What does DSN stand for?
| Full form | Delivery Status Notification |
|---|---|
| Category | Technology & computing |
| Type | Initialism |
The initialism DSN stands for Delivery Status Notification in email. It is a structured report about delivery conditions for a message, such as failure, delay or successful delivery.
A DSN can contain separate information for multiple recipients. It is not automatically a read receipt, and not every DSN reports a permanent failure. Review the recipient, action and status fields rather than treating every notification as the same event.
Meaning in context
- Delivery Status
- The reported delivery condition. A delayed action and a failed action should not be collapsed into the same conclusion.
- Notification
- A machine-readable report associated with the message; it does not establish that a human has read the content.
Practical examples
Read the action
- Before
The DSN says delayed, so delivery has permanently failed.
- After
The report marks delivery as delayed; check the recipient-specific status and diagnostic information.
The action describes the reported condition. The revised wording preserves the difference between a delay and a failure.
Keep recipients separate
- Before
One recipient failed, so no recipient received the message.
- After
The DSN reports a failure for one recipient; review the separate recipient blocks before describing the other outcomes.
The report can contain different outcomes rather than one result for the entire recipient list.
Original illustrative examples, not quotations or reports of actual events.
Use DSN with clarity
What happened to this recipient's message according to the DSN?
See all guidance
Failed delivery
Read the recipient-specific action, status and diagnostic information.
This recipient block reports a failed delivery.
Delayed delivery
Report the delay without declaring a final failure.
Delivery for this recipient is delayed.
Delivered report
Describe the reported delivery event without claiming readership.
The report indicates delivery; it does not tell us that the person read the message.
These are illustrative exercises. The tool prepares a draft in your browser; it does not inspect your system, change settings or confirm the facts you enter.
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By AcronymIndex Editorial Team · Editorial policy