Summary
The general consensus from experts, marketers, and documentation suggests aiming for a bounce rate below 2-3%, though some sources indicate up to 5% may be acceptable. High bounce rates negatively impact sender reputation and deliverability, signaling issues with list hygiene, sending practices, or outdated information. Regularly cleaning email lists, employing double opt-in, segmenting audiences, and using Google Postmaster Tools are crucial for maintaining a healthy bounce rate.
Key findings
- Ideal Bounce Rate: Most sources recommend a bounce rate below 2-3%.
- Maximum Acceptable Bounce Rate: Some sources suggest a bounce rate below 5% is acceptable but not ideal.
- Impact on Reputation: High bounce rates negatively impact sender reputation and email deliverability.
- List Hygiene Importance: Maintaining good list hygiene is crucial for keeping bounce rates low.
- Google's Perspective: While not explicitly stated, Google recommends keeping bounce rates low and using Google Postmaster Tools.
- Hard Bounce Threshold: Aiming for a hard bounce rate below 3% is preferable.
Key considerations
- Regular List Cleaning: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or invalid addresses.
- Double Opt-in: Use double opt-in to ensure subscribers are genuinely interested in receiving emails.
- Audience Segmentation: Segment your audience to send more targeted content and improve engagement.
- Google Postmaster Tools: Use Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your domain's reputation and identify potential problems.
- ESP Classification: Understand how your ESP classifies different types of bounces (hard vs. soft).
- Monitor Bounce Rates: Regularly monitor bounce rates and investigate any sudden increases.
- Sender Authentication: Employ strong sender authentication methods (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to improve deliverability.
What email marketers say
8 marketer opinions
The consensus among email marketing experts is that a good bounce rate to aim for is generally below 2-3%. Exceeding this threshold can negatively impact sender reputation and deliverability. Regular email list cleaning and employing double opt-in are recommended practices to maintain a healthy bounce rate.
Key opinions
- Target Bounce Rate: The target bounce rate should ideally be below 2-3%.
- Impact of High Bounce Rates: High bounce rates can negatively impact sender reputation and email deliverability.
- Causes of High Bounce Rates: High bounce rates can be caused by outdated email lists, invalid email addresses, or problems with email sending practices.
Key considerations
- List Cleaning: Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive or invalid addresses.
- Double Opt-in: Implement a double opt-in process to ensure subscribers are genuinely interested in receiving emails.
- Sender Authentication: Employ strong sender authentication methods to improve deliverability and reduce bounce rates.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Constant Contact answers that generally, you should aim for a bounce rate below 2%. Constant Contact recommends regular list cleaning to keep your bounce rate low.
31 Mar 2022 - Constant Contact
Marketer view
Email marketer from Sendinblue explains that keeping your bounce rate below 2% is a good practice. Bounce rates that surpass this benchmark can signal deliverability problems and damage your sender score. They recommend employing double opt-in to ensure subscribers are genuinely interested in receiving your emails.
13 Jul 2024 - Sendinblue
What the experts say
5 expert opinions
Experts generally recommend aiming for a bounce rate below 2-3%, although some tolerate up to 5% for all bounces. Bounce rates aren't explicitly defined by Google, but are a good internal metric. Good list hygiene is key and a higher hard bounce rate suggests issues. It's important to understand how your ESP classifies bounces, as blocks and hard bounces might be reported differently.
Key opinions
- Acceptable Bounce Rate: A bounce rate below 2-3% is generally considered good, with some sources allowing up to 5% for total bounces.
- Google's Stance: Google doesn't explicitly state a target bounce rate, but it's a valuable internal metric for assessing list hygiene.
- Hard vs. Soft Bounces: Distinguish between hard and soft bounces, and understand how your ESP classifies them.
- List Hygiene: Maintaining good list hygiene is crucial for keeping bounce rates low.
Key considerations
- Monitoring: Regularly monitor your bounce rates to identify and address any issues with your email list or sending practices.
- ESP Classification: Be aware of how your Email Service Provider (ESP) classifies different types of bounces.
- Internal Metric: Use bounce rates as an internal metric to evaluate the quality of your email list and the effectiveness of your email marketing campaigns.
- Hard Bounce Target: Aim for a hard bounce rate below 3% to minimize issues.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that aiming for below 3% hard bounce rate is preferable to indicate good list hygiene, and exceeding that is likely to cause issues.
10 Jul 2022 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks mentions using a 5% threshold for all bounces (hard + soft) on any given campaign, but it ended up being more like 2% for hard bounces and 5% overall.
21 Oct 2022 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Email marketing documentation generally suggests aiming for a bounce rate below 2-5%. Higher bounce rates negatively impact sender reputation and deliverability, signaling potential problems to ISPs. Regular list cleaning, segmentation, and reviewing bounce data are recommended for maintaining a healthy bounce rate.
Key findings
- Target Bounce Rate Range: Documentation suggests an ideal bounce rate between below 2% to below 5%.
- Reputation Impact: Higher bounce rates can damage sender reputation and lead to deliverability issues.
- Suspicious Sending: ISPs may view high bounce rates as suspicious, impacting deliverability.
Key considerations
- Regular List Cleaning: Clean your email lists regularly to remove problematic or inactive email addresses.
- Audience Segmentation: Segment your audience for more targeted and relevant content.
- Bounce Data Review: Regularly review your bounce data to identify and address potential problems.
- Google Postmaster Tools: Use Google Postmaster Tools to assess your domain's reputation and identify areas for improvement.
Technical article
Documentation from Mailchimp shares that bounce rates should ideally be under 3%. Higher bounce rates can negatively impact sender reputation. Mailchimp recommends regularly reviewing bounce data to identify and remove problematic email addresses from your list.
23 Nov 2024 - Mailchimp
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost explains that bounce rates should be kept as low as possible, ideally below 5%. Higher bounce rates can lead to deliverability issues, as ISPs may view your sending practices as suspicious. They advise regularly cleaning your email lists and segmenting your audience to send more targeted content.
10 Oct 2024 - SparkPost
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