What a read receipt does in Outlook
A read receipt is a notification that tells you when someone has opened an email you sent them in Outlook. When you request a read receipt, Outlook asks the recipient's email system to send you a message back saying "this person opened your email on this date at this time." It does not tell you whether they actually read it, understood it, or will act on it — only that they opened it.
Read receipts work only when the recipient's email system supports them and when they have not disabled the feature on their end. If someone has turned off read receipts in their Outlook settings, you will not get a notification even if they open your email. Many people disable them because they find the requests intrusive or because they want privacy about when they check their messages.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts in Outlook tell you when someone opened your email, not whether they read or understood it.
- The recipient's email system must support read receipts and they must not have disabled the feature for you to receive one.
- You can request a read receipt on individual emails or set Outlook to request them on all outgoing mail.
- Many people disable read receipts because they consider the requests intrusive, so you may not receive them even when you request them.
- Read receipts work differently depending on whether you use Outlook desktop, Outlook on the web, or Outlook mobile.
How to request a read receipt on a single email in Outlook desktop
Open Outlook and start a new email or reply to one. Write your message as you normally would. Before you send, look for the Options tab in the ribbon at the top of the compose window. Click it.
In the Options tab, find the button labeled Request a Read Receipt. It usually appears in the Tracking group on the right side of the ribbon. Click it once — the button will highlight or change color to show it is now active. Then send your email as usual. Outlook will request a read receipt from the recipient when they open the message.
How to request read receipts on all your outgoing emails
If you want Outlook to request read receipts automatically on every email you send, you can change your default settings. Open Outlook and go to File in the top left corner. Click Options at the bottom of the menu.
In the Outlook Options window, click Mail on the left side. Scroll down until you find the section called Tracking. Check the box next to Request a read receipt for all messages I send. Click OK to save. From now on, every email you send will request a read receipt unless you turn it off for a specific message.
How to request a read receipt in Outlook on the web
Open Outlook in your web browser and click New Message to start an email. Type your message. Look for the three dots (•••) or More options button near the bottom of the compose area — the exact location depends on your browser and Outlook version.
Click that button and look for an option labeled Request a read receipt or Request delivery and read receipts. Click it to turn it on. The option will show as selected. Send your email, and the read receipt request will go with it.
How to request a read receipt on Outlook mobile
Outlook for iPhone and Android does not have a built-in option to request read receipts directly in the app. If you need to request a read receipt on a mobile device, you can open Outlook on the web through your phone's browser instead, which gives you access to the same options as the desktop version.
Alternatively, you can compose the email on your phone and send it later from your desktop Outlook, where you can add the read receipt request before sending.
Why you might not receive a read receipt even when you request one
The most common reason is that the recipient has disabled read receipts in their own Outlook settings. They may have done this because they do not want to send notifications about when they open emails, or because they consider the requests an invasion of privacy. There is no way to override this — if someone has turned off read receipts, you will not get one.
Read receipts also may not work if the recipient uses a different email system than Outlook, such as Gmail or Apple Mail. Some email systems do not support read receipts at all, or they support them only partially. Additionally, if the recipient's email is forwarded to another account or filtered through a third-party service, the read receipt may not reach you.
Finally, some corporate email systems block read receipt requests for security or privacy reasons. If you are emailing someone at a large organization, their IT department may have disabled the feature across all employee accounts.
The difference between read receipts and delivery receipts
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 email. Delivery receipts are more reliable because they depend only on the mail servers involved, not on the recipient's settings. Read receipts depend on the recipient's email system and their personal preferences.
In Outlook, you can request both at the same time. When you click Request a Read Receipt, Outlook usually also requests a delivery receipt automatically. You will get a delivery receipt whether or not the recipient opens the email, but you will only get a read receipt if they open it and have not disabled the feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see if someone disabled read receipts for me specifically?
No. If you request a read receipt and do not receive one, you cannot tell whether the person opened the email and disabled read receipts, or whether they have not opened it yet. You will straightforward not receive a notification.
Does requesting a read receipt slow down my email or make it larger?
No. A read receipt request adds only a tiny amount of metadata to your email — it does not change the file size in any noticeable way and does not affect how fast the email is sent or received.
What happens if I request a read receipt from someone with Gmail?
Gmail does not support read receipts in the traditional sense. The recipient may see a notification that you requested one, but Gmail will not automatically send you a read receipt. Some Gmail users have third-party tools that can send read receipts, but most do not.
Can I turn off read receipt requests from other people?
Yes. In Outlook desktop, go to File > Options > Mail > Tracking and uncheck the box next to Always send a response. In Outlook on the web, you can choose how to respond to each request when it arrives.
If I delete an email without opening it, will the sender still get a read receipt?
No. A read receipt is only sent when the email is opened. If you delete it unread, the sender will not receive a read receipt notification.