Use a screen reader to request read and delivery receipts in outlook

This article is for people with visual impairments who use a screen reader program with the Office products and is part of the Office Accessibility content set. For more general help, see Microsoft Support home.

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Use Outlook with your keyboard and a screen reader to request read or delivery receipts. We've tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll also learn how to choose how to respond when others request read receipts from you.

You receive a delivery receipt when your email has been delivered to the recipient's email server. A read receipt is sent to you when the recipient has viewed your email. You can open and read the receipts like a regular email using your screen reader.

Need instructions on how to add or request read receipts or delivery notifications, but not using a screen reader? See Add delivery receipt to track an e-mail message or Add and request read receipts and delivery notifications.

Notes: 

• New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

• To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft Office.

• Not all email servers and apps support sending receipts.

In this topic

• Request a read or delivery receipt for a single email

• Request a read or delivery receipt for all emails

• Set how to handle requests for read receipts

Request a read or delivery receipt for a single email

When you're creating a new message, forwarding, or replying to an email, you can request a read or delivery receipt for that particular email as a one-time action.

1. When composing a message, do one or both of the following:

   • To request a delivery receipt, press Alt+P, U.

   • To request a read receipt, press Alt+P, Q.

Request a read or delivery receipt for all emails

To request read or delivery receipts for all outgoing emails, change the Outlook options.

1. In the Outlook main view, press Alt+F, T. The Outlook Options window opens.

2. To go to the Mail tab, press the Down arrow key until you hear: "Mail."

3. Do one or both of the following:

   • To request a delivery receipt, press Alt+Y. The option is selected.

   • To request a read receipt, press Alt+R repeatedly until you hear: "Tracking, Read receipt confirming the recipient viewed the message." To select, press Spacebar.

4. To exit the Outlook Options window, press the Tab key until you hear "OK button," and then press Enter.

Set how to handle requests for read receipts

You can choose how to handle requests for read receipts that you receive from others. For instructions on how to respond when you're prompted to send a receipt, go to Respond to a read receipt request.

1. In the Outlook Mail main view, press Alt+F, T. The Outlook Options window opens.

2. To go to the Mail tab, press the Down arrow key until you hear: "Mail."

3. Do one of the following:

   • To always send a read receipt, press Alt+A repeatedly until you hear: "For any message received that includes a read receipt request, always send a read receipt." To select, press Spacebar.

   • To never send a read receipt, press Alt+N repeatedly until you hear: "Never send a read receipt." To select, press Spacebar.

   • To have Outlook prompt you each time whether to send a receipt, press Alt+M repeatedly until you hear: "For any message received that includes a read receipt request, ask each time whether to send a read receipt." To select, press Spacebar.

4. To exit the Outlook Options window, press the Tab key until you hear "OK button," and then press Enter.

Respond to a read receipt request

If you selected to be prompted each time you receive an email with a read receipt request, you need to decide whether to send the receipt or not for each one separately.

1. When you open an email that includes a read receipt request, you hear "Microsoft Outlook dialog, Yes, button," followed by a message that the sender is requesting a receipt.

2. Do one of the following:

   • To send the receipt, press Enter.

   • To read the email without sending the receipt, press Alt+N.

See also

Use a screen reader to work with folders in Outlook

Use a screen reader to create bulleted or numbered lists in Outlook

Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook

Use a screen reader to zoom in or out in Outlook

Basic tasks using a screen reader with email in Outlook

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Outlook Mail

Use Outlook for Mac with your keyboard and VoiceOver, the built-in macOS screen reader, to track your emails and request read or delivery receipts. You'll also learn how to choose how to respond when others request read receipts from you.

You receive a delivery receipt when your email has been delivered to the recipient's email server. A read receipt is sent to you when the recipient has viewed your email. You can open and read the receipts like a regular email using your screen reader.

Need instructions on how to add or request read receipts or delivery notifications, but not using a screen reader? See Request a read receipt or delivery notification in Outlook for Mac.

Notes: 

• New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

• This topic assumes that you are using the built-in macOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, go to VoiceOver Getting Started Guide.

• This feature is available for:

  • Microsoft 365 subscribers with a Microsoft 365 Business Standard or Enterprise subscription.

  • An Exchange-based email account hosted on Microsoft 365 or on Exchange 2010 SP2 and later. An Exchange-based email account can be an Outlook account or a connected Hotmail or Outlook.com account.

  • Outlook 2016 for Mac 15.35 (170610) and later.

