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 receiver-side browser requests that match its reviewed tracker-pixel endpoint catalog across six opt-in web clients. Its DOM scan separately detects pixels and supported tracking links in opened messages. This guide separates the two and explains where client settings end and reviewed-endpoint blocking begins.
Consent receipts vs covert tracking
A read receipt is requested and can be refused; covert open-tracking is a hidden pixel that loads automatically. Declining the consent receipt is a client setting; cancelling a matching receiver-side pixel request needs browser-level request filtering.
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.
Handling covert open-tracking
- Install Mailshade and opt into the mail clients you use.
- Open a message; receiver-side requests that match reviewed tracker endpoints 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 govern receipts a sender openly requests; they do not govern hidden images. Mailshade's browser-side cancellation does not establish whether Gmail performed an earlier server-side fetch or cache operation.
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 image that can load without a prompt; cancelling a matching receiver-side request prevents that browser request from reaching the tracker.
Can I stop covert tracking with a client setting?
No. Client settings cover consent-based read receipts, not hidden image requests. A browser-level filter such as Mailshade can cancel receiver-side requests that match its reviewed endpoint catalog.
Does Mailshade stop tracking in Outlook and Superhuman?
Yes. After opt-in, Mailshade applies reviewed tracker-endpoint rules on 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?
Mailshade does not send a block notification. Cancelling a matching receiver-side request prevents that request from reaching the tracker, but this does not prove that Gmail did not fetch or cache the image earlier on Google's servers.
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.