Email marketers and documentation sources offer varied strategies for handling Gmail addresses with overquota inboxes, balancing deliverability and engagement. The primary recommendation involves bounce management: treat initial 'mailbox full' bounces as soft bounces, but implement suppression after a defined period (3-4 weeks, 3-5 bounces), acknowledging a segment may still engage later. Alternative tactics include segmenting full mailboxes for targeted re-engagement, creating 'can't miss' content, or adjusting soft bounce tolerance. Ensuring proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is paramount. Opinions are divided, some lean towards immediate suppression to protect sender reputation, while others favor limited reactivation efforts.
15 marketer opinions
Email marketers handle Gmail addresses with overquota inboxes through various strategies, primarily revolving around bounce management and maintaining sender reputation. These strategies include immediate suppression after a few bounces, implementing bounce management systems, segmenting and treating these addresses as inactive, and using soft bounce tolerances. Reactivation campaigns are sometimes recommended, but monitoring sender reputation and the potential for damaging it due to continued sending is a significant consideration. Recommendations include suppressing after 3-5 bounces across distinct days, waiting 3-4 weeks without a successful delivery, but also being wary that up to a third of these mailboxes may be opened within 12 months.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks shares research finding that around 1/3 of all Mailbox Full bounces opened another email within 12 months.
6 Dec 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Mailtrap Blog shares that a bounce management strategy is essential, particularly for 'mailbox full' errors. They suggest a grace period followed by suppression to avoid damaging sender reputation. Also to send a retry or resend after 24 hours to a full mailbox.
2 May 2025 - Mailtrap Blog
2 expert opinions
Experts offer contrasting views on handling full Gmail inboxes. One suggests that a full inbox indicates abandonment, warranting invalidation. Conversely, another proposes that users may retain emails with the intent of future reference, recommending the creation of highly valuable, 'can't miss' content to incentivize space-clearing and engagement.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise indicates that when people have full inboxes they are probably not deleting because they feel they may need the email at some point in time. Therefore, Laura Belgray recommends sending something of high value that would encourage them to delete another email to make space for yours. This needs to be a "can't miss" email.
18 Mar 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that a full Gmail inbox is probably abandoned and multiple bounces over time would be a good reason to invalidate it.
23 Feb 2023 - Email Geeks
5 technical articles
Technical documentation generally agrees that a 'mailbox full' bounce indicates the recipient's inbox has reached its limit. While initially treated as soft bounces, persistent occurrences suggest inactivity and warrant eventual suppression. Monitoring bounce notifications and setting up automated removal processes are key to maintaining list hygiene.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that a 'mailbox full' bounce indicates the recipient's inbox has reached its storage limit and cannot accept new messages. Persistent bounces suggest the address is inactive or abandoned.
31 Jan 2024 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost notes that 'mailbox full' errors are classified as soft bounces, but repeated occurrences indicate a more permanent issue and should be handled accordingly with the goal of suppression.
21 Sep 2022 - SparkPost
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