How to stop read receipts in email
There are two things people mean by stopping read receipts. The first is a consent-based receipt that you can decline in your mail client. The second is covert open-tracking: a 1x1 pixel that reports an open without asking. Mailshade uses Chrome's declarativeNetRequest to cancel requests to known tracker-pixel domains across six opt-in web clients. Its DOM scan separately detects pixels and tracking links in opened messages. This guide separates the two and explains where client settings end and known-domain blocking begins.
Consent receipts vs covert tracking
A read receipt is requested and can be refused; covert open-tracking is a hidden pixel that fires automatically. Blocking the consent receipt is a client setting; blocking the covert pixel needs a network-level blocker.
Declining consent read receipts
- Outlook / Office 365: you are prompted to send or decline a receipt; choose decline, or set the option to never send.
- Gmail: receipts are limited to Workspace accounts and are sender-requested; consumer Gmail has no receipt to send.
Stopping covert open-tracking
- Install Mailshade and opt into the mail clients you use.
- Open a tracked message; requests to known tracker-pixel domains are cancelled via DNR.
- Use the red-eye overlay and per-sender dashboard to review what the local scan detected.
Why settings alone are not enough
Client settings only govern the receipts a sender openly requests. The majority of tracking is the silent pixel, which no setting exposes — blocking known tracker requests stops that known-domain signal.
FAQ
What is the difference between a read receipt and a tracking pixel?
A read receipt is requested by the sender and you can decline it in your client. A tracking pixel is a hidden 1x1 image that reports your open automatically, with no prompt and no way to decline — only blocking the request stops it.
Can I stop covert tracking with a client setting?
No. Client settings only cover consent-based read receipts. Covert pixel tracking is invisible to those settings; you need a network-level blocker like Mailshade to cancel the pixel request.
Does Mailshade stop tracking in Outlook and Superhuman?
Yes. After opt-in, Mailshade network-blocks known tracker-pixel domains across Gmail, Outlook, Office 365, Superhuman, Yahoo Mail and ProtonMail, independently of read-receipt settings.
Will the sender be told I declined or blocked the open?
No. When the pixel request is cancelled, the sender simply receives no open signal — indistinguishable from not having opened the message. There is no block notification.
How much does Mailshade cost?
Core protection remains free after a 14-day Pro trial. Paid Pro plans start at $3.99 per month or $19 one-time for the Founders Lifetime tier, capped at the first 1000 seats.