Email Etiquette: Using “Rec’d” Correctly in Confirmations

Common Variations of “Rec’d” in Professional CommunicationIn professional settings, the shorthand “Rec’d” is commonly used to indicate that something has been received. Though convenient, this abbreviation has multiple variations and nuances that affect tone, clarity, and appropriateness depending on the medium (email, instant messaging, formal letters) and the audience (colleagues, clients, vendors). This article examines the common variations of “Rec’d,” explains when each is appropriate, and offers practical tips for choosing the right form in professional communication.

Why abbreviate “Received”?

Abbreviations like “Rec’d” save time and keystrokes, which is especially helpful in fast-paced environments where concise confirmations are frequent (for example, confirming receipt of documents, files, payments, or meeting minutes). However, shorthand can introduce ambiguity or appear too casual in formal contexts. Understanding available variations helps you match tone and clarity to context.

Common variations and their connotations

• Rec’d

  • Most direct contraction of “received.”
  • Common in quick email replies and internal notes.
  • Connotation: neutral to casual; widely understood but slightly informal.

• Received

  • Full word; clear and formal.
  • Preferred in client communications, legal correspondence, invoices, and formal acknowledgments.
  • Connotation: professional and unambiguous.

• Received, thanks / Received — thank you

  • Adds politeness and acknowledgment.
  • Appropriate for slightly more courteous confirmations without being overly verbose.
  • Connotation: professional and courteous.

• Roger / Roger that

  • Borrowed from radio/aviation; means “message received and understood.”
  • Best used in teams accustomed to concise operational language (engineering, IT ops, emergency services).
  • Connotation: concise and operational; can be too informal for some professional audiences.

• Got it / Gotcha

  • Very casual; indicates understanding more than formal receipt.
  • Suitable for informal team chats (Slack, Teams) among close colleagues.
  • Connotation: casual, friendly; avoid with external stakeholders.

• Confirmed

  • Indicates receipt plus verification or acceptance.
  • Useful when receipt implies action will follow (e.g., confirmed payment, confirmed appointment).
  • Connotation: assertive and action-oriented.

• Acknowledge / Acknowledged

  • More formal; often used in legal, HR, or compliance contexts.
  • “Acknowledged” can serve as a record that an item was seen and noted.
  • Connotation: formal, audit-friendly.

• Noted

  • Often used to indicate that information has been read and filed mentally or procedurally.
  • Common in internal memos and managerial correspondence.
  • Connotation: formal-casual; implies no immediate action required.

Medium matters: choosing variation by channel

• Email (external): Prefer Received, Received, thanks, or Acknowledged. These read professionally and leave a clear record.
• Email (internal): Rec’d, Received, or Confirmed work well depending on team culture.
• Instant messaging (Slack, Teams): Got it, Rec’d, Roger — choose based on tone and urgency.
• Formal documents / legal / compliance: Acknowledged, Received, or full phrasing like “This is to acknowledge receipt of…” are best.
• Voicemail / phone: Say “Received” or “I’ve received it, thank you” to ensure clarity.

Tone and audience: matching formality

• External clients and stakeholders: default to full words and polite phrasing. Example: “Received. Thank you — I will review and respond by Friday.”
• Senior leadership: slightly more formal; “Acknowledged” or “Noted” can be appropriate depending on context.
• Peers and cross-functional teams: mirror their tone. If they use shorthand, reciprocating with Rec’d or Got it is acceptable.
• International audiences: prefer full words and clear phrasing. Abbreviations like Rec’d may be unfamiliar or unclear to non-native English speakers.

Practical examples and templates

• External invoice receipt: “Received. Thank you — we will process payment within 30 days.”
• Internal file transfer: “Rec’d — will review and revert with comments.”
• Meeting minutes confirmation: “Acknowledged. Action items noted.”
• Quick ops confirmation on Slack: “Roger” / “Got it.”

Style-guide considerations

• Consistency: Adopt a standard within your team for common confirmations to reduce ambiguity.
• Accessibility: For written records that may be read by non-native speakers or archived for compliance, prefer full words.
• Record-keeping: Use full phrasing in emails or documents that may be used for audits, contracts, or formal records.

Pitfalls and when not to abbreviate

• Legal or financial matters: avoid contractions — use full statements to eliminate ambiguity.
• Client-facing communications where professionalism is expected: prefer full, polite phrasing.
• When the recipient is unknown or from a different culture: favor clarity over brevity.

Quick decision guide

• Need speed and informality? Use Rec’d, Got it, or Roger.
• Need formality and clarity? Use Received, Acknowledged, or full-sentence confirmations.
• Need to indicate action? Use Confirmed or follow up with the next steps.

Final recommendations

Adopt a simple team rule: use Received or Acknowledged for external and formal communication, and Rec’d or Got it for internal, informal channels. When in doubt, choose clarity — the one-word full form “Received” is rarely inappropriate and often preferable.