{"id":42147,"date":"2014-10-02T07:22:37","date_gmt":"2014-10-02T07:22:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.lvh.me\/blog\/2014\/10\/02\/bounce-reasons-and-recommended-actions\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T19:07:13","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T19:07:13","slug":"bounce-reasons-and-recommended-actions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailrelay.com\/en\/blog\/2014\/10\/02\/bounce-reasons-and-recommended-actions\/","title":{"rendered":"Bounced emails: why an email bounces, what each error means and how to fix it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Did you get a “failure notice” or “couldn’t be delivered” message after sending a campaign?<\/p>\n\n

That’s a bounced email: a message that didn’t reach its destination.<\/p>\n\n

The recipient’s server sends it back to you with an error code.<\/p>\n\n

Some bounces fix themselves, like a full mailbox. Others are permanent, like an address that no longer exists.<\/p>\n\n

Telling them apart is what lets you clean your list without losing valid contacts and without damaging your sender reputation.<\/p>\n\n

In this article you’ll find what each bounced email notice means and the most common error codes.<\/p>\n\n

You’ll also see Mailrelay’s table of bounce reasons and how to handle them step by step.<\/p>\n\n\n

What a bounced email is<\/h2>\n\n

A bounce<\/a> happens when the recipient’s mail server rejects your message. Instead of delivering it, it sends back a notice with the reason.<\/p>\n\n

That notice goes to the sending tool, which classifies it.<\/p>\n\n

If you send from your own email account, you see bounced emails as error messages in your inbox.<\/p>\n\n

There are two main types: the hard bounce, which is permanent, and the soft bounce, which is temporary.<\/p>\n\n

<\/th>Hard bounce<\/th>Soft bounce<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
What it means<\/td>The email will never reach that address<\/td>The email isn’t getting through now, but it may later<\/td><\/tr>
Typical causes<\/td>The address or the domain doesn’t exist<\/td>Full mailbox, busy or down server<\/td><\/tr>
What happens to the contact<\/td>Sending to that address stops<\/td>Sending is retried<\/td><\/tr>
What to do<\/td>Correct the address or remove it from your sends<\/td>Wait and watch whether it happens again<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

You’ll find each type explained in depth in the hard bounce<\/a> and soft bounce<\/a> entries.<\/p>\n\n

\"Infographic<\/figure>\n\n

What the most common bounce notices mean<\/h2>\n\n

Each email provider words the notice in its own way. These are the ones you see most often and what they usually mean:<\/p>\n\n

Notice you receive<\/th>Who sends it<\/th>What it usually means<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
“Mail Delivery Subsystem” or “Delivery Status Notification (Failure)”<\/td>Gmail<\/td>The message couldn’t be delivered. The reason is in the body of the notice<\/td><\/tr>
“Address not found”<\/td>Gmail<\/td>The address doesn’t exist or is misspelled<\/td><\/tr>
“Undeliverable” or “Delivery has failed to these recipients or groups”<\/td>Outlook and Microsoft 365<\/td>The destination server rejected the message<\/td><\/tr>
“Failure notice”<\/td>Yahoo and other servers<\/td>Delivery failed permanently<\/td><\/tr>
“Mailbox full” or “Quota exceeded”<\/td>Any provider<\/td>The recipient’s mailbox is full<\/td><\/tr>
“Message blocked” or “Rejected for policy reasons”<\/td>Any provider<\/td>The server blocked the message with its filters<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

What matters isn’t the subject of the notice, but the error code inside it.<\/p>\n\n

Most common SMTP bounce codes<\/h2>\n\n

Codes that start with 5 are permanent errors. Those that start with 4 are temporary.<\/p>\n\n

