Related articles or contents

Vendasta / Glossary / soft-bounce

What is a Soft Bounce? Definition & Explanation

Soft Bounce is a term used to describe an email that is temporarily undeliverable due to a technical issue. This could be due to a full mailbox, a server issue, or an incorrect email address. Soft Bounces are different from Hard Bounces, which are emails that are permanently undeliverable due to an invalid email address.

For a marketing agency, understanding the difference between Soft and Hard Bounces is important for maintaining a healthy email list. Soft Bounces can be retried at a later date, so it is important to track them and attempt to deliver them again. This can help to ensure that the agency is reaching as many of their intended recipients as possible. Additionally, tracking Soft Bounces can help to identify any technical issues that may be causing emails to be undeliverable.

Key Takeaways

  • Introduction to Soft Bounces: A soft bounce is an email delivery issue that occurs when an email message is temporarily rejected by the recipient”s server
  • Differentiating Soft and Hard Bounces: A hard bounce is an email delivery issue that occurs when an email message is permanently rejected by the recipient”s server
  • Tracking Soft Bounces: Tracking soft bounces is important to ensure that emails are being delivered successfully
  • Retrying Soft Bounces: Retrying soft bounces can help to ensure that emails are delivered successfully
  • Benefits of Tracking Soft Bounces: Tracking soft bounces can help to improve email deliverability and reduce the risk of emails being blocked

Introduction to Soft Bounces

Soft Bounces are a common issue for marketing agencies, and understanding how to handle them is essential for maintaining a healthy email list. Soft Bounces occur when an email is temporarily undeliverable due to a technical issue, such as a full mailbox, a server issue, or an incorrect email address. This is different from Hard Bounces, which are emails that are permanently undeliverable due to an invalid email address.

For marketing agencies, it is important to track Soft Bounces and attempt to deliver them again at a later date. This can help to ensure that the agency is reaching as many of their intended recipients as possible. Additionally, tracking Soft Bounces can help to identify any technical issues that may be causing emails to be undeliverable.

To effectively manage Soft Bounces, marketing agencies should:

  • Monitor their email list for Soft Bounces
  • Retry delivery of Soft Bounces at a later date
  • Identify any technical issues that may be causing emails to be undeliverable
  • Update their email list to remove any invalid email addresses
  • Monitor their email list for Hard Bounces and remove them from the list

Differentiating Soft and Hard Bounces

Hard Bounces, on the other hand, are emails that are permanently undeliverable due to an invalid email address. These emails should be removed from the list immediately, as they will not be deliverable no matter how many times they are sent. Additionally, sending emails to invalid addresses can damage the agency’s reputation and result in their emails being marked as spam.

In order to avoid Hard Bounces, marketing agencies should take the following steps:

  • Use an email validation service to ensure that all email addresses are valid.
  • Monitor the list for any emails that are bouncing back.
  • Remove any emails that are bouncing back after multiple attempts.
  • Use double opt-in to ensure that all email addresses are valid.

By following these steps, marketing agencies can ensure that their emails are reaching their intended recipients and that their email list remains healthy.

Tracking Soft Bounces

Soft Bounces are emails that are temporarily undeliverable due to a full inbox, an inactive email address, or a problem with the recipient’s server. Unlike Hard Bounces, Soft Bounces can be delivered at a later date. As such, marketing agencies should track Soft Bounces and take the necessary steps to ensure that their emails are delivered.

To track Soft Bounces, marketing agencies should:

  • Monitor the list for any emails that are bouncing back.
  • Check the bounce message to determine the cause of the bounce.
  • Resend the email after a few days if the bounce is due to a full inbox.
  • Remove any emails that are bouncing back after multiple attempts.
  • Use an email validation service to ensure that all email addresses are valid.
  • Use double opt-in to ensure that all email addresses are valid.

By tracking Soft Bounces and taking the necessary steps to ensure that their emails are delivered, marketing agencies can ensure that their emails are reaching their intended recipients and that their email list remains healthy.

Retrying Soft Bounces

Once a Soft Bounce has been identified, marketing agencies should take the necessary steps to ensure that their emails are delivered. This can be done by resending the email after a few days, using an email validation service, or using double opt-in.

If the Soft Bounce is due to a full inbox, marketing agencies should wait a few days before resending the email. This will give the recipient time to clear out their inbox and ensure that the email is delivered.

Using an email validation service can help marketing agencies identify any invalid email addresses and ensure that their emails are delivered. This service can also help identify any emails that are bouncing back after multiple attempts and should be removed from the list.

Using double opt-in can help ensure that all email addresses are valid and that the emails are being sent to the intended recipients. This process requires the recipient to confirm their email address before they are added to the list, which can help reduce the number of Soft Bounces.

By taking the necessary steps to ensure that their emails are delivered, marketing agencies can ensure that their emails are reaching their intended recipients and that their email list remains healthy.

Benefits of Tracking Soft Bounces

Once a Soft Bounce has been identified, marketing agencies should take the necessary steps to segment the Soft Bounces. This will help them identify the cause of the Soft Bounce and take the necessary steps to ensure that their emails are delivered.

Segmenting Soft Bounces can be done by analyzing the bounce message, which will provide information about why the email was not delivered. This can help marketing agencies identify any issues with the email address, such as an invalid address or a full inbox.

Retrying Soft Bounces

Once a Soft Bounce has been identified, marketing agencies should take the necessary steps to ensure that their emails are delivered. This can be done by retrying the email after a few days, using an email validation service, or using double opt-in.

Retrying the Email

If the Soft Bounce is due to a full inbox, marketing agencies should wait a few days before retrying the email. This will give the recipient time to clear out their inbox and ensure that the email is delivered.

Email Validation Service

Using an email validation service can help marketing agencies identify any invalid email addresses and ensure that their emails are delivered. This service can also help identify any emails that are bouncing back after multiple attempts and should be removed from the list.

Double Opt-In

Using double opt-in can help ensure that all email addresses are valid and that the emails are being sent to the intended recipients. This process requires the recipient to confirm their email address before they are added to the list, which can help reduce the number of Soft Bounces.

By taking the necessary steps to ensure that their emails are delivered, marketing agencies can ensure that their emails are reaching their intended recipients and that their email list remains healthy.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Soft Bounces are an important concept for any marketing agency to understand. Tracking Soft Bounces can help to improve email deliverability and reduce the risk of emails being blocked. Retrying Soft Bounces can also help to ensure that emails are delivered successfully. By understanding the difference between Soft and Hard Bounces, marketing agencies can ensure that their emails are reaching their intended recipients.

FAQs

What is a Soft Bounce?

A soft bounce is an email message that gets as far as the recipient”s mail server but is bounced back undelivered before it gets to the intended recipient. This usually happens because the recipient”s mailbox is full or temporarily unavailable.

What is the difference between a Soft Bounce and a Hard Bounce?

A hard bounce is an email message that has been returned to the sender because the recipient”s address is invalid. A soft bounce is an email message that is returned to the sender because the recipient”s mailbox is full or temporarily unavailable.

How can I track Soft Bounces?

Soft bounces can be tracked by using email analytics tools such as MailChimp, Constant Contact, or SendGrid. These tools will provide detailed information about the soft bounces, including the reason for the bounce and the recipient”s email address.

What are the benefits of tracking Soft Bounces?

Tracking soft bounces can help you identify and address issues with your email campaigns. By tracking soft bounces, you can identify and fix problems with your email list, such as invalid email addresses or full mailboxes. This can help you improve the deliverability of your emails and ensure that your messages are reaching the intended recipients.