PMDF User's Guide
OpenVMS Edition

1.1.10 Delivery and Read Receipts

PMDF provides support for delivery receipts (a confirmation message is sent to you when your message reaches the recipient's mailbox) and limited support for read receipts (a confirmation message is sent to you when your message is actually read by its recipient).⁸

There are two separate issues concerning delivery and read receipts. First, a mechanism must exist with which to request delivery or read receipts. PMDF provides this functionality. Secondly, support must exist at the receiving end to recognize a request for a receipt --- a receipt request --- and generate the requested receipt. Again, PMDF provides this functionality. However, other mailers cannot and thus it is not unusual for receipt requests to be ignored.

You can request a delivery receipt for a specific addressee by including the string

(delivery-receipt)

in the address.⁹ For example, the address specification

IN%"postmaster@example.com (delivery-receipt)"

requests delivery confirmation on a message to postmaster@example.com.

The string

(read-receipt)

requests a read receipt. It operates in a similar fashion to the delivery receipt mechanism described above.

If you want to request both a delivery and read receipt, then specify

(delivery-receipt, read-receipt)

When delivering mail with a read receipt request, PMDF will convert the request into a delivery receipt request when it knows that the mail user agent to which the mail is being delivered cannot honor a read receipt request. For instance, read receipt requests on messages delivered to VMS MAIL are converted (demoted) to delivery receipt requests.

Warning

Never request a receipt of any sort when posting a message to a mailing list. While some mailing lists properly block receipt requests, many do not. Should you accidentally request, for instance, a delivery receipt from a large mailing list, you will end up with hundreds, if not thousands, of receipts.

Note

The phrases delivery-receipt and read-receipt appearing within the parentheses are actually configurable. Your system manager might have reconfigured PMDF to use different phrases.

Note

⁸ Most mail user agents which support read receipts allow the recipient to block them. This is typically the default; i.e., most mail reading programs will not generate read receipts unless the reader of the message expressly approves them.

⁹ Strings enclosed in parentheses are RFC 822 comments and won't otherwise affect the address.

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PMDF User's Guide OpenVMS Edition

1.1.10 Delivery and Read Receipts

8 Most mail user agents which support read receipts allow the recipient to block them. This is typically the default; i.e., most mail reading programs will not generate read receipts unless the reader of the message expressly approves them.

9 Strings enclosed in parentheses are RFC 822 comments and won't otherwise affect the address.

PMDF User's Guide
OpenVMS Edition

⁸ Most mail user agents which support read receipts allow the recipient to block them. This is typically the default; i.e., most mail reading programs will not generate read receipts unless the reader of the message expressly approves them.

⁹ Strings enclosed in parentheses are RFC 822 comments and won't otherwise affect the address.