{"id":82437,"date":"2024-10-16T19:41:19","date_gmt":"2024-10-16T19:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/glosario\/bounce\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T12:17:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T12:17:41","slug":"bounce","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/glossary\/bounce\/","title":{"rendered":"Bounce"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A bounce<\/em> is an email that doesn’t reach its recipient and returns to the sender with an error notice. In email marketing, it’s measured with the bounce rate<\/a>: the percentage of emails sent that couldn’t be delivered.<\/p>\n\n

It can be a hard bounce<\/a>, when delivery is permanently impossible, or a soft bounce<\/a>, when the failure is temporary. If bounces pile up, they damage your sender reputation<\/a> and deliverability.<\/p>\n\n

The term is also used in web analytics. There, a bounce is a visit that leaves a page without interacting with it.<\/p>\n\n

Types of bounces<\/h2>\n\n

There are several types of bounce in digital marketing, depending on the context in which it is applied. <\/p>\n\n

The two most common ones are:<\/p>\n\n

Bounce in email marketing<\/h3>\n\n

In this context, a bounce occurs when an email sent fails to reach its recipient and is returned.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n

There are two main types of bounces in email marketing: hard bounce<\/a> and soft bounce<\/a>, which we’ll explore below.<\/p>\n\n

Bounce on websites<\/h3>\n\n

This occurs when a visitor leaves a website after viewing only one page. <\/p>\n\n

It is an indicator used in web analytics tools such as Google Analytics.<\/p>\n\n

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Bounce metrics<\/h2>\n\n

The main metric is the bounce rate<\/em>. In email marketing, it shows what percentage of emails sent couldn’t be delivered, and you should mainly keep an eye on hard bounces. We explain it in detail in bounce rate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

In web analytics, the bounce rate measures the visits that leave without interacting. A high rate isn’t always bad: it’s normal for an informational article, but on a landing page designed to convert it can point to a problem.<\/p>\n\n

Bounces in email marketing: how to avoid them?<\/h2>\n\n

To measure it, use the bounce rate<\/a>, which shows what percentage of emails sent couldn’t be delivered.<\/p>\n\n

As mentioned above, there are two main types of bounces:<\/p>\n\n

Hard bounce: <\/h3>\n\n

It happens when an email can’t be delivered permanently. <\/p>\n\n

This can happen for various reasons, such as an incorrect email address, a non-existent domain, or the recipient’s server blocking the message permanently<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

With a hard bounce, there is no chance that the email will be delivered in the future.<\/p>\n\n

Soft bounce: <\/h3>\n\n

Unlike hard bounces, this type of bounce is generated when an email is temporarily undeliverable. <\/p>\n\n

Reasons may include the recipient’s inbox being full, the recipient’s mail server being down, or the message being too large to be received<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

In these cases, the message may be delivered in future attempts.<\/p>\n\n

How to minimize email marketing bounces<\/h2>\n\n

Minimizing bounces in email marketing is crucial to maintaining your domain reputation and improving the effectiveness of your campaigns. <\/p>\n\n

Some strategies for reducing the number of bounces include:<\/p>\n\n

Maintain an updated mailing list<\/h3>\n\n

It is important to regularly clean up your contact list by removing inactive or incorrect email addresses. <\/p>\n\n

Email verification tools can help identify invalid addresses before you send campaigns.<\/p>\n\n

Avoid using terms that trigger spam filters<\/h3>\n\n

Some terms or phrases, such as \u201cfree,\u201d \u201c100% guaranteed,\u201d or \u201cexclusive offer,\u201d can trigger spam filters and cause emails to miss the recipient’s inbox.<\/p>\n\n

Limit the size of attachments<\/h3>\n\n

Very large attachments can cause a soft bounce. <\/p>\n\n

It is advisable to reduce the size of documents or images, or provide a download link instead of directly attaching files.<\/p>\n\n

The impact of bounce on digital marketing performance<\/h2>\n\n

Understanding and managing bounce is critical to any digital marketing strategy, as it can have a significant impact on several aspects of a campaign. <\/p>\n\n

In the case of web analytics, a high bounce rate could be a red flag for problems with content, design or site functionality. <\/p>\n\n

In email marketing, bounces can damage your domain’s reputation, causing email service providers (ESPs)<\/a> to mark your messages as spam.<\/p>\n\n

Consequences of a high bounce rate on websites<\/h3>\n\n