![Email Bounce Back: What Are They, How To Fix Them [+Free Tools]](https://www.notion.so/image/https:%2F%2Fprod-files-secure.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fbcbb93a8-ed34-4eb6-a0ac-ad47200f4ffe%2Feb77f7c1-21a8-468b-ae79-ba01c35320ae%2FZeroBounce_vs._NeverBounce_Comparing_Top_Email_Verification_Tools_(7).jpg?table=block&id=8ec24079-d740-4070-ac5f-049f8a071743&cache=v2)
Do not index
Do not index
Did you know? The average email bounce rate is considered to be around 2%.
Bounce backs are frustrating and can seriously disrupt your entire email campaign. But what exactly causes email bounce backs, and how can you fix them?
In this guide - we’ll explain everything you need to know about email bounce backs, how to resolve them, and introduce you to free tools that can help.
By the end, you'll be able to reduce bounce rates and improve your email success.
What is an Email Bounce Back?
Source: Freepik
An email bounce back occurs when an email you send fails to reach the recipient and is returned to you by the recipient's mail server. This can happen for several reasons, such as –
- An incorrect or invalid email address
- A full inbox
- Email being blocked by a spam filter
- Issues with the recipient’s server
There are two types of email bounce backs -
- Soft bounces: They are temporary and might succeed later.
- Hard bounces: They are permanent and mean the email will never be delivered.
Understanding the cause of the email bounce back is essential to fixing the issue and guaranteeing your emails reach their intended destination.
What is a Bounce Back Email?
Source: Freepik
A bounce back email is an automatic notification that informs you when an email you sent couldn't be delivered to the recipient.
When an email bounces back - your email provider sends a message or Non-Delivery Report (NDR) - that typically includes details about why the delivery failed. This report helps you understand what went wrong so you can correct the issue and try sending the email again.
Email Bounce Back Message Example
Source: Google
Wondering what does a bounce back email look like? Here’s an example or email bounce back message:
Subject: Delivery Status Notification (Failure)
From: Mailer-Daemon@mailserver.com
To: yourname@example.com
Message:
This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.
Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:
Recipient: johndoe@nonexistentdomain.com
Reason: 550: 5.1.1 The email account that you tried to reach does not exist.
Details:
- Date: August 19, 2024
- Time: 10:15 AM
- Server: mailserver.com
Message Body:
Dear Sender,
Your message could not be delivered to the recipient(s). Please check the email address and try again. Below is a copy of the original message sent:
[Original Message Header]
The Damage Email Bounce Back Can Cause
Source: Freepik
Email bounce backs can significantly impact your business. Here’s how:
- Loss of Engagement: Bounced emails reduce interaction with your content - leading to fewer conversions.
- Reputation Damage: High bounce rates can harm your sender reputation - increasing the risk of being marked as spam.
- Increased Costs: Handling email bounce backs often requires extra spending on email verification and wastes resources.
- Deliverability Issues: Frequent bounces can lead to reduced email deliverability and blocking by providers.
- Brand Damage: Recipients may view your brand as unreliable due to constant email bounce backs.
- Missed Communication: Important emails might not reach recipients, causing potential business losses.
Types of Email Bounce Backs
Source: Freepik
Email bounce backs come in many types - each indicating different issues with email delivery:
Type of Bounce | Definition | Causes | Resolution |
Hard Bounce | Permanent delivery failure | • Invalid email address
• Non-existent email domain
• Blocked email address
• Typo in the email address | Remove the email address from list |
Soft Bounce | Temporary delivery failure | • Full inbox
• Temporary server issue
• Large email size
• Email account unavailable | Retry later or check email size |
Transient Bounce | Temporary issue that resolves itself | • Network issues
• Temporary server overload
• Email server maintenance | Wait for the issue to resolve |
General or Unspecified Bounce | Failure with vague reason | • System or configuration errors
• Miscellaneous issues
• Unknown error | Investigate and address the problem |
- Hard Bounce
Are you wondering - what is a hard bounce in email? To put it simply - a hard bounce in email refers to a permanent failure where the email cannot be delivered to the recipient. This usually means there’s a serious issue with the email address or domain.
Hard bounces often happen because of –
- Invalid email address
- Non-existent email domain
- Blocked email address
- Typo in the email address
Example:
If you try to send an email to an address like "example@nonexistentdomain.com," it will bounce back hard because the domain doesn’t exist.
If you’re wondering - "Why are my emails bouncing back?" hard bounces are a key reason. They indicate that the recipient’s address is not valid or has been removed.
