> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.liftai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Track and categorize a vendor's response

> How vendor replies appear in the dispute timeline, how the AI categorizes the vendor's position, and how to confirm it.

After you [send a dispute email](/disputes/draft-and-send-dispute-email), the dispute waits on the vendor. When the vendor replies, LiftAI logs the message, analyzes it, and tells you where the vendor stands — so you can decide what to do next.

## The communication timeline

Every message in a dispute is recorded in the dispute's communication history on the Dispute tab. Each entry shows its type (dispute email sent, data request, follow-up, vendor response, and so on), the subject and body, the sender, and any attachments.

While the dispute is **awaiting the vendor**, the panel polls for new activity and shows a **Monitoring** indicator with "Waiting for vendor response." You don't need to refresh manually.

## How a reply is analyzed

When a vendor reply arrives, it routes back automatically through the dispute's encoded reply-to address, lands in the timeline, and is **auto-analyzed** in the background. The analysis:

* **Classifies the vendor's position** into one of:
  * **Vendor Agreed** — accepted and will issue a credit or void.
  * **Partial Agreement** — offers partial credit or an adjustment.
  * **Disagreed (with evidence)** — rejects, but provided documentation.
  * **Disagreed (no evidence)** — rejects without providing proof.
  * **Requested Information** — needs more detail before responding.
* **Classifies any attachments** the vendor sent (for example, detecting that an attached PDF is an invoice), so an adjusted invoice can be picked up.
* **Suggests a next action** based on the position — typically **Resolve** when the vendor agreed, or **Draft Follow-up** otherwise.

Receiving a response moves the dispute from awaiting-vendor back to **Active**, and the panel surfaces a **Vendor Response Received** banner with the categorized position, a short summary, and a confidence indicator.

<Note>
  The categorized position also appears as a chip on the vendor's entry in the timeline, alongside the AI's one-line summary of the reply.
</Note>

## Confirm or adjust the categorization

The categorization is the AI's read of the reply, not a final decision. Review the position and summary against the actual message text, then act on the suggested next step — confirm the AI's read by taking the suggested action, or choose a different action if you disagree.

## Next steps

* [Follow up on a dispute](/disputes/follow-up-on-dispute) — when the vendor disagrees, partially agrees, or needs more information.
* [Handle an adjusted invoice](/disputes/handle-adjusted-invoice) — when the vendor sends a corrected invoice.
* [Resolve a dispute](/disputes/resolve-a-dispute) — when the vendor agrees and you're ready to close it out.