• Not all email servers and apps support sending receipts.

In this topic

• Request a read or delivery receipt

• Respond to a read receipt request

Request a read or delivery receipt

When you're creating a new message, forwarding, or replying to an email, you can request a read or delivery receipt for that particular email as a one-time action.

1. When composing an email, press Control+Option+M. You hear: "Menu bar, Apple."

2. Press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear "Draft, menu," press the Down arrow key until you hear "Request receipts, submenu," and press Control+Option+Spacebar to expand the submenu.

3. Do one of the following:

   • To request a read receipt, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Request a read receipt," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.

   • To request a delivery receipt, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Request a delivery receipt," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.

Respond to a read receipt request

When you receive an email with a request for a read receipt, you need to decide whether to send the receipt or not for each email separately.

1. When you open an email that includes a read receipt request, you hear an alert and the name of the sender and the subject of the email. The focus is on the Cancel button in the alert dialog box.

2. Do one of the following:

   • To send the receipt, press Control+Option+Left arrow key until you hear "Send, default button," and press Spacebar.

   • To not send the receipt, press Spacebar.

See also

Use a screen reader to work with folders in Outlook

Use a screen reader to create bulleted or numbered lists in Outlook

Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook

Basic tasks using a screen reader with email in Outlook

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Outlook Mail

Use Outlook on the web with your keyboard and screen reader to track your emails and request read or delivery receipts. We have tested it with Narrator in Microsoft Edge and JAWS and NVDA in Chrome, but it might work with other screen readers and web browsers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll also learn how to choose how to respond when others request read receipts from you.

You receive a delivery receipt when your email has been delivered to the recipient's email server. A read receipt is sent to you when the recipient has viewed your email. You can open and read the receipts like a regular email using your screen reader.

Notes: 

• New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

• To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft Office.

• When you use Outlook on the web, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because Outlook on the web runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you'll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not Outlook on the web.

• Not all email servers and apps support sending receipts.

• We're currently updating Outlook.office.com (Outlook on the Web). Some people are already using the new Outlook, and for others the classic version will be the default experience until we complete the update. For more information, go to Get help with the new Outlook on the web. Since the instructions in this topic apply to the new experience, we recommend that you switch from the classic experience to the new Outlook. To switch to the new Outlook, press Ctrl+F6 until you hear "Command, Try the new Outlook," and then press Enter. If you hear "Command toolbar" instead of "Command, Try the new Outlook," you're already using the new Outlook.

In this topic

• Request read and delivery receipts

• Set how to handle requests for read receipts

Request read and delivery receipts

When you're creating a new message, forwarding, or replying to an email, you can request receipts for that particular email as a one-time action.

1. When composing a message, press Shift+Tab until you hear "Command toolbar," followed by the name of the button currently in focus.

2. Press the Right or Down arrow key until you hear "More compose actions," and then press Enter.

3. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "Show message options," and then press Enter. You hear: "Message options dialog."

4. Do one or both of the following:

   • To request a delivery receipt, press the Tab key until you hear "Request a delivery receipt, unchecked," and then press Spacebar.

   • To request a read receipt, press the Tab key until you hear "Request a read receipt, unchecked," and then press Spacebar.

5. Press the Tab key until you hear "OK button," and then press Enter.

Set how to handle requests for read receipts

You can choose how to handle requests for read receipts that you receive from others.

1. To go to the Outlook on the web settings, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab until you hear "Settings button," and then press Enter. The Settings pane opens.

2. Press the Down arrow key until you hear "View all Outlook settings," and press Enter. The Settings window opens.

3. Press the Tab key until you hear "Mail category subtab, layout," press the Down arrow key until you hear "Message handling," and then press Enter.

4. Press the Tab key until you hear "Choose how to respond to requests for read receipts," followed by the currently selected option. Do one of the following:

   • To have Outlook prompt you each time whether to send a receipt, press the Up arrow key until you hear: "Ask me before sending a response."

   • To always send the receipt, press the Up or Down arrow key until you hear: "Always send a response."

   • To never send the receipt, press the Down arrow key until you hear: "Never send a response."

5. To save your selection, press the Tab key until you hear "Save, button," and then press Enter.

6. To close the Settings window and return to the Outlook main view, press Esc.

See also

Use a screen reader to work with folders in Outlook

Use a screen reader to check spelling and grammar in Outlook

Keyboard shortcuts for Outlook

Basic tasks using a screen reader with email in Outlook

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Outlook Mail

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.