Code<\/th>What it means<\/th>Type<\/th>What to do<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
550 5.1.1<\/td>The recipient’s address doesn’t exist<\/td>Hard<\/td>Correct the address or stop sending to it<\/td><\/tr>
550 5.1.2<\/td>The recipient’s domain doesn’t exist<\/td>Hard<\/td>Check whether the domain is misspelled<\/td><\/tr>
552 5.2.2 or 452 4.2.2<\/td>The mailbox is full<\/td>Usually soft<\/td>Wait and send again later<\/td><\/tr>
421 or 451 (4.7.x)<\/td>Temporary rejection: server busy or too many sends<\/td>Soft<\/td>It’s retried automatically. If it keeps happening, slow down your sending rate<\/td><\/tr>
550 5.7.1<\/td>Message rejected by the server’s policies<\/td>Block<\/td>Check your reputation, your content and whether you’re on a blacklist<\/td><\/tr>
550 5.7.26<\/td>Gmail rejects the message because the sender isn’t authenticated<\/td>Block<\/td>Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC on your domain<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

These codes follow the mail system status code standard (RFC 3463).<\/p>\n\n

Gmail and Microsoft also publish their own on their help pages.<\/p>\n\n

\n

Spot bounces without going through notices one by one<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mailrelay classifies every bounce and stops sending to addresses that no longer exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Create a free account<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

How to read a bounce notice, with an example<\/h2>\n\n

A bounce notice looks complicated, but you only need to look for three things: the address, the code and the explanation.<\/p>\n\n

This is a typical example of a hard bounce:<\/p>\n\n

\n

Subject:<\/strong> Delivery Status Notification (Failure)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your message couldn’t be delivered to [recipient address] because the address doesn’t exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remote server returned: 550 5.1.1 The email account that you tried to reach does not exist.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

The address is the one shown in the notice. The code, 550 5.1.1, starts with 5, so it’s a permanent error.<\/p>\n\n

And the explanation confirms it: the account doesn’t exist. There’s no point sending to it again until the person gives you a correct address.<\/p>\n\n

If the code started with 4, like a 452 4.2.2 for a full mailbox, waiting would be enough.<\/p>\n\n

What to do if an email you sent from your own account bounces<\/h2>\n\n

Not all bounced emails come from campaigns.<\/p>\n\n

Sometimes it’s a regular email you send from Gmail or Outlook to a customer or a supplier.<\/p>\n\n

In that case, first check that the address is spelled correctly.<\/p>\n\n

It’s the most common cause, especially with domains like “gmial.com” or “outlok.com”.<\/p>\n\n

If the address is correct, look at the code in the notice.<\/p>\n\n

A full mailbox sorts itself out over time. A policy error usually means the destination server mistook you for spam.<\/p>\n\n

In that last case, call the person and ask them to check their spam folder or add you to their contacts.<\/p>\n\n

And if the notice says your own message is too large, remove heavy attachments and send a download link instead.<\/p>\n\n

Bounce reasons in Mailrelay and how to fix them<\/h2>\n\n

In the Mailrelay dashboard, every bounced email appears with a code that sums up the reason.<\/p>\n\n

