What read receipts do and where to find them
A read receipt is a notification that tells you when someone has opened an email you sent them. When you turn on read receipts in Outlook, the person who receives your message gets a prompt asking whether they want to let you know they've read it. If they say yes, you'll see a notification in your inbox telling you the date and time they opened the email.
Read receipts work differently depending on which version of Outlook you use — desktop Outlook on Windows or Mac, Outlook on the web, or Outlook mobile apps all have slightly different steps. The setting is usually buried in preferences or message options rather than on the main toolbar, which is why many people never find it.
Keep in mind that read receipts are not foolproof. The recipient can decline to send one, their email system might not support them, or they might have disabled the feature on their end. A missing read receipt does not necessarily mean the person hasn't read your email.
Key Takeaways
- In Outlook on Windows, go to File > Options > Mail > Tracking and check the box for "Request a read receipt for all messages I send."
- In Outlook on Mac, open Preferences > Email > Receipts and turn on "Request read receipt."
- In Outlook on the web, click Settings > Mail > Message handling and enable "Request a read receipt for messages you send."
- You can also request a read receipt for a single email by opening the message options before you send it, rather than turning on the setting for all messages.
- Recipients can choose not to send a read receipt, so the absence of one does not mean they haven't seen your email.
Turning on read receipts in Outlook on Windows
Open Outlook and click the File menu in the top left corner. From the dropdown, select Options. A window titled "Outlook Options" will open.
In the left sidebar, click Mail. Scroll down in the main panel until you see a section called Tracking. Under this section, you will see a checkbox next to "Request a read receipt for all messages I send." Click the checkbox to turn it on. Then click OK at the bottom of the window to save your changes.
From now on, every email you send will automatically request a read receipt. When someone opens your message, they will see a popup asking if they want to notify you. If they click yes, you will receive a notification in your inbox.
Turning on read receipts in Outlook on Mac
Open Outlook and click Outlook in the menu bar at the very top of your screen. Select Preferences from the dropdown menu.
In the Preferences window, find and click Email in the list on the left side. Then click the Receipts button at the top of the window. You will see an option that says "Request read receipt." Click the checkbox next to it to turn it on, then close the Preferences window.
Your setting is now active. Each email you send will request a read receipt from the recipient.
Turning on read receipts in Outlook on the web
Log into your Outlook account at outlook.office.com. In the top right corner, click the Settings gear icon. A menu will appear — click View all Outlook settings at the bottom of that menu.
In the Settings window, click Mail in the left sidebar. Then click Message handling. Scroll down until you find the option "Request a read receipt for messages you send." Toggle this setting to the On position.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save. Your read receipt setting is now active for all emails sent from your Outlook web account.
Requesting a read receipt for just one email
If you do not want read receipts on every email but need one for a specific message, you can request it for that single email instead. This is useful when you are sending something important and need confirmation that it was received and opened.
In Outlook on Windows, open a new email and type your message. Before you click Send, look for a button or option labeled Options or More options — this is usually on the right side of the ribbon at the top. Click it and look for "Request Read Receipt" or "Tracking." Check that box, then send the email as normal.
In Outlook on Mac, compose your email, then click Options in the toolbar. Find "Request Read Receipt" and click it to turn it on for that message only. In Outlook on the web, click the three dots (more options) in the compose window and select "Request read receipt" before sending.
What happens when someone receives your read receipt request
When a recipient opens an email with a read receipt request, they will see a popup or notification asking "The sender of this message has requested notification when you read this message. Do you want to notify the sender?" They have the option to click Yes or No.
If they click Yes, you will receive a delivery notification in your inbox that shows the date and time they opened the email. If they click No or dismiss the popup, you will not receive any notification. Some email systems automatically decline read receipts without showing the recipient a prompt at all.
This is why read receipts are not a reliable way to confirm someone has seen your message. A person might decline the request, their email client might not support it, or they might have disabled the feature in their own settings.
Turning off read receipts if you change your mind
If you turn on read receipts and later decide you do not want them, the process to turn them off is the same as turning them on. Go back to the same settings location — File > Options > Mail > Tracking on Windows, or Preferences > Email > Receipts on Mac — and uncheck the box next to "Request a read receipt."
If you only turned on read receipts for a single email and it has not been sent yet, simply uncheck the "Request Read Receipt" option before clicking Send. If the email has already been sent, you cannot remove the read receipt request from that message.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see if someone declined my read receipt request?
No. If someone clicks No when asked to send a read receipt, you will not receive any notification. You will simply never see a read receipt notification for that email. There is no way to know whether they declined it or their email system does not support read receipts.
Do read receipts work if I send an email to Gmail or another email provider?
Read receipts may not work reliably with non-Outlook email systems. Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and other providers have varying levels of support for read receipts. Some will honor the request, others will ignore it, and some will show a notification to the recipient but not send one back to you. The safest assumption is that read receipts work best when both sender and recipient use Outlook.
If I turn on read receipts, will I have to send one every time someone emails me?
No. Turning on read receipts in your settings only affects emails you send, not emails you receive. When someone else sends you an email with a read receipt request, you will see a popup asking if you want to notify them. You can choose Yes or No each time, and your choice does not affect your own read receipt settings.
What is the difference between a read receipt and a delivery receipt?
A delivery receipt tells you that your email reached the recipient's mailbox. A read receipt tells you that the recipient actually opened and read the email. Delivery receipts are more reliable because they are generated automatically by the email system, while read receipts depend on the recipient's choice to send one.
Can I request a read receipt for an email I already sent?
No. You can only request a read receipt before you send an email. Once the email is in the recipient's inbox, you cannot add a read receipt request to it. If you need confirmation that someone read an important email, you would have to resend it with the read receipt option turned on.