Summary
While soft bounces represent temporary delivery issues, their persistent presence or high volume indicates underlying problems requiring attention. The general consensus points to an ideal overall bounce rate, encompassing soft bounces, of 2% or less. Specific soft bounce tolerance varies; however, anything consistently above 0.5%-1% for a campaign or 1-2% of total sends is widely considered a red flag. Some platforms may tolerate temporary soft bounce rates up to 5-10% of total bounces or even 10% overall in the short term, but consistently exceeding these thresholds signals issues. Notably, many Email Service Providers actively manage repeated soft bounces, with some suppressing addresses after a defined number of consecutive soft bounces, underscoring that even temporary failures are taken seriously if they persist.
Key findings
- Overall Bounce Rate Target: Most experts and ESP documentation suggest an ideal overall email bounce rate, which includes soft bounces, should be 2% or less.
- Soft Bounce Red Flags: Consistently seeing soft bounce rates above 0.5%-1% for a campaign, or over 1-2% of total sends, is a significant red flag. Some sources consider a soft bounce rate over 5-10% of total bounces as indicative of deeper problems.
- Consecutive Bounce Limits: Some Email Service Providers, like Klaviyo, automatically remove an address after 7 consecutive soft bounces, with the count applying per send.
- Temporary Yet Impactful: Although soft bounces are temporary delivery failures, their consistent occurrence to the same address or in high volumes can damage sender reputation and result in eventual suppression or list removal.
Key considerations
- Consistent Monitoring: Regularly monitor soft bounce rates; persistent elevation, even if not immediately critical, signals underlying issues with list quality or sending practices.
- Sender Reputation Impact: While temporary, repeated soft bounces to the same address or high overall soft bounce volumes can negatively impact sender reputation and lead to delivery problems.
- List Hygiene: A consistently high soft bounce rate frequently points to a poorly maintained email list, emphasizing the need for regular cleaning and validation.
- Sending Frequency: Aggressive sending frequencies can contribute to increased soft bounces for some recipients, suggesting a need to review and adjust campaign scheduling.
- ESP Policies: Understand your Email Service Provider's specific soft bounce tolerance, as many suppress or remove addresses after a set number of consecutive soft bounces.
What email marketers say
9 marketer opinions
A reasonable soft bounce tolerance varies across different expert opinions, but a common thread emphasizes that persistent or high volumes of these temporary delivery failures warrant attention. While some Email Service Providers, like Klaviyo, automatically remove an email address after seven consecutive soft bounces-counted per individual send-industry experts flag consistent soft bounce rates above 0.5% to 2% of total sends as a significant concern. Some also point out that if soft bounces consistently represent more than 5% to 10% of your total bounces, it signals deeper problems. The consensus is that even though soft bounces are not permanent errors, their sustained presence indicates issues with list quality or sending practices, and should be minimized to maintain deliverability.
Key opinions
- Specific Thresholds for Concern: Consistently observing soft bounce rates above 0.5% to 2% of total email sends is widely considered a significant indicator of potential issues. Some experts also note that if soft bounces consistently make up more than 5% to 10% of your total bounce volume, it's a red flag.
- Consecutive Soft Bounce Policies: Certain Email Service Providers, such as Klaviyo, implement a policy to automatically suppress or remove an email address after a specific number of consecutive soft bounces, typically seven, with each bounce counted per send attempt.
- Indicator of Underlying Problems: Despite their temporary nature, sustained high soft bounce rates consistently point to underlying problems with email list hygiene, such as outdated or inactive addresses, or overly aggressive sending frequencies.
- Per-Send Count: Soft bounce tolerance and related thresholds are typically counted per individual send attempt, meaning seven consecutive bounces require seven separate sends to the same address.
Key considerations
- Distinguish Consistency from Spikes: It's crucial to differentiate between temporary, acceptable spikes in soft bounces and a consistent, elevated soft bounce rate, as only the latter indicates a systemic problem.
- Proactive List Management: A consistently high soft bounce rate underscores the necessity of regular email list cleaning and validation to remove inactive or problematic addresses before they impact deliverability.
- Review Sending Cadence: High soft bounce volumes can sometimes result from an overly aggressive sending frequency that overwhelms certain recipients, suggesting a need to evaluate and potentially adjust campaign schedules.
- Understand ESP Bounce Management: Be aware of your Email Service Provider's specific policies regarding soft bounces, including how many consecutive bounces trigger suppression or removal, as this directly affects your list health.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that Klaviyo, her company's vendor, allows 7 consecutive soft bounces before removing an address from the list.
27 Feb 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks clarifies that 7 consecutive bounces can occur on the same day or across multiple days, emphasizing that the count is per send.
