Request a read receipt in Outlook by turning on the feature before you send

A read receipt is a notification that tells you when someone opens an email you sent them. In Outlook, you can request one on a message-by-message basis or set it as your default for all outgoing mail. The person receiving your email will see a prompt asking whether to send you a receipt — they can decline, so read receipts are not a may provide that someone actually read what you wrote.

Read receipts work differently depending on whether you use Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop, or Outlook mobile. The desktop version gives you the most control, while the web and mobile versions have more limited options. If you send to someone outside your organization, they may not receive the read receipt request at all, depending on their email system.

Key Takeaways

  • Read receipts in Outlook notify you when a recipient opens your email, but the recipient can choose not to send the receipt back.
  • In Outlook desktop, you request a read receipt by clicking Options in the ribbon, then checking "Request a Read Receipt" before you send.
  • In Outlook on the web, read receipts appear in the message options menu under the three-dot icon in the compose window.
  • Recipients outside your organization may not see the read receipt request, and corporate email systems sometimes block them automatically.
  • Read receipts do not tell you whether someone actually read the message — only that they opened it or their email client processed it.

How to request a read receipt in Outlook desktop

Open Outlook and start composing a new email. Click the Options tab in the ribbon at the top of the compose window. In the Tracking group, you will see a checkbox labeled "Request a Read Receipt." Check that box, then send your email as normal. The recipient will see a prompt when they open the message asking whether to send you a read receipt.

If you want read receipts on every email you send, you can set this as your default. Go to File > Options > Mail. Scroll down to the Tracking section and check "For all messages, request a read receipt." From that point forward, every email you send will include a read receipt request unless you manually turn it off for a specific message.

How to request a read receipt in Outlook on the web

In Outlook on the web, compose your email as usual. Look for the three-dot menu icon (sometimes labeled "More options") near the bottom of the compose window. Click it and select "Request a read receipt" or "Get a read receipt when this message is opened." The exact wording varies depending on your Outlook version. Send the email, and the recipient will see the read receipt request.

Outlook on the web does not have a built-in option to request read receipts for all messages by default. You will need to enable it for each email individually. If you send many emails that require read receipts, the desktop version of Outlook gives you faster access to this setting.

What happens when someone receives your read receipt request

When a recipient opens an email with a read receipt request, Outlook displays a dialog box asking "The sender of this message has requested notification when you read this message. Do you wish to notify the sender?" The recipient can click "Yes" to send you a receipt, "No" to decline, or sometimes "Never for this sender" to block future requests from you.

If the recipient clicks "Yes," you will receive an email notification saying the message was opened, along with the date and time. If they click "No" or ignore the prompt, you will not receive any notification. Some corporate email systems automatically decline read receipts for security reasons, so you may never know whether the message was read.

Why read receipts may not work with external recipients

If you send an email to someone outside your organization — for example, a Gmail account or a different company's email system — they may not see the read receipt request at all. Outlook's read receipt feature works best within the same email system or organization. External email providers handle read receipts differently, and some block them entirely.

Additionally, if a recipient uses an email client that does not support read receipts, such as some older versions of Gmail or certain mobile email apps, the request will not appear. There is no way to know in advance whether an external recipient's email system supports read receipts, so you should not rely on them for important communications.

The difference between read receipts and delivery receipts

Do not confuse read receipts with delivery receipts. A delivery receipt tells you that your email reached the recipient's mail server — it arrived in their inbox. A read receipt tells you that the recipient actually opened the message. Outlook can send you both, but they mean different things. A delivery receipt means the email got through; a read receipt means someone opened it.

You can request both at the same time. In Outlook desktop, the delivery receipt option is also in the Options tab under Tracking. In Outlook on the web, look for "Request a delivery receipt" in the same menu where you find the read receipt option. Delivery receipts are more reliable than read receipts because they are generated automatically by the mail server, not by the recipient's choice.

When read receipts are useful and when they are not

Read receipts work well for time-sensitive messages where you need to know someone has seen your email — for example, confirming that a manager received your project update before a meeting, or verifying that a client opened an important contract. They are less useful for routine messages or when you are emailing large groups, because many recipients will decline the request or their systems will block it.

Be aware that requesting read receipts on every email can feel intrusive to recipients, especially if you are emailing outside your organization. Some people view read receipt requests as a sign of distrust. Use them selectively for messages that genuinely need confirmation, rather than as a blanket practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see if someone declined my read receipt request?

No. Outlook does not tell you whether a recipient clicked "No" or straightforward ignored the prompt. You will only receive a notification if they click "Yes." If you do not get a read receipt after a reasonable time, assume either they declined it or their email system blocked it automatically.

What if I accidentally sent an email without requesting a read receipt?

You cannot add a read receipt request to an email after you send it. You would need to send a follow-up email with the read receipt request enabled. In Outlook desktop, you can sometimes recall a message if the recipient has not opened it yet, but this feature is unreliable and does not work across different email systems.

Do read receipts work on mobile Outlook?

Outlook mobile has limited read receipt support. You can usually see read receipts that others have sent you, but requesting read receipts on outgoing messages is not always available depending on your phone and Outlook version. For full control over read receipts, use Outlook desktop.

Will my boss know if I decline their read receipt request?

No. When you click "No" to a read receipt request, the sender receives no notification that you declined. They straightforward will not get a read receipt. However, if you click "Never for this sender," some email systems may log that choice, though the sender cannot see it.

Can I block all read receipt requests automatically?

In Outlook desktop, go to File > Options > Mail and look for "Tracking options." You can set Outlook to automatically decline all read receipt requests. In Outlook on the web, you can click "Never for this sender" when prompted, but there is no global setting to block all requests at once.