Hard Bounce vs Soft Bounce
A hard bounce is a permanent delivery failure while a soft bounce is a temporary one.
Why It Matters
Distinguishing between bounce types determines whether to remove an address immediately or retry later.
How It Works
Hard bounces occur when an email address is invalid, deleted, or the domain doesn't exist. Soft bounces happen when a mailbox is full, the server is down, or the message is too large. Most ESPs auto-remove hard bounces and retry soft bounces a few times.
Real-World Example
An email to john@nonexistentdomain.com hard bounces, while an email to a full inbox soft bounces.
Common Mistakes
Keeping hard-bounced addresses on your list
Ignoring repeated soft bounces from same address
Related Terms
The percentage of sent emails that could not be delivered to the recipient's inbox.
The practice of regularly cleaning your email list by removing invalid, inactive, and unengaged subscribers.
The ability of your emails to successfully reach recipients' inboxes rather than spam folders or being blocked.
Hard Bounce vs Soft Bounce FAQs
Should I remove soft bounces?
Remove addresses that soft bounce consistently over 3-5 sends, as they may have become invalid.
Do hard bounces hurt my sender reputation?
Yes, ISPs view high hard bounce rates as a sign of poor list hygiene and will lower your sender score.
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