- Soft Bounce
A soft bounce is a temporary issue that prevents an email from reaching the recipient - but doesn’t indicate a permanent problem. Unlike hard bounces - soft bounces can often be resolved over time.
Common causes of soft bounces include –
- Full recipient's inbox
- Temporary server issues
- Large email size
- Recipient's email account is temporarily unavailable
Example:
If you send an email and the recipient’s inbox is full - the email will bounce back as a soft bounce. This means there’s a temporary issue, and the email might be successfully delivered later when the problem is resolved.
- Transient Bounce
A transient bounce is a temporary failure that prevents an email from being delivered right away - but the issue is usually resolved on its own. This means the problem isn't permanent and might fix itself over time.
Common reasons include –
- Network problems
- Temporary overloads on the recipient’s email server
- Routine maintenance
Example:
If the recipient's email server is down for a short period, the email may bounce back with a message like "Temporary server error."
- General or Unspecified Bounce
A general or unspecified bounce occurs when an email fails to deliver - but the email bounce back message doesn’t clearly explain why. This type of bounce is vague and doesn’t provide specific details about the problem.
This can happen due to various issues, such as –
- System errors
- Configuration problems
Example:
You might receive an email bounce back with a message like "Delivery failed" or "Unknown error," which doesn’t give a clear reason for the failure.
Common Causes of Email Bounce Backs and Tips to Fix Them
Source: Freepik
So, why are your emails bouncing back? Well, there can be many reasons behind the problem. Let’s take a look at some common ones. We’ll also share solution tips to avoid email bounce back:
- Invalid Email Address
This occurs when you send an email to an address that doesn’t exist or has been removed. For example, if you try to email "contact@fakeaddress.com," the address isn’t valid because it either was never set up or has been deleted. An invalid email address can cause your message to bounce back immediately.
Tips to Fix It:
- Double-check addresses: Always verify the email addresses for accuracy before sending.
- Use verification tools: Use email verification services like VerifyMagically to check if the addresses in your list are valid.
- Update your list: Regularly clean your email list to remove outdated or invalid addresses.
- Non-Existent Email Domain
This happens when the part of the email address after the @ symbol (the domain) does not exist. For example, sending an email to "user@nonexistentdomain.com" fails because "nonexistentdomain.com" is not a registered domain.
Tips to Fix It:
- Check domain validity: Make sure that the domain part of the email address is correctly spelled and active.
- Update contact information: If you know that a domain has changed, update the email addresses in your contact list with the new domain.
- Email Blocked by Recipient’s Server
Sometimes, the recipient’s email server may block your email if it believes the email is spam or if it doesn’t recognize your domain. This can prevent delivery and result in an email bounce back.
Tips to Fix It:
- Authenticate your domain: Use email authentication methods like - SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to improve deliverability and help your emails be recognized as legitimate.
- Build trust: Maintain good sending practices and build a positive sender reputation to reduce the likelihood of being blocked.
- Typo in the Email Address
Small mistakes in the email address, such as "info@gmil.com" instead of "info@gmail.com," can prevent delivery. The email address won’t be found, and the message will bounce back.
Tips to Fix It:
- Proofread carefully: Always check email addresses for typos before sending.
- Use address verification: Employ tools that can detect and correct typos in email addresses.
- Full Inbox
If the recipient’s inbox is full, it cannot accept new messages. This can occur if the recipient has not deleted old emails or has reached their email storage limit. Your email will bounce back with a message indicating that the inbox is full.
Tips to Fix It:
- Retry later: Wait for some time and try sending the email again.
- Contact the recipient: If possible, let the recipient know that their inbox is full, so they can clear space and receive future emails.
- Temporary Server Issue
This happens when the recipient’s email server has a temporary problem, such as being down for maintenance or experiencing high traffic. During these times, the server cannot accept new emails, causing your message to bounce back.
Tips to Fix It:
- Retry later: Wait for some time and try sending your email again.
- Check server status: If you have contact with the recipient, ask them if there are known server issues or maintenance.
- Large Email Size
If your email includes large attachments or a lot of content, it might exceed the size limits set by the recipient’s email server. This can result in your email bouncing back because the server cannot handle such large messages.
Tips to Fix It:
- Reduce attachment size: Compress or reduce the size of attachments before sending.
- Use cloud storage: Share large files through cloud storage services and include a download link in your email instead.
- Email Account Unavailable
Sometimes, the recipient’s email account may be temporarily unavailable, deactivated, or suspended. In such cases, the email server will not be able to deliver the message, causing it to bounce back.
Tips to Fix It:
- Verify the account: Ensure that the recipient’s email account is active and correctly set up.
- Contact the recipient: If possible, reach out to the recipient through an alternative method to confirm their email status.
