Message delivery and read receipts
Use message delivery indicators and failure details to distinguish sending problems from a customer who has not replied.
What it is
Delivery indicators show the progress of an outgoing message. They help you tell whether a message is still sending, has been delivered, has been seen or has failed. The available information depends on the messaging platform.
Who uses it and why
- Operators check whether a reply reached the customer and inspect failures before retrying.
- Visitors may see receipt information supported by their chat experience or messaging app.
- Developers should treat provider acknowledgements separately from message creation and customer replies.
Where to find it
Look beside outgoing messages in the conversation pane. Hover over a failure indicator to see its explanation when one is available.
How it works
The operator timeline uses these labels:
| Label | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Sending | Sending is in progress. |
| Sent | The message has reached the sent stage; this does not establish a read receipt. |
| Delivered | INSIDE has recorded a delivery acknowledgement. |
| Seen | INSIDE has recorded a read acknowledgement. |
| Not Delivered | Sending failed or a pre-send step such as translation failed. |
Updates can arrive after the message first appears. An incoming customer reply is separate from a delivery or read acknowledgement.
For a failed email, use Retry Sending Email where offered. A translation failure can offer Retry Sending or Send without translation. Check the error explanation and the text before choosing either action.
Configure it
Receipt availability follows the connected provider. There is no common receipt timeout to configure here. Ask Powerfront to configure email send delay and retry behaviour in the email settings. Operators with the Settings or Developer role configure translation in its own settings.
Permissions
| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Chat | View delivery feedback on conversations available to your account. |
Limits and good to know
- Sent does not mean Seen.
- A platform may supply delivery feedback without supplying read receipts.
- Retry controls are available only for supported failure cases. Do not assume every failed social message has a retry action.
- Deletion and provider updates can change an existing message's display. These indicators do not provide a universal edit or recall guarantee.
Depends on and works with
+8 more · used by
- WhatsApp channel setupEnhances
Provider events update outgoing message status.
- Facebook Messenger channel setupEnhances
Read callbacks and send failures update message status.
- Viber messaging channel setupEnhances
Delivered, seen and failed notifications update message status.
- Vonage connection for ViberEnhances
Vonage delivery, read and failure reports update message status.
- Legacy Google Business Messages connectionEnhances
Provider receipts can update message delivery and read status.
- Legacy Twitter direct messagesEnhances
Matching provider read notifications can mark an outgoing message as read.
- SMS number and channel setupEnhances
Provider delivery and failure reports update message status.
- Email send cancellation and delivery failuresEnhances
Outgoing messages display delivery or failure feedback.
View all connections as a list
This feature uses
- Messages and rich contentRequires
Delivery feedback belongs to individual conversation messages.
- Conversation translationEnhances
Translation failures can stop a message before it is sent.
- Webhooks and message statusEnhances
Connected messaging providers can supply delivery and read acknowledgements.
- Email send cancellation and delivery failuresConfigured by
Email outbox settings control delay, undo and retries.
Used by
- Visitor connection recoveryRelated
Check message delivery feedback separately when deciding whether to resend after a connection interruption.
- Operator replies and commentsEnhances
Delivery and read feedback appears beside sent messages when the channel supports it.
- History and message inspectionEnhances
Supported delivery and read indicators appear alongside messages.
- Messages and rich contentEnhances
Delivery indicators report the state of outgoing messages.
- Visitor messages and sending feedbackEnhances
Delivery and read receipts are separate from local sending feedback.
- Visitor chat notificationsRequires
Unread indicators use message delivery and read state.
- Previous chat history for visitorsEnhances
The visitor pane updates read state when its focus and open-state conditions are met.
- Webhooks and message statusEnhances
Supported callbacks update message delivery and read indicators.
- WhatsApp channel setupEnhances
Provider events update outgoing message status.
- Facebook Messenger channel setupEnhances
Read callbacks and send failures update message status.
- Viber messaging channel setupEnhances
Delivered, seen and failed notifications update message status.
- Vonage connection for ViberEnhances
Vonage delivery, read and failure reports update message status.
- Legacy Google Business Messages connectionEnhances
Provider receipts can update message delivery and read status.
- Legacy Twitter direct messagesEnhances
Matching provider read notifications can mark an outgoing message as read.
- SMS number and channel setupEnhances
Provider delivery and failure reports update message status.
- Email send cancellation and delivery failuresEnhances
Outgoing messages display delivery or failure feedback.
FAQ and troubleshooting
Why does a message stay at Sent?
The provider may not supply a later delivery or read acknowledgement. Check for an explicit error before treating it as a failure.
Why is a translated message Not Delivered?
Translation can fail before sending. Hover over the indicator and use the offered retry or untranslated-send action if appropriate.
Can I assume the customer has read a Delivered message?
No. Seen is the separate read indicator, where the platform supplies it.
Why is there no retry button?
Retry options depend on the platform, failure type and conversation state. Read the available error detail and follow the relevant channel's sending rules.