How can a recipient have an email click tracking log without having an open tracking log?

A recipient can indeed have an email click tracking log without having an open tracking log if they clicked on a link within the email without images loading. In many email clients, open tracking is accomplished through a small, invisible image that is embedded in the message. When the recipient opens the email and the images are enabled, the tracking system logs this open event.

However, if the recipient's email client has images disabled or they choose to open the email without downloading these images, the tracking log for email opens will not register. Despite this, the recipient can still click on a link in the email, which does not rely on image loading. This interaction can be tracked as a click event, thus creating a click tracking log without a corresponding open tracking log.

The other scenarios typically involve conditions that do not create this discrepancy. For example, using a different email client might not affect the ability to download images unless it's a client that specifically causes this issue, while accessing the email on a mobile device or opening the email could likely still register both events depending on the configuration and settings of the email client.