What a read receipt does
A read receipt is a notification that tells you when someone has opened an email you sent them. When you turn on read receipts for a message, Outlook sends you an automatic message back to your inbox the moment the recipient opens that email — not when they receive it, but when they actually read it.
This is different from a delivery confirmation, which only tells you the email reached their mailbox. A read receipt confirms they opened the message and saw what you wrote. The recipient sees a notification asking whether they want to send you a read receipt, and they can choose to decline.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts notify you when someone opens an email, but the recipient can refuse to send one back.
- You can request a read receipt on individual emails or set Outlook to request them on all outgoing messages.
- The steps differ slightly between Outlook on the web, Outlook desktop, and Outlook on your phone.
- Some email providers and corporate systems block read receipts, so requesting one does not may provide you will receive it.
Requesting a read receipt on a single email in Outlook desktop
Open Outlook and start a new email or reply to an existing one. Write your message normally. Before you send, look for the Options tab at the top of the compose window — this is in the ribbon menu alongside Home, Insert, and Format.
Click Options. In the Tracking group on the right side of the ribbon, you will see a checkbox labeled Request a Read Receipt. Check that box. When you send the email, Outlook will ask the recipient for a read receipt when they open it.
If you do not see the Options tab, your version of Outlook may be older. In that case, look for a button or menu that says More Options or a three-dot icon (⋯) in the compose window, which usually opens additional settings.
Setting read receipts for all your outgoing emails
If you want Outlook to request read receipts on every email you send, you can set this as a default. Open Outlook and go to File in the top left corner. Click Options (at the bottom of the menu).
In the Options window, click Mail on the left side. Scroll down until you find the section called Tracking. You will see checkboxes for Request a read receipt for all messages I send and Request a delivery receipt for all messages I send. Check the read receipt box if you want it on by default.
Click OK at the bottom to save your changes. From now on, every email you send will include a read receipt request. You can still turn it off for individual emails by unchecking the box in the Options tab before you send.
Using read receipts in Outlook on the web
If you use Outlook through your web browser instead of the desktop app, the process is slightly different. Open your email and click New Message to start composing. Write your email as usual.
Look for three dots (⋯) or a More options button near the Send button — usually at the bottom of the compose area. Click it. A menu will appear with several choices. Look for Request a read receipt or Delivery and read receipts and click that option.
A checkbox will appear. Check it to request a read receipt for this email, then send as normal. The web version does not have a global setting for all emails, so you will need to do this for each message if you want read receipts.
Requesting read receipts on your phone
The Outlook mobile app (on iPhone or Android) has limited read receipt options. Open the app and start a new email. Write your message, then look for a menu icon — usually three dots (⋯) or a gear icon — near the Send button.
Tap it and look for an option like Request read receipt, Delivery options, or Message options. If you see it, tap to turn it on. Not all versions of the mobile app include this feature, so it may not be available depending on your phone and which version of Outlook you have installed.
What happens when you request a read receipt
When the recipient opens your email, they will see a message asking "The sender of this message has requested notification when you read this message. Do you want to notify the sender?" They can click Yes or No. If they click Yes, a read receipt email comes back to your inbox. If they click No or ignore the prompt, you will not receive a notification.
Some corporate email systems and certain email providers block read receipts entirely, so the recipient may never see the prompt at all. In those cases, you will not receive a read receipt even if the person opens the email. There is no way to force a read receipt — it is always the recipient's choice whether to send one back.
Why read receipts sometimes do not work
Read receipts depend on the recipient's email system cooperating. If someone uses Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or a corporate system with strict security settings, their email provider might block read receipts. Some people also turn off read receipts in their own settings because they prefer privacy.
Additionally, if the recipient reads your email in a preview pane without fully opening it, some email systems do not trigger a read receipt. The exact behavior varies by email provider and device. For these reasons, a read receipt is useful information but not a may provide that someone has actually read your message.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see if someone declined to send me a read receipt?
No. Outlook does not tell you whether someone said No to the read receipt prompt or whether they straightforward ignored it. You only know if they said Yes — in which case the receipt arrives in your inbox. Silence means either they declined or their system does not support read receipts.
What is the difference between a read receipt and a delivery receipt?
A delivery receipt tells you the email reached the recipient's mailbox. A read receipt tells you they opened it. Delivery happens automatically; read receipts require the recipient to agree. You can request both at the same time through the same menu.
If I set read receipts as my default, can I turn them off for one email?
Yes. Even if you have set Outlook to request read receipts on all messages, you can uncheck the box in the Options tab before sending any individual email. This overrides your default setting for that one message only.
Do read receipts work if I send to a group or distribution list?
Read receipts work on a person-by-person basis. If you send to a group, each person receives the read receipt request individually. You will get separate receipts from each person who agrees to send one — there is no single receipt for the whole group.
Will the recipient know I requested a read receipt?
Yes. When they open the email, they will see a notification that you requested a read receipt. They will know you are tracking whether they read the message. Some people find this intrusive, which is why many choose not to send the receipt back.