Hard Bounce vs. Soft Bounce for Emails: Know the Difference

Email bounces are a common email marketing mistake. Your email bounce can be hard or soft.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss hard bounce vs. soft bounce for emails and tips on how you can keep your emails from bouncing.

Explore More: 5 Easy Ways to Lower Your Email Bounce Rate

What are bounced emails?

A bounce is when the email you sent is not delivered to the recipient because the server has either temporarily or permanently rejected it.

Instead, it returns or bounces to your inbox. You then receive an auto-response informing you that the email delivery was unsuccessful.

Why do emails bounce?

An email can bounce for a few reasons, ranging from problems on your end to issues on the recipient’s end.

Maybe you typed the wrong email address or have been flagged as spam one too many times, or the recipient’s email inbox is full.

Hard bounce vs. soft bounce for emails: The breakdown

Hard bounces are a permanent failure in sending an email, meaning it’s unlikely you will get through the metaphorical “brick wall.” Anything that comes back as a hard bounce means you should clear the attempted address from your contacts, since you won’t get through to that email address.

Here are some common causes of hard bounces:

• The user’s email address does not exist
• The user’s server has blocked the delivery through a spam filter or firewall
• The user has blocked your specific address from entering their inbox

Legitimate email addresses can also cause a hard bounce, but this is usually not as common.

On the other hand, soft bounces are temporary issues you can potentially resolve by sending the email again. Soft bounces are less final and offer more room to solve the problem.

Soft bounces may occur because:

• The recipient’s inbox is full
• The file attachment in the email is too large
• There’s a glitch in the server
• The recipient’s account is suspended

If you receive a soft bounce, try sending the email again. If it doesn’t go through, try some common fixes:

• Check that the email address doesn’t contain spaces
• Check that the email address is correct
• Check your file attachment size

If the email still doesn’t go through, treat it like a hard bounce and remove that address from your contacts.

The table below summarizes their differences:

How to keep emails from bouncing

Be careful when dealing with bounced emails. Having too many can slow your marketing engine and tack a spam label on your back.

Nobody wants that for their business, so here are some ways to reduce the number of bounced emails as technology advances:

5 tips to keep emails from bouncing

1. Declutter your email list
2. Install a double opt-in
3. Craft personalized content
4. Make it mobile-friendly
5. Authenticate your domain

Let’s go through each one:

1. Declutter your email list

High bounce rates can happen because an email list is too crowded.

The customers who joined your email list years ago may have moved on and created new email addresses. Because of this, your message has been gathering with several others in email limbo, not reaching the intended person.

That’s why it’s important to review your list regularly. Think of it like a seasonal closet clean-out.

In the same way, look for subscribers in the feedback loop who have provided consistent negative feedback or have put your emails in their spam. Clearing these addresses out can better influence your bounce ratings.

2. Install a double opt-in

Ensure you are reaching the right audience with valid email addresses through a double opt-in system.

We’ve all been on a website that requires you to type in your email before continuing onto the site. This setup is a way to build an email list. To get the ideal audience, add another step.

A double opt-in system requires the individual to go to their email and click on a link to verify their address. While this adds friction to your user’s experience, it filters out invalid or inactive emails.

3. Craft personalized content

Get to know your audience and deliver personalized content — every customer loves to feel seen. You can segment your list by specific locations or customer preferences. Then, create different email messages and send them to their respective audiences.

Also, be sure to avoid spammy language. Email providers flag certain terms and phrases as spam.

4. Make it mobile-friendly

Fun fact: 47% of users prefer to read emails on a smartphone or tablet. This data point is an excellent reason to make your email mobile-friendly and mobile-flawless.

Email marketing campaigns should be easily accessible and interactive on a phone or other mobile device to be effective. Otherwise, your audience will be less likely to interact with your emails.

5. Authenticate your domain

Ensuring your domain is authenticated can reduce your email bounce rate and improve customer interaction.

Put yourself in your customers’ shoes — would you be more likely to click on a verified email? We sure would!

Ensure your customers are safe when clicking on and interacting with your content.

Boost your email marketing skills with WebFX

Want to improve your email marketing strategies and reduce your bounce rates? Let WebFX help.

We are a full-service digital marketing agency that can help you navigate the world of email marketing and more. With our proprietary growth platform, MarketingCloudFX, we’ve helped our clients create, send, and optimize email campaigns and enjoy a 16% increase in leads.

Contact us online or call us at 888-601-5359 to speak with a strategist about our email marketing services!