This application provides an indication method, a network device, and user equipment. The network device explicitly or implicitly indicates, by using indication information (including but not limited to a bitmap, information indicating a quantity Wt, and information indicating an index) carried on one or more downlink transmission units, a reception response for one or more downlink transmission unit sets that needs to be received by the network device, that is, a reception response for one or more downlink transmission unit sets that needs to be sent by the UE to the network device, so that the UE can correctly send, on a correct uplink transmission unit, the reception response that is for the downlink transmission unit sets and that the network device indicates the UE to send. In this way, errors and unnecessary retransmission are reduced, quality of service is ensured, and communication efficiency is improved.