EDI Document

997 Functional Acknowledgement.
The read receipt of EDI.

A 997 confirms an EDI document was received and formatted correctly. Every EDI message you send or receive gets one back. Fulfil handles them in both directions automatically.

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What'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.

1

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.

2

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.

3

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 up front instead of discovering them 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 flags it up front. This allows you to fix and resend the document instead of discovering the problem 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: the 824 Application Advice, which is the primary document for business-level acceptance or rejection, or a downstream document 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.

850

Purchase Order

997 confirms PO receipt
855

PO Acknowledgement

997 confirms acknowledgement delivery
856

Advance Ship Notice

997 confirms ASN delivery

FAQ

Questions? Answers.

What is an EDI 997?
The 997 Functional Acknowledgement is the basic handshake of the EDI protocol. It confirms an EDI document was received and passed syntax validation, referencing the original document by its group control number. Every message you send or receive gets one back, and Fulfil handles 997s in both directions automatically.
Does a 997 mean my order was accepted?
No. A 997 is syntax-only: it confirms the document could be parsed, not that the trading partner accepted your order or approved your invoice. Business-level acceptance is confirmed by a different document, the 824 Application Advice, or by a downstream document like the 855 PO Acknowledgement. The 997 is purely about technical delivery.
What does Fulfil do when a 997 reports an error?
A rejection or failure is one of the events that triggers an EDI Slack notification, so Fulfil alerts you and you can fix the issue and resend the document. You catch syntax problems like malformed segments or missing required fields early rather than finding out later when the retailer calls asking where your invoice is.
Does Fulfil send and receive 997s automatically?
Yes, in both directions, and for most trading partners this is enabled by default. For inbound documents like an 850, Fulfil parses and syntax-validates the document and automatically generates a 997 back to the partner. For outbound documents like an 810, Fulfil receives the partner's 997, links it to the original document, and advances that document to Accepted in the EDI monitor.
What information does a 997 contain?
A 997 references the original document by its group control number and reports acceptance or rejection at both the interchange and transaction set level. When there's a problem, it carries error codes for the specific syntax issues found. That's the full extent of it, since the 997 reports parseability rather than business content.
Is the 997 required by trading partners?
Most EDI trading partner agreements require 997 acknowledgements, and for most partners the exchange is enabled by default for both inbound and outbound directions. Fulfil handles them automatically, so you meet the requirement without manual work. It works with every EDI document, including the 850, 855, and 856.

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