How to Set Up Read Receipts to See When Your Outlook Mail is Read

Read receipts send you (the sender) a notification when someone first opens your message. Delivery receipts, send the same notification when it reaches their email server (but hasn’t been read). Outlook allows you to enable both, should you need to keep tight tabs on a specific email or enable one or both features globally.

Fair warning, the receipts tend to get annoying so it’s probably best to use just the single message version (starting on Step 4).

Enable Receipts for All Emails You Send

1. Click Options under the File tab.

2. Find the Mail category and scroll down to Tracking.

3. Check both the Delivery receipt and Read receipt or either of the above and click OK.

Alternatively, you can select either of the two options for individual messages so you don't annoy yourself and others over even the most minor missives.

Enable Receipts for Single Messages

1. Open a new email and click the Options tab.

2. Check either of the two boxes, or both to receive a notification once it reaches the server, or the other party has opened it.

3. Send the message as usual.

It’s important to note that not all servers will comply with the request to send a read/delivery receipt. It’s not foolproof, but it’s a handy tool when it works. When it’s successful, however, you’ll get an audible tone and a pop-up with a message that says it’s successful.