What read receipts do and how to turn them on
A read receipt is a notification that tells you when someone has opened an email you sent them in Outlook. When you turn on read receipts, Outlook sends you a message back to your inbox the moment the recipient opens your email — not when they reply, but when they first open it. This works in Outlook on Windows, Mac, and Outlook on the web.
Read receipts are off by default in Outlook, so you have to turn them on yourself. You can set them up two ways: you can request a read receipt for every single email you send, or you can request one for just specific emails when you need to know they've been opened.
Keep in mind that read receipts only work if the person receiving your email has their Outlook settings configured to send them back. If they have read receipts turned off or set to never send them, you won't get a notification even if they open your email.
Key Takeaways
- Read receipts notify you when someone opens an email you sent, but only if their Outlook is set to send them back.
- You can request a read receipt for every email by changing your default settings, or for individual emails one at a time.
- In Outlook on Windows and Mac, you find the read receipt option in the Message tab or Options menu before you send.
- Outlook on the web has the read receipt button in the toolbar at the bottom of the compose window.
- The recipient will see a prompt asking whether to send you a read receipt, and they can choose to decline.
How to request a read receipt for a single email in Outlook on Windows
Open Outlook and start composing a new email. Click in the message body and type your message. Once you're ready to send, look at the top of the compose window for the Message tab and click it.
In the Message tab, find the Request a Read Receipt button. It usually appears in the middle section of the ribbon, often near buttons for tracking and delivery options. Click it once — the button will highlight or change color to show it's now active for this email. Then send your email as normal. When the recipient opens it, you'll get a notification in your inbox.
If you can't find the Request a Read Receipt button in the Message tab, click the small arrow or three dots labeled More Options or Options at the far right of the ribbon. A dialog box will open, and you'll see a checkbox for "Request a Read Receipt" — check that box and click Close.
How to request a read receipt for a single email in Outlook on Mac
Start a new email in Outlook on Mac. Type your message, then look at the top menu bar for Message and click it. A dropdown menu will appear.
In that dropdown, look for Request Read Receipt or Request a Read Receipt and click it. A checkmark will appear next to it, showing it's turned on for this email. Send your message, and you'll receive a read receipt notification when the recipient opens it.
If you don't see this option in the Message menu, click Options instead. In the Options window, find the checkbox next to "Request a Read Receipt," check it, and click OK.
How to request a read receipt in Outlook on the web
Log into your Outlook account at outlook.com or outlook.office.com. Click New Message to start composing an email.
Type your message. At the bottom of the compose window, you'll see a toolbar with several buttons. Look for an icon that looks like a small envelope with an arrow or a checkmark — this is the Request a Read Receipt button. Click it once. The button will change appearance to show it's active.
If you don't see this button in the toolbar, click the three dots labeled More options or ... at the far right of the toolbar. A menu will drop down, and you can select "Request a Read Receipt" from there. Then send your email.
How to set read receipts as your default for all emails
If you want Outlook to request a read receipt on every email you send without having to turn it on each time, you can change your default settings. In Outlook on Windows, click File in the top left corner, then click Options.
In the Options window, click Mail on the left side. Scroll down until you find a section called Tracking. Under Tracking, check the box next to "For all messages sent, request a read receipt." Click OK to save your changes. From now on, every email you send will include a read receipt request.
On Mac, click Outlook in the top menu bar, then Preferences. Click Mail, then look for Composing or Tracking. Check the box for "Request a read receipt for all messages" and close the window.
In Outlook on the web, click the gear icon in the top right corner, then click View all Outlook settings. Click Mail, then Compose and reply. Look for an option about read receipts and toggle it on. Scroll down and click Save.
What happens when the recipient receives your read receipt request
When someone opens an email with a read receipt request, Outlook will show them a notification asking whether they want to send you a read receipt. The message usually says something like "The sender of this message has asked to be notified when you read this email. Do you want to notify the sender?"
The recipient can click Yes to send you a read receipt, or No to decline. Some people decline because they prefer privacy, or because they open emails but don't want to commit to reading them fully. If they click No, you won't receive any notification, even though they opened the email.
Some organizations set Outlook to automatically send read receipts without asking, but this is rare and usually only happens in corporate environments with strict policies. Most individual users see the prompt and can choose.
Why you might not receive a read receipt even though you requested one
The most common reason you don't get a read receipt is that the recipient declined it when prompted. They saw the notification and clicked No. There's nothing you can do in this case — you simply won't know when they open the email.
Another reason is that the recipient's Outlook is set to never send read receipts automatically. They may have changed their settings to opt out of all read receipt requests. Some people do this for privacy reasons or because they find the notifications annoying.
Read receipts also don't work if the recipient uses a different email client entirely — Gmail, Apple Mail, or another service won't send Outlook read receipts. The email will arrive, but the read receipt feature won't function across different platforms.
Finally, if the recipient's email is forwarded to another account or filtered through a rule, the read receipt may not come through. Some email forwarding services and security filters strip out read receipt requests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off read receipts for emails I receive?
Yes. In Outlook on Windows, go to File > Options > Mail > Tracking and uncheck "Process requests and responses for read receipts." On Mac, go to Outlook > Preferences > Mail > Composing and uncheck the read receipt option. In Outlook on the web, go to Settings > Mail > Compose and reply and toggle off read receipts. Once you do this, people who request read receipts will see a prompt when they open your emails, and you can choose whether to send them one each time.
Does the recipient know I requested a read receipt?
Yes, they will see a notification when they open your email asking if they want to send you a read receipt. The notification makes it clear that you requested one. They can see that you asked, and they can decline if they want to.
What if I request a read receipt but the recipient never opens the email?
You won't receive any notification. Read receipts only trigger when someone opens the email. If it sits in their inbox unopened, you'll have no way to know through the read receipt system. You would have to follow up with them directly.
Can I request a read receipt on an email I already sent?
No. You can only request a read receipt before you send an email. Once it's sent, you cannot go back and add a read receipt request to it. You would have to send a new email with the read receipt option turned on.
Do read receipts work with email forwarding?
Usually not. If someone forwards your email to another person, the read receipt request typically doesn't carry through to the new recipient. The forwarded email is treated as a new message, and read receipts don't automatically apply to forwarded versions.