How to Request Read Receipts in Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft’s comprehensive personal information manager is called Outlook. It is primarily used as an email client but also has additional features such as organizing appointments in the calendar, journaling, contact management, and more. Outlook is part of the Microsoft Office suite and is accessible online and on Windows and Mac computers via Microsoft 365.

But when you send a mail or message to a recipient, you never know when it will be read. Also, it’s difficult to determine if your email has been read or not if you do not receive a response. To let you know when the recipient of your email has opened it, Microsoft Outlook provides the Read Receipt tool. Read Receipt is an automatic reply that lets you quickly check whether an email has been opened.

In this post, you will learn how to use Microsoft Outlook on Windows or Mac to request read receipts for all messages you send or for individual messages. We will also learn how to do the same on the Microsoft Outlook website. So let us get started.

Difference between delivery receipts and read receipts

Read receipts are sent directly by the person opening the email and indicate whether or not the message has been opened. Delivery confirmations, on the other hand, inform you whether or not your e-mail has arrived in the recipient’s inbox.

It’s best to use delivery and read receipts only when necessary and when you know the recipient can send receipts, for example, if your recipient is a colleague and you use Microsoft Outlook. Because the recipient can refuse to send delivery receipts and not all e-mail programs support them, use these features sparingly.

How To Request Read Receipts in Outlook on Web Page

Below are the steps to enable read receipts on the Microsoft Outlook web page.

1. First, log in to the website using your Microsoft account.
2. Then click on the Settings tab in the upper right corner and look for Read Receipts.
3. Click on the Read Receipts tab, and select Always send a response.
4. Now, click Save.

With the above steps, you can read receipts and determine whether the recipient has opened your email or not.

How To Request Read Receipts in Outlook on a PC

You can request read receipts in Outlook on any Windows or Mac PC using the following steps. Please note that this method applies to a single sent email.

1. Open Microsoft Outlook with your signed email ID or create a new one.
2. Click “Options” at the top of the message window before sending the email.
3. Click the “Request a Read Receipt” box.
4. Send the message.
5. Now, every time the recipient opens the sent email, you will receive an automatic reply informing you about it.

How To Request Read Receipts For All Sent Emails in Outlook on a PC

You can request read receipts for each mail you send using Outlook on a Windows or Mac computer. Here’s how to set the request for read receipts as the default for all messages:

1. Open the Options tab by clicking on the File option located in the top left corner of Microsoft Outlook.
2. Now select the Mail tab.
3. Locate the For all messages sent, request section by scrolling down to the Tracking section.
4. Choose the box next to Read receipt verifying the recipient viewed the message, and then click OK.
5. From now on, you’ll be asked for a receipt for every email you send.

Requesting Read Receipts in Outlook is Easy and Convenient

So, with all these methods and steps, you can easily request read receipts for all emails sent with Microsoft Outlook. Requesting delivery receipts and receiving notifications when the recipient opens an e-mail is not a problem at all if both the sender and the recipient use Microsoft Outlook with Exchange Server.

So always use the latest version of Microsoft Outlook. Outlook delivery/read receipts and email tracking tools cannot ensure that the recipient has actually read and understood the message. Nevertheless, delivery and read receipts are among the most helpful tools that Microsoft Outlook offers. We hope you will find this guide helpful.

FAQs about Requesting Read Receipt in Outlook

Can you request a read receipt in Outlook without the recipient knowing?

Sadly, Outlook does not have the option to enable read receipts without letting the recipient know. But one can use third-party tools and plugins like Yesware, Saleshandy, and others if you want to request read receipt without the recipient knowing about it.

How do I request a read receipt in Outlook 365?

If you would like a delivery receipt or a read receipt for your email on Outlook 365, please follow these steps:

1. Select ... from the message compose pane.
2. Choose Show message options.
3. Choose either Request a read receipt or Request a delivery receipt.

How do I request a read receipt in Outlook 2022?

In order to request a read receipt in Outlook 2022, start composing your message, then select Options > Request Receipts > Request a Read Receipt. After selecting, compose your message and hit send. That's it!

How do I request a read receipt for one person in Outlook?

No, it's not possible to request a read receipt for just one person in Outlook when you are sending a message to a group of people. Individual read receipts should be something Microsoft should consider and bring to Outlook in the future.

How do I know if an email has a read receipt in Outlook?

You can keep track of your delivery and read receipts in Outlook. The information can be viewed by opening your sent items and double-clicking the message. Next, click Tracking. Alongside the recipient names, you can see when the receipts arrived in your inbox.