Capabilities

Outcome

Each trading partner's capability set matches what the partner agreement authorizes — no more, no less — so the gateway never tries to send a transaction the partner cannot accept and never expects an inbound the partner does not produce.

Prerequisites

PLATFORM_ADMIN to edit capabilities. Every platform role can view them on the Overview tab.

What is a capability

A partner declares capability at two levels, both edited in the partner dialog (Edit in the partner page header):

Level	Dialog section	Meaning
Transport modes	Transport modes	Which of BATCH_SFTP, BATCH_REST, BATCH_AS2, REALTIME_REST the partner can satisfy at all.
Per-tx-type matrix	Per-tx-type capability matrix	For each transaction type, which of those transport modes the partner accepts it on.

The matrix is closed-world once it has any row:

• Empty matrix — permissive. The partner is treated as capable of every transaction type on every transport mode it declares.
• Non-empty matrix — an allowlist. A transaction type with no row, or a row without the mode, means not capable.

The router enforces both. A routing rule whose dispatch mode is not in the partner's transport modes, or whose transaction type the matrix does not allow on that mode, is skipped as CAPABILITY_MISSING.

Steps

1. Open the partner and click Edit. The Transport modes checkboxes and the Per-tx-type capability matrix are below the connection fields.

2. Tick the transport modes the partner agreement covers.

3. Fill the matrix. Rows start with 270, 271, 276, 277, 278, 837P, 837I, 837D and 835; Add row adds another type (for example 999). Columns are the transport modes, and a cell is disabled when its mode is not ticked above. For a batch clearinghouse that takes professional and institutional claims over SFTP:

   TX type	BATCH_SFTP
   837P	✓
   837I	✓

   Leave the matrix empty only if the partner really accepts every transaction type on every declared mode.

4. Save. Then check the result:

   • The Overview tab's Capabilities summary lists the transport modes and the matrix, and warns with Matrix drift when a matrix row names a mode that is not in the transport modes.
   • The routing rule editor shows a Capability mismatch warning when the chosen partner cannot carry the rule's transaction type on its dispatch mode.

Capability nuances

277CA vs 277

Both are 277 transactions. They differ in BHT02:

BHT02	Variant	Capability
08	277CA — Claim Acknowledgment	277CA inbound
00	277 — Claim Status Response	277 inbound

Some partners only acknowledge (277CA); some only respond to status inquiries (277); some do both. The gateway parses both via the same parser but routes them differently based on BHT02.

999 implementation level

The 999 has been the standard since 5010; pre-5010 partners used 997. The platform only emits 999 inbound; if a partner sends 997, parse it manually and contact the partner about upgrading.

TA1 inline vs separate file

TA1 can travel either inside the same interchange that triggered it or as a separate inbound. Most partners send it as a separate file. Capability TA1 inbound covers both.

Validation

Check	Expected
Overview → Capabilities shows the modes and matrix you saved	Yes.
No Matrix drift warning on the Overview tab	Yes.
The routing rule editor shows no Capability mismatch for the rules that pick this partner	Yes.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Fix
A rule never resolves to this partner; the resolver explains it as CAPABILITY_MISSING	The dispatch mode is not a transport mode, or the matrix does not allow the transaction type on it	Tick the mode, or add the matrix row, in Edit.
Matrix drift warning on the Overview tab	A matrix row names a mode no longer in the transport modes	Tick the mode again, or clear it from the row.
Routing rule editor shows Capability mismatch	The chosen partner is not capable of the rule's transaction type on its dispatch mode	Fix the partner's capabilities, or pick another partner.

Next

2.5 — Probe & test connection