AMS+ tracks hard bounces to help protect your sending reputation and maintain email deliverability. This article explains what a hard bounce is, why it occurs, and how it impacts your email sending.
What a hard bounce is
A hard bounce occurs when an email cannot be delivered due to a permanent issue with the recipient’s email address.
Hard bounces indicate that the email address is invalid or cannot receive messages.
Why hard bounces occur
Hard bounces typically occur for one of the following reasons:
- The email address is invalid or does not exist
- The domain name does not exist
- The email server has permanently rejected the message
These issues prevent the email from being delivered and are not expected to resolve on their own.
How hard bounces impact email sending
AMS+ tracks hard bounces as part of your email sending activity.
- High bounce rates can negatively impact your sending reputation
- The bounce threshold is 10 hard bounces per 100 emails sent (10%)
- Exceeding bounce thresholds may result in campaigns or workflows being disabled
- Repeated issues may contribute to account-level sending being disabled
Monitoring and managing hard bounces helps maintain deliverability and prevents sending disruptions.
How to reduce hard bounces
To reduce hard bounces:
- Verify email addresses before sending
- Remove invalid or outdated email addresses from your lists
- Avoid sending to purchased or unverified lists
- Regularly review bounce activity and clean your data
Maintaining accurate contact data helps reduce bounce rates and supports consistent email delivery.