Email is one of the most effective ways to reach out to customers and
potential leads. But what happens when your emails don't make it to their
inbox? That's where email bounce comes in. In this article, we'll dive into
what email bounce means, the different types of email bounces, and how to fix
them.
What is Email Bounce?
Email bounce occurs when your email fails to reach the recipient's inbox and
is returned back to the sender. This could happen for several reasons, like an
invalid email address, full mailbox, or a blocked email server. When this
happens, you receive a bounce-back message from the recipient's email server,
which explains why your email was bounced back.
It's important to monitor your email bounce rate, which is the percentage of
bounced emails against the total number of emails sent. A high bounce rate can
negatively affect your email deliverability, which means more of your emails
could end up in the spam folder or get blocked altogether.
Types of Email Bounces
There are two main types of email bounces: hard bounce and soft bounce.
Understanding the difference between the two is crucial to fixing the issue
and improving your email deliverability.
Hard Bounce
A hard bounce occurs when your email is permanently rejected and returned to
the sender. This happens when the email address is invalid, doesn't exist, or
has been deactivated. It could also happen if the recipient's email server has
blocked your email address because of suspicious activity or spam complaints.
Hard bounces are considered permanent failures and should be removed from your
email list immediately. Continuing to send emails to hard bounces could result
in your email address getting blacklisted by email service providers.
Soft Bounce
A soft bounce occurs when your email is temporarily rejected and returned to
the sender. This could happen due to a full mailbox, a temporary issue with
the recipient's email server, or if the email message is too large to be
delivered.
Soft bounces are usually a temporary issue and don't require immediate action.
However, if a soft bounce continues to occur for the same email address, it
could turn into a hard bounce.
How to Fix Email Bounces
The first step to fixing email bounces is to identify the reason behind the
bounce. This information is usually included in the bounce-back message that
you receive from the recipient's email server. Once you've identified the
reason, you can take the necessary steps to fix the issue.
Hard Bounce
If you receive a hard bounce, the best course of action is to remove the email
address from your mailing list. Continuing to send emails to hard bounces
could hurt your email deliverability and result in your email address getting
blacklisted.
If the reason for the hard bounce is due to an invalid email address, double-
check that you have the correct email address for the recipient. You can also
try reaching out to the recipient through a different channel to confirm their
email address.
Soft Bounce
If you receive a soft bounce, you can try resending the email message at a
later time. This could give the recipient's email server enough time to
resolve the temporary issue. You can also try reducing the size of the email
message or sending the message in plain text instead of HTML.
If a soft bounce continues to occur for the same email address, it could turn
into a hard bounce. In this case, you should remove the email address from
your mailing list.
Conclusion
Email bounce is a common issue that all email marketers face. Understanding
the different types of email bounces and how to fix them is crucial to
improving your email deliverability and reaching your target audience. By
monitoring your email bounce rate and taking the necessary steps to fix email
bounces, you can ensure that your emails land in the recipient's inbox and
achieve their intended purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an email bounce rate?
Email bounce rate is the percentage of bounced emails against the total number
of emails sent. A high bounce rate could negatively affect your email
deliverability and result in more of your emails getting blocked or marked as
spam.
What is the difference between a hard bounce and a soft bounce?
A hard bounce occurs when your email is permanently rejected and returned to
the sender. This could happen when the email address is invalid, doesn't
exist, or has been deactivated. A soft bounce occurs when your email is
temporarily rejected and returned to the sender. This could happen due to a
full mailbox, a temporary issue with the recipient's email server, or if the
email message is too large to be delivered.
How do I fix email bounces?
The first step to fixing email bounces is to identify the reason behind the
bounce. This information is usually included in the bounce-back message that
you receive from the recipient's email server. Once you've identified the
reason, you can take the necessary steps to fix the issue. For hard bounces,
remove the email address from your mailing list. For soft bounces, try
resending the email message at a later time or reducing the size of the email
message.
