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X12 transaction set reference
X12 997 — Functional Acknowledgment
The X12 997 functional acknowledgment confirms whether a partner accepted the syntax of your outbound functional group — not whether the business document was approved.
EDI 997 facts
- AK1 references GS06 group control numbers from your outbound interchange — store both when debugging rejects.
- AK9*R functional group reject means the entire PO or ASN group failed syntax before any business edit.
- SignalEDI correlates inbound 997/999 webhooks to outbound document lifecycle events in the developer API.
Where EDI 997 fits
- Direction
- Receiver → sender (acknowledges prior outbound group)
- GS functional ID
- FA
- Workflow position
- 997 (or HIPAA 999) follows outbound 850/856/810 groups: partners return 997 to report accepted or rejected functional groups before business processing.
Related sets: 850, 856, 810 · Document guide
Key segments in EDI 997
| Segment | Role |
|---|---|
| ST | Opens transaction set 997. |
| AK1 | References GS functional ID and group control number being acknowledged. |
| AK2 | References ST transaction set and control number within the group. |
| AK5 | Transaction set acknowledgment status (A/E/R). |
| AK9 | Functional group summary — accepted/rejected counts. |
| SE | Transaction set trailer. |
Sample EDI 997
ST*997*0004~ AK1*PO*1~ AK2*850*0001~ AK5*A~ AK9*A*1*1*1~ SE*5*0004~
Validate samples with the free EDI validator.
Send EDI 997 with SignalEDI
// Webhook: document.acknowledged // Correlate AK1/AK2 to outbound GS06/ST02 control numbers
Your side can reach partner-ready setup in days, not weeks — partner certification calendars may still take longer. See the API quickstart.
Common EDI 997 errors
- AK9 accepted count mismatch with actual ST sets sent
- AK5 rejection without AK3/AK4 segment detail in partner implementation
- Treating 997 acceptance as PO or invoice approval
- Missing correlation from AK1 group number to outbound GS06
Related reference
FAQ
EDI 997 FAQ
No. A 997 only confirms syntactic acceptance at the functional group level — not PO approval, claim adjudication, or payment.
Retail/supply-chain partners typically use 997. HIPAA implementations often use 999 implementation acknowledgments with IK segments.
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