This is the full table, with what you can do in each case:<\/p>\n\n

Code in Mailrelay<\/th>What it means<\/th>What you can do<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
bad-configuration<\/td>The destination server has a configuration error and doesn’t accept messages<\/td>Phone the subscriber so their system administrator can look into it<\/td><\/tr>
bad-connection<\/td>Couldn’t connect to the destination server because of a failure along the route<\/td>Let the destination server’s administrator know. It may not be their fault<\/td><\/tr>
bad-domain<\/td>The recipient’s domain doesn’t exist<\/td>Check that the domain is spelled correctly and let the subscriber know<\/td><\/tr>
bad-mailbox<\/td>Wrong mailbox: the address doesn’t exist or isn’t valid<\/td>Check the address and contact the subscriber another way<\/td><\/tr>
content-related<\/td>Message rejected because of its content: possible spam or a blacklisted sender<\/td>Read the tips for avoiding spam<\/a> and contact support<\/td><\/tr>
inactive-mailbox<\/td>The recipient’s account has expired, is inactive or has been disabled<\/td>Check the address and let the subscriber know<\/td><\/tr>
message-expired<\/td>The message wasn’t delivered within the maximum retry period and expired<\/td>Send it again when there’s less congestion<\/td><\/tr>
no-answer-from-host<\/td>The destination server doesn’t respond after connecting<\/td>Let the destination server’s administrator know<\/td><\/tr>
other<\/td>The message was rejected for other reasons<\/td>Let the destination server’s administrator know<\/td><\/tr>
policy-related<\/td>Message rejected or blocked by policies, usually anti-spam<\/td>Read the tips for avoiding spam and contact support<\/td><\/tr>
protocol-errors<\/td>SMTP protocol syntax error when interpreting the message<\/td>Let the destination server’s administrator know<\/td><\/tr>
quota-issues<\/td>The recipient’s mailbox is full<\/td>Ask the subscriber to free up space<\/td><\/tr>
relaying-issues<\/td>The destination server rejects the message because of its internal policies<\/td>Let the destination server’s administrator know<\/td><\/tr>
routing-errors<\/td>Routing failure on reaching the recipient’s domain<\/td>Let the destination server’s administrator and your internet provider know<\/td><\/tr>
spam-related<\/td>Message blocked as spam: sender setup, content or complaints<\/td>Check your authentication and your content, and contact support<\/td><\/tr>
virus-related<\/td>Message blocked as a possible virus, especially in attachments<\/td>Scan the attachments with an antivirus or send a download link<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n

When the address works again, write to Mailrelay support to reactivate the subscriber.<\/p>\n\n

How Mailrelay flags bounces<\/h3>\n\n

When a send gets a hard bounce, the contact is flagged as bounced and Mailrelay doesn’t send it anything else.<\/p>\n\n

It isn’t unsubscribed. Unsubscribing is something only the subscriber can do, and a bounce isn’t that.<\/p>\n\n

With soft bounces, Mailrelay keeps trying to deliver. There’s no fixed number of soft bounces after which sending to a contact stops.<\/p>\n\n

Some bounces arrive hours after the send. These are asynchronous bounces, and to catch them you should turn them on when you set up your custom domain<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Handling bounced emails in 6 steps<\/h2>\n\n

If you see more bounced emails than usual after a campaign, follow this order:<\/p>\n\n

    \n
  1. Separate hard bounces from soft bounces in the send report.<\/li>\n\n\n
  2. Check the hard bounces for obvious typos, like “gmial.com” or “hotmial.com”.<\/li>\n\n\n
  3. If the address matters, contact the person another way, by phone or in person.<\/li>\n\n\n
  4. Keep an eye on soft bounces: if an address bounces in several campaigns in a row, treat it as suspicious.<\/li>\n\n\n
  5. If the bounces are spam- or policy-related, check your authentication, your content and your reputation.<\/li>\n\n\n
  6. Look at where the bouncing contacts come from to fix the source of the problem.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

    The last step is the one most often forgotten.<\/p>\n\n

    If the bounced emails always come from the same form or the same import, that’s where the problem is.<\/p>\n\n

    \"Infographic<\/figure>\n\n
    \n

    Send only to contacts who receive your emails<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Double opt-in, bounce reports and clean lists to protect your reputation, on the free account too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    Try Mailrelay for free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

    How to prevent bounces before you send<\/h2>\n\n

    The best bounce management is the kind you don’t need. Almost all bounced emails can be avoided with a well-maintained list.<\/p>\n\n

    Use double opt-in<\/a> so every subscriber confirms their address. That way, misspelled or made-up addresses don’t get in.<\/p>\n\n

    Before importing an old list, verify the emails<\/a> and remove the ones that don’t exist.<\/p>\n\n

    And never buy databases: they’re full of expired addresses and spamtraps<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

