How to Prevent Outlook From Answering Read Receipt Requests

Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses.

What to Know

• On Outlook 2019 through 2010 and 365, go to File >Options >Mail >Tracking.
• Under, For any message received that includes a read receipt request, select Never send a read receipt >OK.
• If you’d like to decide on individual emails, select Ask each time whether to send a read receipt.

This article explains how to prevent Outlook from sending a read receipt. Instructions apply to Outlook 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007, 2003; and Outlook for Microsoft 365.

Prevent Outlook From Answering Read Receipt Requests for Emails

Some email senders include a read receipt request with the messages they send. When these messages appear in your inbox, you may be prompted to send a read receipt that confirms you received and opened the message. If you don't want to respond, set up Outlook to ignore these requests. Or, if you want control over how these read receipt requests are handled, set up Outlook to reply automatically or to ask you what to do.

To make Outlook ignore all requests for read receipts:

1. Go to File >Options.

In the Tracking section, under For any message received that includes a read receipt request, select Never send a read receipt.

Other Read Receipt Options

If you want to respond to read receipt requests, you have two options:

• Always send a read receipt: Outlook automatically returns a read receipt when you open a message and does this without your knowledge.
• Ask each time whether to send a read receipt: Outlook opens a dialog box after you read an email. You have the choice to either send the read receipt or to ignore the read receipt request.

Prevent Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2003 From Answering Read Receipt Requests

To make Outlook ignore all requests for read receipt you receive: