Message Disposition Notifications (MDNs)

A Message Disposition Notification (MDN) is a digital receipt, returned by the receiver of the AS2 payload (message), to provide confirmation of delivery to the sender.

The MDN can return a successful delivery notification or a failure outcome. A failed MDN typically contains details about why the delivery failed.

For successfully processed incoming messages, Files.com returns a signed MDN containing a Message Integrity Check (MIC) in the Received-Content-MIC field. The MIC lets the sending partner compare the received content with what they sent. Files.com includes it for signed and unsigned messages, with or without S/MIME message encryption.

A valid MDN signature lets the sender verify that the receipt came from the receiving AS2 identity. Together with the MIC, it provides evidence of the content received, which helps trading partners reconcile delivery records. It does not mean that the original message was signed or that its signature was validated. The partner's incoming signature validation level controls that separate check.

MDNs are optional in the AS2 protocol, but they are widely adopted and often required by trading partners. You can view incoming and outgoing MDNs in the AS2 Logs.

Viewing Receipts

You can view Message Disposition Notifications in the MDN Contents column of the incoming messages and outgoing messages sections of the AS2 Logs.

The AS2 incoming messages table shows MDNs that Files.com generated in response to inbound AS2 transmissions from your trading partners.

The AS2 outgoing messages table shows MDNs that your trading partners generated in response to outbound AS2 transmissions from Files.com.

The MDN Exists column indicates whether a Message Disposition Notification is available for that transmission.