The current tread not only required the execution of something but also to check whether your execution really gets completed or worked.
For instance: WhatsApp users are almost aware of “the double tick with blue color“, technically, the sender of the message in WhatsApp up will be updated in that form so that the receiver not only received but also read your message.
In Microsoft Outlook you can request delivery receipts for messages you send. In this article, you will learn how to track sent messages and disable read receipt requests in Outlook.
After sending an email message, the user always finds difficulty, in what happens to the message sent, Microsoft Outlook allows you to track or find out what happened to their emails.
- Delivery receipt confirmation
- Read receipt confirmation
What is Read Receipt Outlook?
Read delivery receipt is a positive indicator that confirms an email message was delivered to the recipient’s email address’s mailbox, not only that a receipt is generated when the recipient has opened your email.
You can assume that someone had looked at your email when you receive this receipt, which is not 100% sure, you will get the reasons further in this article.
However, keep in mind that not all email providers and applications support read receipts in Outlook. For those who don’t support it, you will not receive any receipts for your emails in Outlook.
How to add a read receipt and request delivery in Outlook?
Outlook users (either App or Outlook web) can request delivery receipts for messages you send. A delivery receipt means that your message has been delivered, but it doesn’t mean the recipient has seen the message or opened it.
You can also get a read return receipt (after approval of the recipient) in the form of an email message in your inbox, which is the indicator that your message is opened and read by the recipient.
Let’s get started:
Somehow, you can keep an eye on all the emails you send, or you can simply track a single message.
Track single message request delivery and read receipt
Once you mail a specific message to somebody and are desperate to get a reply, it is important to track first whether your email message is delivered and read by the receiver.
To do that, adjust some parameters, here is the step-by-step tutorial:
- Open Outlook >> Click to compose a message/new mail from the home tab.
- New mail dialog box appears >> Click Options >> tracking section
- Select the checkbox for one or both the options [request a delivery receipt & request a read receipt].

- Compose your email message in a regular way, enter the email address, subject, and content, and click the send button.
Now, what you’re next move?
Your recipient will get the email message as always, but this time his response brings you a confirmation, of what this article is about.
As soon as the message is delivered and the recipient opens it, you will get an email read notification like the one below.


It clearly indicates that the message is delivered and opened by your recipient, there is no guarantee that the recipient has read or understood the message, which is true, but if you are working in a professional environment the possibility is rare.
Manage All Send Email Messages
Working in the marketing department required Engle eye on every client or customer, for every email message sent is important, what would be the outcome, begins with your email, it is especially important that your email must be delivered and read.
Then it’s better to request delivery and read receipts for all outgoing messages: Here is the process to activate ~
- Open Microsoft Outlook >> Click File Tab >> Options.
- Outlook options dialog box appears, Click Mail >> Go to Tracking all the way down.

- Check both the options in the red box and refer to the snapshot, now you can get confirmation on every message read and delivered by your recipient.
In case your recipient disabled that specific service, you will not get any confirmation even if you enable all required settings.
Turn Off Read Receipts Outlook
Apart from the above criteria, if somebody wants the same service from your side you have three options:

- Always send a read receipt: It allows your sender to get the confirmation message that you have read the message.
- Never send a read receipt: Selection of this option permanently disable/turn off read receipts confirmation from your side, even if your sender demanded it.
- Ask each time whether to send a read receipt: Each time your sender asks for confirmation, you will get a specific message along with the email message, which confirms reading the receipt.
By default, if your recipient using Microsoft Outlook, you will have a better chance of getting a receipt message.
How To Create Rule for Reading Receipts in Outlook?
Rule function in outlook is designed for some specific requirement also, you have learned for all the send a message but what if, you require confirmation of some specific type of message like (emails that have attachments or those with specific words in the subject or body?).
Here is the solution and step-by-step tutorial:
Before going through let’s take an example or condition: Recently audit season begins in my head office, and every email send or received is important, for the safe side, the regional office, as well as the head office, activated rule function [as read confirmation] for every email send or received with attachment.
- Open Microsoft Outlook >> Home Tab >> Move section
- Click on Rule >> Manage rules and alert from the rules drop-down list.

- Click on the New rule from the Rules wizard dialog box.
- Select ‘Apply rule on messages I receive’ or ‘Apply rule on messages I send in the Start from a blank rule section, Click Next.

- There are tons of conditions you can check, you want to target those mail with some specific word in the body, subject line, or some email address, you can select those, the example required something else.
- Select “specific word in the subject or body” & “which has as attachment“, Click Next.

- The next step is important, select “notify me when it is read” and “notify me when it is delivered“. Click

- Bypass the exemption section and Click Next.
- Final rule setup, name your rule and check the box in front of rule this rule on messages already in your Inbox if you are required to consider those messages with audit word in the subject line already lying in your inbox.
- Check the review rule description, which consists of complete input. Hit finish.

Your Rule is created, and all is set up! which notifies you of every mail you send having audit word in the subject or content and having an attachment.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What happens when you decline a read receipt in Outlook?
While creating an email message, “request of delivery receipt” and “request of reading receipt” are the options, your sender can select, when you get that email message, you will also get a specific popup message, which indicates: “The sender of this message has asked to be notified when you read this message. Do you wish to notify the sender“?

If you decline it, your sender will not receive any confirmation from your side, and the situation is still in dilemma.
Final Words (Conclusion)
In summary, read receipts are intended only for the recipient to know for sure when an email has been delivered and read. Turning on delivery receipts does not mean the message has been read and does not guarantee that an email has been received.
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