What Is an SMS Delivery Receipt (DLR)?
A Delivery Receipt is a status update returned through the messaging/telecom chain that indicates what happened after a message was submitted. It can report outcomes such as delivered, failed, expired or rejected depending on the route and network.
DLR Is Not Always Immediate
Delivery information can arrive seconds or minutes later, and in some cases a later status can replace an earlier intermediate status.
Normalize Provider Statuses
Alert21 should translate provider-specific codes into a stable public set so customers do not write separate parsers for every route.
Webhook vs Polling
Use webhooks as the primary mechanism for real-time updates. Use the status endpoint for reconciliation when a webhook was missed or an operational audit is required.
Do Not Confuse DLR with User Action
A delivered SMS does not prove the recipient read the message or completed the intended business action.
Turn your next business event into a traceable alert.
Start with DLT-ready SMS today on Alert21’s developer-first communication platform.