- Network Issues
Network problems, such as connectivity issues or errors in server communication, can temporarily prevent emails from reaching the recipient. This could be due to issues on either your end or the recipient’s end.
Tips to Fix It:
- Retry sending: Wait for the network issue to be resolved and then resend your email.
- Check connectivity: Make sure that your own internet connection is stable and working properly.
- Temporary Overloading of Email Server
When an email server is overwhelmed with too many incoming messages, it might temporarily reject new emails. This happens if the server is busy handling a high volume of messages and cannot process additional ones at that moment.
Tips to Fix It:
- Retry later: Wait for a while and attempt to resend your email later.
- Monitor server status: If you are aware of high traffic times, plan your email sends accordingly to avoid busy periods.
- Email Server Maintenance
During scheduled maintenance or updates, the recipient’s email server may temporarily be unavailable. This means it cannot accept new emails until the maintenance is complete, leading to bounce backs.
Tips to Fix It:
- Retry later: Wait for the maintenance period to end and resend your email.
- Check server status: If possible, confirm with the recipient or their IT team about the maintenance schedule to time your email sends better.
- Poor Sender’s Reputation
If your email address or domain has a poor reputation due to previous spam reports or other issues - it can cause your emails to be blocked or filtered out by recipient servers.
Tips to Fix It:
- Improve practices: Follow best email practices to avoid being flagged as spam, such as maintaining a clean email list and avoiding spammy content.
- Check reputation: Use tools to monitor your sender reputation and address any issues if your domain or IP is blacklisted.
- Email Spam Filter
Emails might be blocked or bounced back if they are flagged by spam filters. Filters look for characteristics typical of spam, such as suspicious content or certain keywords.
Tips to Fix It:
- Avoid spam triggers: Use clear, professional language and avoid spammy phrases or excessive links in your emails.
- Check spam score: Before sending, use tools to check if your email content is likely to be flagged as spam.
- Service Provider Issues
If your email service provider experiences technical problems or outages, it can affect your ability to send emails. Issues with their servers or systems might lead to email bounce backs.
Tips to Fix It:
- Check service status: Look for any alerts or updates from your email service provider regarding outages or issues.
- Contact support: If you suspect provider issues, reach out to their support team for assistance.
- Email Greylisted
Greylisting is a technique used to reduce spam by temporarily rejecting emails. The recipient’s server will try to accept the email later. This temporary rejection causes the email to bounce back initially.
Tips to Fix It:
- Retry sending: Wait for a while and resend your email, as greylisted messages are typically accepted on retry.
- Be patient: Understand that greylisting is a temporary measure, and your email should be delivered after a retry.
What is Email Bounce Rate?
Source: Freepik
Email bounce back rate is the percentage of emails that fail to reach the recipient's inbox. It’s calculated by dividing the number of bounced emails by the total number of sent emails.
According to Statista - the average daily email bounce rate in the U.S. is 0.4%. This rate increases to 1.3% when measured monthly.
High bounce rates can affect your sender reputation and email deliverability, making it important to regularly clean your email list and use verification tools.
How to Calculate Your Email Bounce Rate?
Source: Freepik
Here are some simple steps you can follow to calculate your email bounce rate:
- Step 1: Collect Data
Gather the total number of emails sent and the number of bounced emails from your email campaign reports.
- Step 2: Use the Formula
Bounce Rate (%) = (Number of Bounced Emails / Total Number of Sent Emails) × 100
- Step 3: Perform the Calculation
Divide the number of bounced emails by the total number of sent emails and multiply the result by 100 to get the percentage.
Example:
- Total Emails Sent: 1,000
- Bounced Emails: 50
Calculation:
Bounce Rate = (50 / 1,000) × 100 = 5%
So, the bounce rate for this email campaign is 5%. This means 5% of the sent emails did not reach the recipients.
What Is Considered An Acceptable Email Bounce Rate?
An acceptable email bounce rate generally falls between 0.5% and 2%.
A bounce rate below 0.5% indicates that most of your emails are reaching their intended recipients - reflecting a well-maintained email list and effective delivery practices.
Rates above 2% may signal issues such as outdated or invalid email addresses - problems with your email content, or delivery issues.
How to Fix Email Bounce Backs?
Source: Freepik
According to recent statistics - the average bounce rate above 5% can harm your email performance. Here’s how you can fix email bounce backs effectively:
Step 1: Analyze Bounce Back Messages
When you receive a bounce back message - it's important to understand why your email wasn’t delivered. Email bounce back messages provide specific reasons for the failure, like "Invalid Email Address" or "Mailbox Full."
