inserts the pixel only for “Active” contacts. “Inactive” contacts receive the same email, without a pixel.
Active contact : their opens are tracked.
Inactive contact : their opens are not tracked unless they click (a click implies an open).
So, one campaign is all you need for all your contacts. See the article
Yes. Whether they are active or inactive, they receive your campaigns. The Active / Inactive status only affects open tracking, not sending.
Active : the contact receives the email, and their open is tracked.
Inactive : the contact receives the same email, but their open is not tracked (unless they click).
Only contacts who have unsubscribed from your emails will no longer receive your campaigns, just as before the update.
The replay of the September 25, 2026 webinar, “Tracking Pixels and the CNIL Recommendation,” is available at any time: watch the replay. It covers the CNIL recommendation, its impact on your statistics, the changes to your campaigns, and Sarbacane tools.
No. This link, automatically added to the footer just after the unsubscribe link, leads to a secure page where the contact opts out only of having their opens tracked. They remain subscribed and continue to receive your emails; they are not added to any unsubscribe list. Their consent simply changes to “Inactive.”
These opt-outs are tracked separately in the statistics, through the pixel opt-out rate. Pixel unsubscribe link · Analyze the pixel opt-out rate.
The first no longer wants to receive your emails; the second still receives them but does not want their opens to be measured.
Unsubscribed from email Unsubscribed from pixel
Still receives your emails | No | Yes |
Measured opens | — | No (unless they click) |
Measured clicks | — | Yes |
Link used | Unsubscribe link | Tracking opt-out link |
Status in Sarbacane | Unsubscribed | Consent “Inactive” |
Statistic | Unsubscribe rate | Pixel unsubscribe rate |
Four methods, depending on what you already know about your contacts. In all cases, only set a contact to “Active” if you can prove their consent.
Method When to use it How to do it
You already have the consent (CRM, file) | In Contacts, start an import, choose the “complete” option, and map your column to the “email tracking pixel consent” field. Values: yes / true / 1 / True or no / false / 0 / False. | |
You want to ask your contacts for consent | In the editor, insert a button of the type “Go to tracking pixel preferences management.” The contact answers yes or no; their status is updated immediately. The pixel must be in “standard” mode. | |
New subscribers | Link an unchecked box to an intermediate column, then export and reimport the list, mapping it to the consent field. The update is not automatic: repeat this after each wave. | |
A few contacts to correct | Click the contact’s Active / Inactive toggle, then click “Confirm.” The consent date is updated. |
The most effective approach for most customers: send a dedicated campaign with the consent button, and keep this button in the footer of all your campaigns. Synced lists: see this article.
You continue creating and sending your campaigns as before; Sarbacane applies the right treatment to each contact.
One campaign for everyone: the pixel is added for Active contacts and removed for Inactive contacts.
The tracking opt-out link is automatically added to the footer.
Your tracking preferences apply to future campaigns, not to those already sent.
Your open rates will rise as your contacts give their consent. They can no longer be compared with those from before the update.
Track the click rate as your primary indicator: it remains reliable.
Check your settings based on opens (resending to non-openers, A/B test winner, scenario triggered by an open, inactive contact cleanup) and base them on clicks instead.
