What a read receipt does and how to turn it on

A read receipt is a notification that tells you when someone has opened an email you sent them. When you request a read receipt, Outlook asks the recipient's email system to send you a message back the moment they open your message — not when they reply, but when they first open it.

To request a read receipt in Outlook, you turn on the feature before you send. Open a new email, write your message, then look for the read receipt option. In Outlook on the web, click the three dots (more options) in the compose window, then check the box next to "Request a read receipt". In Outlook desktop, go to the Options tab in the ribbon, find "Request a Read Receipt", and check that box. Then send the email normally.

Not every recipient will send you a read receipt back. Their email system has to support the feature, and they have to allow it — many people turn off read receipts in their settings because they find them intrusive. If someone doesn't send a receipt, you won't know whether they opened the email or straightforward didn't permit the notification.

Key Takeaways

  • A read receipt notifies you when someone opens an email you sent, but only if their email system supports it and they have not disabled the feature.
  • In Outlook on the web, click the three dots in the compose window and check "Request a read receipt" before sending.
  • In Outlook desktop, click the Options tab and check "Request a Read Receipt" before sending.
  • Read receipts tell you when an email was opened, not whether the person read it, understood it, or will act on it.
  • Many recipients disable read receipts in their settings, so the absence of a receipt does not mean the email was not opened.

Where to find read receipts you have received

When someone sends you an email with a read receipt request and you open it, Outlook will ask whether you want to send a receipt back. You will see a notification bar at the top of the email that says something like "The sender of this message has requested a read receipt when you read this message." You can click "Send a Read Receipt" to notify them, or click "Don't Send" to decline.

If you have already sent read receipts to people, those receipts appear in your inbox like regular emails. They come from the person who requested them and will say something like "Read: [Original Subject Line]" with a timestamp. You can find them by searching your inbox for "read" or by looking at your sent folder to see which emails you requested receipts for, then checking your inbox for the corresponding notifications.

Turning off read receipt requests permanently

If you do not want to be asked about read receipts every time you open an email, you can disable the feature in your settings. In Outlook on the web, click the gear icon in the top right, then go to View all Outlook settings. Search for "read receipt" and you will find the option "Always send a read receipt", "Never send a read receipt", or "Ask me". Choose "Never send a read receipt" if you want to decline all requests automatically.

In Outlook desktop, go to File, then Options, then Mail. Scroll down to Tracking and look for "Delivery and Read Receipts". You can set it to "Never send a read receipt" or "Always send a read receipt". If you choose "Always", Outlook will send receipts without asking you each time.

Why read receipts often do not work

Read receipts depend on both the sender's email system and the recipient's email system understanding the same technical standard. Gmail, for example, does not support read receipts the way Outlook does. If you send a read receipt request to a Gmail user, they will not receive the notification request at all, and you will not get a receipt back even if they open the email.

Even when both systems support read receipts, the recipient has to allow them. Many people set their email to "Never send a read receipt" because they consider it a privacy issue or because they do not want senders tracking when they read messages. If someone has disabled read receipts, you will not receive a notification, and you have no way to know whether they opened the email.

Some corporate email systems block read receipts entirely for security reasons. If you request a receipt from someone at a large company, their IT department may have disabled the feature across all employee accounts. In these cases, the email will send normally, but no receipt will come back.

Read receipts versus delivery receipts

A delivery receipt is different from a read receipt. A delivery receipt tells you that an email reached the recipient's mail server — that it was not bounced back as undeliverable. A read receipt tells you that the recipient actually opened the message. Delivery receipts are more reliable because they do not depend on the recipient's settings, but they do not tell you anything about whether the person read what you sent.

In Outlook on the web, you can request a delivery receipt in the same menu where you request a read receipt — just check the "Request a delivery receipt" box instead. In Outlook desktop, go to Options and look for "Request a Delivery Receipt". You can request both at the same time if you want to know both when the email arrived and when it was opened.

When to use read receipts and when not to

Read receipts are most useful when you need to confirm that a specific person received and opened an important message — a important date, a contract, a time-sensitive instruction. They are less useful for casual emails or group messages, where you cannot control whether everyone has read receipts enabled.

Be aware that requesting read receipts can feel intrusive to some recipients. In professional settings, it is generally acceptable. In personal emails or when emailing someone for the first time, requesting a read receipt might come across as distrustful. If you are working with a team that regularly uses read receipts, it becomes normal practice. If you are unsure, it is safer not to request one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a read receipt mean the person actually read my email?

No. A read receipt only means the email was opened. The person could have opened it, seen the subject line, and closed it without reading the content. It does not tell you whether they understood the message or will act on it.

Can I request a read receipt after I have already sent an email?

No. You have to request a read receipt before you send the email. Once it is sent, you cannot add the request retroactively. If you need confirmation that someone opened an important message, you will have to send a follow-up email with a read receipt request.

What happens if I request a read receipt and the person never opens the email?

You will not receive a read receipt. Outlook will not send you a notification saying "this person did not open it" — you will straightforward never get a receipt back. After a reasonable amount of time, you can assume the email was not opened and follow up with the person directly.

Can I see read receipts on my phone in the Outlook app?

Yes. The Outlook mobile app supports read receipts the same way the desktop and web versions do. You can request them before sending, and you will see incoming receipts in your inbox. The process is the same: open a new email, tap the options menu, and look for the read receipt setting.

If someone declines to send me a read receipt, will I know?

No. If a recipient clicks "Don't Send" when asked, you will not receive any notification. You will straightforward never get a receipt back. There is no way to know whether they declined, their system does not support it, or they have disabled read receipts entirely.