Functional Acknowledgement
The 997 Functional Acknowledgement is a technical confirmation that EDI documents were received and formatted correctly. It's purely technical—like a read receipt that also checks if the message was properly structured. Every EDI document you send or receive gets a 997 in response.
Request a DemoWhat's included in a 997
The 997 provides technical confirmation of EDI message receipt and validation
Receipt Confirmation
- Transaction set identifier (850, 810, etc.)
- Control numbers for tracking
- Date and time received
- Number of segments received
Validation Results
- Acceptance or rejection status
- Error codes if message rejected
- Syntax validation results
- Segment-level error details if needed
How 997 works in Fulfil
Fulfil automatically sends and monitors 997 acknowledgements for all EDI transactions
You send EDI document
When Fulfil sends any EDI document (855, 856, 810, 846), it waits for a 997 acknowledgement from the recipient confirming they received it.
Recipient sends 997
The receiving system validates the message syntax and sends back a 997 indicating whether it was accepted or if there were formatting errors.
Reverse direction
When you receive EDI documents (850, 820), Fulfil automatically sends a 997 back confirming receipt and syntax validation.
Error tracking
If a 997 indicates an error, Fulfil alerts you so you can fix the issue and resend. This catches problems immediately instead of discovering them days later.
Why 997 matters for your business
Confirms message delivery
The 997 is proof that your EDI message was received. Without it, you don't know if your ASN or invoice actually made it to the retailer. The 997 provides certainty that messages aren't lost in transmission.
Catches transmission errors early
If there's a formatting issue or syntax error, the 997 tells you immediately—usually within minutes. This allows you to fix and resend the document instead of discovering the problem days later when the retailer calls asking where your invoice is.
Purely technical (not business confirmation)
Important to understand: A 997 only confirms the message was received and properly formatted. It does NOT mean the retailer accepted your order or approved your invoice—that requires different EDI documents (like the 855). The 997 is just about technical delivery.
Required for EDI compliance
Most EDI trading partner agreements require 997 acknowledgements. Fulfil handles this automatically in both directions, ensuring you meet compliance requirements without manual work.
Related EDI documents
The 997 works with all EDI documents for delivery confirmation