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What is a hard bounce vs. a soft bounce?
In email marketing, bounces occur when an email cannot be delivered to a recipient. They are categorized as hard bounces or soft bounces, depending on the reason for the failure:
Hard Bounce
- Definition: A hard bounce is a permanent delivery failure.
- Causes:
- The email address does not exist.
- The domain name is invalid (e.g., misspelled or expired).
- The recipient’s server has blocked the email.
- Action to Take:
- Remove hard-bounced email addresses from your list to maintain your sender reputation.
- Verify email addresses before sending campaigns.
Soft Bounce
- Definition: A soft bounce is a temporary delivery failure.
- Causes:
- The recipient’s inbox is full.
- The email server is down or unavailable.
- The email message is too large (e.g., due to large attachments).
- Action to Take:
- Soft bounces may resolve on their own if the issue is temporary.
- Monitor these addresses, and if they bounce repeatedly, consider removing them.
Key Differences:
| Aspect | Hard Bounce | Soft Bounce |
|---|---|---|
| Permanence | Permanent failure | Temporary failure |
| Cause | Invalid or non-existent address | Server, inbox, or temporary issue |
| Action Required | Immediate removal | Monitor and retry |
Pro Tip: Maintaining a clean email list and using tools like email verification services can help minimize both hard and soft bounces while improving email deliverability.
