Email delivery shows Bounced
One or more members show a Bounced status in a broadcast’s per-recipient log.
What’s happening
Section titled “What’s happening”A bounce means the message was rejected by the recipient’s mail server before it reached the inbox. There are two types:
- Hard bounce — the address doesn’t exist or the domain is invalid. The message can’t be delivered, and future sends to this address will also bounce.
- Soft bounce — a temporary issue, such as a full inbox or a mail server being down. The message may deliver if you try again later.
The Bounce reason column on the send-detail page gives a short explanation from the receiving mail server.
A high bounce rate can damage your sending reputation. MapleGather alerts you on the deliverability dashboard when your 7-day bounce rate exceeds 2%.
How to fix it
Section titled “How to fix it”1. Look up the bounce reason
Section titled “1. Look up the bounce reason”- Go to Email > All blasts and open the broadcast.
- Find the member in the Recipients table. Filter by Bounced to see all bounced recipients.
- Read the Bounce reason column for the affected member.
2. Correct or remove the email address
Section titled “2. Correct or remove the email address”For hard bounces (address doesn’t exist):
- Go to the member’s record and select Profile.
- Check whether the email address is spelled correctly. Correct it if you spot a typo.
- If the address is correct but the inbox no longer exists (for example, a former work email), contact the member to get their current address.
For soft bounces:
- Soft bounces often resolve on their own. Wait a few days and check whether future sends to that member succeed. If the bounce continues, treat it as a hard bounce and update the address.
3. Review the overall bounce rate
Section titled “3. Review the overall bounce rate”- Go to Email > Deliverability.
- Check the Bounce rate metric for the last 7 days. If it’s above 2%, the dashboard shows a Review bounced recipients notice.
- Work through the bounced-recipient list systematically to correct or remove invalid addresses.
If that didn’t work
Section titled “If that didn’t work”- If you’ve corrected the email address and the member still bounces on the next send, the address may be on a suppression list at the email provider level. Contact MapleGather support for assistance.
- If your bounce rate stays above 2% after correcting addresses, contact support to review your sending configuration.