By carefully reading these messages - you can identify whether the issue is due to a temporary problem, like a full inbox, or a more permanent one, like an invalid email address.
Example:
A typical email bounce back message might say, "User unknown in the domain," indicating that the email address doesn’t exist. You can use an email bounce back message example to get familiar with these error codes and messages.
Common Email Bounce Back Codes and Their Meanings:
SMTP Code | Description |
SMTP 551 | Mailbox Does Not Exist |
SMTP 421 | Server Temporarily Unavailable |
SMTP 541 | Message Rejected |
SMTP 450 | Mailbox Temporarily Unavailable |
SMTP 550 | Mailbox Unavailable |
SMTP 554 | Transaction Failed |
Pro Tip:
To make this easier, consider using tools like an email checker or an email verification service like VerifyMagically. This tool can help identify issues with email addresses before you send your emails - reducing the chances of bounce backs.
Step 2: Removing Invalid Emails
Having invalid or non-existent email addresses on your list is one of the main causes of hard bounces. When you send emails to these addresses - they will always bounce back because the addresses don’t exist. This can harm your sender reputation and lower your email deliverability rates.
It’s important to regularly remove these invalid emails from your list to maintain its health. One effective way to do this is by using a tool like VerifyMagically.
This tool scans your email list and identifies any invalid or non-existent addresses with 99% accuracy in real-time. This allows you to remove them before sending out your emails.
Here’s how you can use VerifyMagically:
- Step 1: Signup for an account on VerifyMagically.
- Step 2: Login and access the dashboard
- Step 3: Upload the email list in the tool
- Step 4: Get results quickly and check the invalid emails
- Step 5: Download the report and clean your list
By keeping your list clean, you can prevent future hard bounces and improve the success of your email campaigns.
Step 3: Regular List Maintenance
Maintaining a healthy email list is key to avoiding bounce backs. Regular list maintenance includes cleaning your list by removing inactive or invalid emails, verifying new email addresses, and guaranteeing that your list is up to date.
Best Practices for List Maintenance:
- List Scrubbing
Regularly review and remove email addresses that are no longer active or have bounced back multiple times.
- Using Email Verification Tools
Tools like email verification services or an email checker can help you verify the validity of email addresses before adding them to your list. These tools reduce the chances of email bounce backs by ensuring you only send emails to valid addresses.
- Segmenting Your List
Separate your list into active and inactive subscribers. This allows you to focus on the most engaged contacts and avoid sending emails to those who are likely to bounce.
Pro Tip:
You can integrate VerifyMagically with your email marketing tools and CRM to automatically clean and filter your list on a regular basis.
Tips to Reduce Email Bounce Rates
Source: Freepik
Reducing email bounce back rates is important for the success of your email campaigns: Here are some key tips to help you achieve this:
- Verify Email Addresses Regularly
Use email verification tools to make sure that the addresses on your list are valid. Regular checks help prevent sending emails to invalid addresses that can cause bounces.
- Maintain a Clean Email List
Regularly update and clean your email list by removing outdated or invalid addresses. Keeping your list current reduces the risk of bounces and improves overall deliverability.
- Segment Your Email List
Organize your email list into segments based on user behavior, demographics, or engagement levels. This guarantees that emails are sent to recipients who are more likely to interact with your content.
- Monitor and Improve Sender Reputation
Your sender reputation impacts deliverability. Regularly check your reputation and ensure that your emails comply with best practices to avoid being flagged as spam. High sender reputation helps in maintaining low bounce rates.
- Use Confirmed Opt-In
Implement a confirmed opt-in (double opt-in) process to ensure that the email addresses on your list are accurate and that recipients genuinely want to receive your emails. This method can help reduce bounce rates by confirming the validity of email addresses before sending.
- Conduct Spam-Filter Tests
Before sending out emails, use spam-filter testing tools to ensure that your content does not trigger spam filters. This helps avoid deliverability issues and reduces bounce rates.
- Use Blocklist Monitoring
Regularly monitor if your IP address or domain is listed on email blocklists. If you find yourself listed, take steps to get delisted to prevent your emails from being blocked or bounced.
- Avoid Spam Trigger Words
Make sure that your email content does not contain words or phrases commonly flagged by spam filters. Avoiding these trigger words helps your emails land in the inbox rather than getting bounced back.
- Don’t Exceed Your Daily Sending Limit
Adhere to your email service provider’s daily sending limits to avoid server overload and potential bounce backs. Exceeding these limits can result in temporary blocks or bounces.