9 Dec 2024 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Expert consensus on a reasonable soft bounce tolerance indicates that rates under 5% are generally considered good. While some temporary scenarios might tolerate a soft bounce rate up to 10%, consistently exceeding this percentage, or even maintaining rates above 5%, strongly suggests underlying issues with your email list or sending strategies that need immediate attention.
Key opinions
- Under 5% Ideal: A soft bounce rate consistently below 5% is generally viewed as healthy and indicative of good list quality and sending practices.
- 10% Upper Limit: Some experts suggest that a temporary soft bounce rate of up to 10% can be tolerable, though rates above this immediately signal significant problems.
- Consistency Over Spikes: The critical factor is the consistent trend of soft bounces; a persistent rate above 5% is a strong indicator of deeper issues, even if occasional higher spikes might be dismissed.
Key considerations
- Regular Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of soft bounce rates is essential to detect consistent patterns that indicate list or sending problems, rather than just temporary fluctuations.
- Proactive Troubleshooting: If soft bounce rates consistently hover above 5%, proactively investigate potential causes, such as list hygiene, server capacity, or recipient-side issues, and implement corrective measures.
- Recipient Inbox Health: High soft bounce rates can sometimes point to issues on the recipient's side, like full inboxes or temporary server issues, which might be mitigated by re-evaluating sending times or frequency.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that good soft bounce rates are generally under 5%. Rates consistently higher than this might indicate issues with the email list or sending practices.
25 Jan 2023 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that a temporary bounce rate of 10% is probably tolerable, but anything over that suggests underlying problems.
26 Aug 2023 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
Across various leading email service providers and deliverability experts, a clear message emerges regarding soft bounces: while these are temporary delivery failures, their consistent occurrence or high volume signals serious underlying issues. An ideal overall bounce rate, which encompasses soft bounces, should remain below 2%. Even without a specific standalone percentage for soft bounce tolerance, any sustained soft bounce activity, particularly to the same recipient, is viewed as problematic, potentially leading to damaged sender reputation and recipient suppression. Platforms like SparkPost may treat repeated soft bounces as equivalent to hard bounces over time, underscoring the critical need for proactive management of all bounce types.
Key findings
- Overall Bounce Rate Benchmark: Leading ESPs consistently advise maintaining an overall bounce rate, including soft bounces, at or below 2% to ensure healthy deliverability.
- Impact of Persistent Soft Bounces: Repeated soft bounces to the same email address, or a high volume of soft bounces across campaigns, can negatively impact sender reputation and lead to recipient suppression, despite their temporary nature.
- ESPs Treat Persistent Soft Bounces Seriously: Many Email Service Providers, such as SparkPost, will eventually suppress addresses after multiple soft bounces, effectively treating them like hard bounces over time.
- Investigation for Consistent Soft Bounces: Consistent soft bounces, even if temporary-like 4xx errors noted by Google Postmaster Tools-signal underlying issues with list quality, email content, or sender practices, requiring investigation.
Key considerations
- Proactive Monitoring of All Bounces: It's crucial to continuously monitor all bounce types, including soft bounces, as elevated or consistent soft bounce rates are early indicators of potential deliverability issues.
- Manage Repeated Soft Bounces Promptly: Do not ignore consistent soft bounces to individual addresses; these should be actively managed, potentially through suppression or removal, to prevent long-term damage to sender reputation.
- Prioritize List Hygiene: A high soft bounce rate often indicates issues with list quality, making regular list cleaning and validation essential to remove problematic addresses.
- Understand ESP Bounce Handling: Be aware of how your specific Email Service Provider handles soft bounces, including their policies on suppression for repeated temporary failures, to align your email practices accordingly.
Technical article
Documentation from Mailchimp explains that an overall bounce rate below 2% is ideal for email marketing campaigns. While soft bounces are temporary delivery failures, a high volume of any bounce type, including soft bounces, can suggest issues with list quality or email content, and it is crucial to monitor and manage them to maintain sender reputation.
25 Mar 2025 - Mailchimp Knowledge Base
Technical article
Documentation from SendGrid states that soft bounces generally do not impact sender reputation unless they occur repeatedly to the same email address. While not specifying an exact tolerance, they imply that consistent soft bounces from particular recipients should be investigated, and overall bounce rates (including soft bounces) should ideally remain below 2% to ensure healthy deliverability.
18 May 2025 - SendGrid Documentation
Should I resend emails to users with soft bounces due to full mailboxes, and what bounce rate is acceptable?
What bounces are email marketers seeing?
What is a good bounce rate percentage to aim for in email marketing?
What is an acceptable daily hard bounce rate for Yahoo email to avoid impacting delivery?
What is the best practice for cleaning up soft bounces in email marketing?
What is the best practice for determining how many soft bounces before suppressing a user?
