Is Your Email Being Ignored? Learn How to See If Someone Read It

We've all been there: sent a critical email and impatiently awaiting a response. It can be annoying to not know if the receiver has opened an email, whether it is a business proposal, job application, or message to a colleague. So, how can you find out? Fortunately, there are techniques to trace your emails and determine who has viewed them.

In this blog, we'll go over how to check if someone read your email, why it's useful, and several tools you can use to make the process easier. Let's plunge in!

Why It’s Important to Know If Your Email Was Read

Today, much communication is digital, and email is one of the most popular ways of both professional and personal communications. However, with so many emails being sent, yours is likely to be lost in the shuffle or worse, ignored. Knowing whether your email has seen provides insight into the communication process, allowing you to decide when to follow up or move on to other methods of reaching out.

For example:

• Job Applications: Knowing whether a recruiter has received your email can help you decide what to do next, such as sending a follow-up email.
• Business proposals: When sending out a proposal, you need to know if the receiver opened your email. If you know they saw it but haven't responded, you can strategize.
• Customer Service: For organizations, ensuring that clients receive necessary information or invoices is critical to preserving relationships and ensuring smooth transactions.

Tracking email openings can have a significant impact in both personal and corporate settings. This is why knowing how to tell if someone has read your email is such an important ability.

What is an Email Read Receipt?

Before we go into specific tools and methodologies, let's start with the fundamentals: The email read receipt. An email read receipt is a notification that lets you know when the recipient opens your email. Some email systems, such as Gmail and Outlook, include a built-in functionality that allows users to request a read receipt while composing an email.

However, email read receipts are limited. Depending on their email settings, the recipient may opt to ignore, block, or simply not trigger the reception request. In other words, read receipts, while valuable, are not necessarily a reliable method of confirming that your email was read.

How to See If Someone Read Your Email

Now, let's look at various methods for determining whether someone viewed your email, including built-in tools and third-party applications.

Built-In Email Features

Some email clients include built-in read receipt functions. Here's how you use them:

Gmail (for Google Workspace users): 

When sending an email through Google Workspace, click the "More options" button (three vertical dots) in the compose window and choose "Request read receipt." If the receiver opens the email, Gmail will alert you.

How to Install Mailtracker for Gmail (Quick Guide)

Install Mailtracker Chrome Extension

•  Open Google Chrome.
•  Go to the Chrome Web Store and search for “Mailtracker.”
•  Click “Add to Chrome” and confirm the installation.

Connect to Gmail

•  Open Gmail.
•  Authorize Mailtracker by clicking "Allow" when prompted.

Track Emails

•  Compose a new email in Gmail.
•  Mailtracker automatically tracks emails, showing an icon in the compose window.

Check Tracking Info

After sending, get notified when the email is opened. View details like open count and location in your sent messages.

Outlook: 

The method is similar. Before sending an email, navigate to the "Options" page and click "Request a Read Receipt." When the receiver opens the email, you will receive a notification in your inbox.

It is crucial to note that certain capabilities may not be available for free accounts, and even if they are, they may not always operate because recipients may choose not to send the receipt.

Benefits of Tracking Your Emails

Now that you know how to check if someone read your email, let's look at the benefits of email tracking.

1. Improved timing for follow-ups
When you know someone has opened your email, you may prepare your response accordingly. It's pointless to send a follow-up if the recipient hasn't even read the original email; but, if you observe that they've opened it several times but haven't responded, now is the time to check in. The best timing to send emails is also important, since it can have a big impact on whether your message is spotted and opened quickly.

2. Higher response rates.
If you work in sales or marketing, email tracking can help you get more responses. Knowing when a recipient reads your email allows you to follow up while they are still thinking about your message. It also allows you to determine when they are most likely to interact with your emails.

3. Understanding Recipient Behavior
Some technologies even reveal how frequently an email has been opened. For example, if a person opens your email several times, this could show curiosity or thought. You can use this information to send a more targeted message or call.

4. Reduces guesswork.
Without email monitoring, you're left wondering if the receiver even saw your message. Did it end up in the spam folder? Did they overlook it? Tracking provides actual facts to base your next actions on, decreasing the guesswork associated in email conversation.

What to do if your email was not read

If you notice that your email has not been opened, don't worry! There are numerous reasons why this could happen. You can take the following steps:

Wait and Follow Up: When individuals are busy, your email may slide between the cracks. If your email has been unread for several days, consider sending a courteous follow-up.

Check Your Email Content: Take another look at your subject line and email content. Is it clear and compelling? A boring or ambiguous subject line may result in your email being ignored. Consider revising it to get the recipient's attention.

Conclusion

Knowing how to tell if someone read your email can be quite useful in both personal and business situations. Whether you're waiting for a response to a job application, a business proposal, or simply checking to see if your essential message was received, tracking email openings provides useful insights into your communication efforts.

While built-in email features such as email read receipts can provide rudimentary tracking, third-party programs give more dependable and advanced tracking capabilities. Using these tools, you can better time your follow-ups, increase response rates, and receive useful insights into how recipients interact with your emails.

Now that you know how to track your emails, you can take charge of your correspondence and never worry again if your emails are being ignored.Check out our other blog Boost Your Inbox Deliverability: 5 Ways Boost Inbox Can Help Email Marketers