Free Tools to Prevent Email Bounce Backs
Apart from using the tips and steps we have listed above, here are some tools you can use to prevent email bounce backs:
- VerifyMagically
Source: VerifyMagically
VerifyMagically is a powerful email verification tool designed to help businesses maintain a clean email list and reduce bounce rates. It checks email addresses for validity, format, and deliverability, guaranteeing that only valid addresses are used. With features like - real-time email verification, bulk email checking, and API integration the tool helps to clean your email list with 99% accuracy – thereby reducing the bounce rate. The best part – you get 250 free credits with the tool.
Reduce Email Bounce Back With VerifyMagically!
- EmailListVerify
Source: EmailListVerify
EmailListVerify offers free tools for verifying email addresses. It helps in identifying invalid, disposable, and temporary email addresses. With this tool, you will also get 100 free email verifications. It offers key features like - bulk email verification, email address validation, email finder, email blacklist checker and more.
- ZeroBounce
Source: ZeroBounce
ZeroBounce provides a free email verification tool that helps remove invalid or inactive email addresses from your list. It also offers additional features for email list analysis and real-time backlist monitoring. ZeroBounce also offers free 100 credits per month for email verification.
Comparing the Tools
Here’s a simple comparison table to help you choose the best tools for reducing email bounce back:
Source: VerifyMagically
By using VerifyMagically, you can guarantee that your email lists remain clean and up-to-date - helping you avoid email bounce backs and maintain a high level of email deliverability.
Ready to Make a Choice?
How VerifyMagically Can Help?
Source: VerifyMagically
Let’s say you're running an email campaign to promote a new product. You’ve collected a list of thousands of potential leads, but after sending your emails, you notice a high bounce rate, and many messages are undelivered. This can be frustrating and costly, as undelivered emails mean lost opportunities and wasted resources.
Here’s where VerifyMagically steps in. It’s an advanced email verification tool designed to tackle this exact problem. With its powerful features, VerifyMagically guarantees your emails reach real, valid inboxes, reducing bounce rates effectively.
How VerifyMagically Helps to Lower Email Bounce Back?
- 99% Accuracy
VerifyMagically provides high precision in email validation to reduce bounce rates.
- Real-Time Verification
It validates email addresses instantly - preventing bounces by guaranteeing emails are valid before they are sent.
- Seamless API Integration
Easily integrates with your existing systems - automating email validation and checks during list uploads.
- Bulk Processing
Handles both small and large email lists efficiently - maintaining high accuracy even with large volumes.
- Catch-All and Risky Email Validation
Identifies and manages catch-all and risky emails – guaranteeing you get more verified leads.
- AI-Based Verification
Uses advanced AI to boost the accuracy of email validation, improving overall email deliverability.
- 24/7 Customer Support
Offers round-the-clock support to quickly resolve any issues and keep your email campaigns running smoothly.
Let’s see what the users have to say about VerifyMagically:
Source: VerifyMagically
Invalid email addresses is the root cause of high bounce rate. And guess what? VerifyMagically helps you tackle just that!
By using VerifyMagically, you can –
- Guarantee that your emails reach their intended recipients
- Minimize bounce rates
- Make the most of your email marketing efforts
If you want to lower your email bounce rate – simply use VerifyMagically to clean your email list. The best part? You can start using it for free by claiming the 250 credits.
Source: VerifyMagically
Lower Your Email Bounce Back Rate With VerifyMagically!
FAQs
- What is a hard bounce in email?
A hard bounce in email means the email couldn't be delivered due to a permanent reason like an invalid address.
- Why are my emails bouncing back?
Emails bounce back because of issues like invalid addresses, full mailboxes, or server problems. Check email validity and server status.
- What does a bounce back email look like?
A bounce back email usually contains an error message explaining why your email wasn't delivered, like "Mailbox unavailable."
Email bounce back message example:
“550 5.1.1 User unknown: recipient@example.com” means the email address doesn’t exist.
- What is an email checker?
An email checker verifies if an email address is valid and can receive messages, helping reduce bounce rates.
- How do I identify the error message in my bounced email?
Look for error codes and descriptions in the email bounce back message. Common codes like "550" indicate issues like invalid email addresses.
- What is a fake bounce message?
A fake bounce message is a forged email response designed to mislead or scam you, often appearing as if your email failed to deliver.
- How do you fix an email that bounces back?
To fix a bouncing email, verify the recipient's address, check for typos, and make sure your server isn't blacklisted. Retry sending the email.
Wrapping Up
Email bounce backs can disrupt your communication efforts and lower engagement rates. Understanding the causes and fixing them quickly can improve your email success. Regularly verify your email list and check for errors to prevent these issues. For reliable email verification and to reduce bounce rates, use VerifyMagically.