    Set up SPF<\/a>, DKIM<\/a> and DMARC<\/a> on your domain. Without them, Gmail and other providers may block your sends even if the addresses are correct.<\/p>\n\n

    Finally, keep up your list hygiene<\/a> with regular reviews. Contacts who haven’t opened your emails for months end up bouncing too.<\/p>\n\n

    Why bounces affect your deliverability<\/h2>\n\n

    Email providers keep track of how many bounced emails you rack up. A sender who sends to lots of non-existent addresses looks like someone who doesn’t take care of their list.<\/p>\n\n

    That’s why a high bounce rate<\/a> damages your sender reputation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

    And with a worse reputation, more emails end up in spam, even those going to valid addresses.<\/p>\n\n

    As a rough guide, if your hard bounces go above 2% in a campaign, check where that list came from before your next send.<\/p>\n\n

    You’ll find more detail in the guide to deliverability in email marketing<\/a> and in why you should remove failed accounts from your list<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

    How Mailrelay helps<\/h2>\n\n

    Mailrelay classifies every bounced email with its reason and stops sending to addresses with a hard bounce, without you having to do anything.<\/p>\n\n

    In each send’s reports you see bounced emails separately from the rest, and every signup goes through double opt-in.<\/p>\n\n

    If you have questions about a specific bounce, human support helps you on every plan.<\/p>\n\n

    The free account<\/a> lets you send up to 80,000 emails a month to 20,000 contacts. You can see all the plans on the pricing<\/a> page.<\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Get your campaigns into the inbox<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Create your free account and send up to 80,000 emails a month with your bounces under control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    Start for free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

    Frequently asked questions about bounced emails<\/h2>\n\n

    These are the most common questions when an email bounces.<\/p>\n\n

    What does it mean when an email has bounced?<\/h3>\n\n

    It means the recipient’s server didn’t accept it and sent it back to you with an error notice.<\/p>\n\n

    The reason can be temporary, like a full mailbox, or permanent, like an address that doesn’t exist.<\/p>\n\n

    What is a “failure notice”?<\/h3>\n\n

    It’s the subject line some servers, like Yahoo, use to tell you an email couldn’t be delivered.<\/p>\n\n

    The notice contains the error code that explains the reason.<\/p>\n\n

    What does bad-mailbox mean?<\/h3>\n\n

    It means the mailbox is wrong: the address doesn’t exist or is misspelled. It’s a hard bounce.<\/p>\n\n

    Does a bounce unsubscribe the subscriber?<\/h3>\n\n

    No. In Mailrelay the contact is flagged as bounced and nothing more is sent to it.<\/p>\n\n

    Unsubscribing is something only the subscriber does.<\/p>\n\n

    Can a bounced contact be recovered?<\/h3>\n\n

    Yes, if the address starts working again. Check that it’s correct and write to Mailrelay support to reactivate it.<\/p>\n\n

    \n

    Further reading<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Paused or blocked accounts: reasons and solutions<\/a><\/strong>Why a sending account gets paused and how to start sending again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How to clean spamtraps from your list<\/a><\/strong>What trap addresses are and how to remove them before you get blocked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why you should remove failed accounts from your list<\/a><\/strong>What happens if you keep sending to addresses that bounce, and how to clean them up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why some emails get stuck in the queue<\/a><\/strong>What it means when an email is queued and what you can do about it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

    <\/div>\n\n
    \n
    \n
    \n
    \"Jose<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n

    Jose Argudo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    CMO at Mailrelay. Writes about email marketing, copywriting and conversion for SMEs and entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    More articles by Jose<\/a> \u00b7 LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What each bounce notice means, how to read the error codes and what to do so your emails get delivered again<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":112286,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[882,562],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-deliverability-and-technical-aspects","category-email-marketing-2"],"yoast_head":"\nBounced emails: reasons, error codes and how to fix them<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Why an email bounces, what each notice and error code means, how to handle bounced emails in 6 steps and how Mailrelay flags each bounce.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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