iMessage Read Receipts API — Know When Messages Are Read

Get real-time notifications when recipients read your iMessages. Track delivery, read status, and failures via webhooks for every message.

How Read Receipts Work

When you send a message through Sendblue, we track every status change: queued, sent, delivered, read, and failed. Each transition triggers a webhook to your callback URL with the message ID, new status, and timestamp.

Read receipts give you definitive proof that your message was seen — not just delivered to the device, but actually opened and read by the recipient.

Webhook Payload Example

// Sendblue fires this webhook when a message is read
{
  "accountEmail": "you@company.com",
  "message_id": "msg_abc123",
  "number": "+19998887777",
  "status": "READ",
  "date_updated": "2025-01-15T14:30:00.000Z",
  "content": "Hey! Just following up on our conversation.",
  "is_outbound": true
}

Key Capabilities

Real-Time Webhooks

Status updates fire instantly. Know the moment your message is delivered, read, or fails — no polling required.

Full Status Chain

Track every state: queued, sent, delivered, read, failed. Build complete message lifecycle analytics.

Per-Message Tracking

Every message gets a unique ID. Correlate read receipts back to specific campaigns, conversations, or contacts.

Failure Alerts

Get notified immediately when a message fails. Retry automatically or escalate to a different channel.

Use Cases

Sales Pipeline Tracking

Know exactly which prospects read your outreach. Prioritize follow-ups for engaged leads and re-approach cold ones differently.

Urgent Notifications

Confirm that time-sensitive messages were seen. Escalate to a phone call if a critical message goes unread.

Engagement Analytics

Measure read rates across campaigns, segments, and time windows. Optimize send times and message content based on data.

Build Smarter Workflows with Read Data

Read receipts unlock conditional automation. Send a follow-up only if the first message was read. Escalate to a phone call if it wasn't. Trigger different sequences based on how quickly someone reads your message.

Combine read receipt data with typing indicators for natural follow-ups, number lookup for channel routing, and webhook infrastructure for real-time event processing. All available through the Sendblue API and CLI.

Track every message, in real time

Free sandbox, no credit card required. Start receiving read receipts in minutes.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do read receipts work with Sendblue?

When a recipient opens and reads your iMessage, Apple sends a read receipt. Sendblue captures this event and fires a webhook to your specified callback URL with the message ID, status, and timestamp.

Do read receipts work if the recipient has them disabled?

No. Read receipts require the recipient to have read receipts enabled in their iMessage settings. If disabled, you will still receive delivery confirmations but not read status. Sendblue provides delivery status regardless.

What statuses can I track?

Sendblue tracks multiple message statuses: queued, sent, delivered, read, and failed. Each status change triggers a webhook to your callback URL with the full message details.

Can I track read receipts for group messages?

Yes. Read receipts work in group iMessage conversations. You receive individual read events for each participant who reads the message.