Basics of digital marketing - Understanding Email Bounce Rate
Email bounce rate refers to the percentage of emails that fail to reach recipients and are returned by their email servers.
Types of Bounces
1. Hard Bounce (Permanent Problem)
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The email address doesn’t exist.
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The domain is invalid.
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The account has been deleted.
These addresses should be removed from your list right away.
2. Soft Bounce (Temporary Problem)
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The inbox is full.
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The server is down or overloaded.
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The email file is too large.
These may work if you try again later.
How to Calculate It
Bounce Rate=(Bounced EmailsTotal Emails Sent)×100\text{Bounce Rate} = \left( \frac{\text{Bounced Emails}}{\text{Total Emails Sent}} \right) \times 100
For example:
If you send 1,000 emails and 50 are returned, your bounce rate is 5%.
What’s a Good Bounce Rate?
| Rate | What It Means |
|---|---|
| 0–2% | Great! |
| 2–5% | Still okay |
| 5–10% | Needs fixing |
| 10%+ | Urgent: clean your list |
How to Keep Bounce Rate Low
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Ask users to confirm their email (double opt-in).
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Remove invalid or inactive emails regularly.
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Avoid using spammy language in your subject line.
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Use trusted email-sending tools and verified domains.
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Never use purchased or random email lists.
Why Is It Important?
A high bounce rate can:
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Damage your sender reputation
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Cause your emails to be marked as spam
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Lower your overall delivery success rate
