Summary
A higher soft bounce rate for Gmail and iCloud emails can be attributed to a complex interplay of factors. These include sending to lapsed subscribers, temporary technical issues like server outages and full mailboxes, stricter spam filtering, and Gmail-specific throttling. Key areas to address are improving list hygiene, managing sender reputation, ensuring proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and optimizing email content to avoid spam triggers. Proper bounce processing and monitoring soft bounce rates are crucial for identifying and mitigating deliverability problems. Gmail's unique behaviors, such as greylisting and rate limiting, and iCloud's volume restrictions also require specific consideration.
Key findings
- Lapsed Subscribers & List Hygiene: Sending to lapsed subscribers and poor list hygiene significantly contribute to soft bounces.
- Technical Issues: Temporary issues like server outages and full mailboxes trigger soft bounces.
- Spam Filtering & Authentication: Stricter spam filtering by Gmail and iCloud, combined with inadequate email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), leads to increased soft bounces.
- Sender Reputation: A low sender reputation negatively impacts deliverability and increases soft bounces.
- Content Matters: Spammy or low-quality content triggers spam filters and results in more soft bounces.
- Gmail Throttling: Gmail's throttling mechanism, influenced by IP reputation, user engagement, and sending volume, contributes to temporary failures.
- iCloud Volume Restrictions: iCloud imposes volume restrictions, leading to soft bounces if sending limits are exceeded.
- Bounce Processing is Key: Proper bounce processing is crucial for maintaining a clean list and improving deliverability.
Key considerations
- Clean Your List Regularly: Implement a process for regularly cleaning your email list by removing unengaged and invalid addresses.
- Improve Sender Reputation: Focus on building and maintaining a positive sender reputation by sending valuable content and avoiding spam traps.
- Implement Email Authentication: Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is set up correctly to verify your sender identity.
- Optimize Email Content: Carefully review and optimize your email content to avoid spam triggers and enhance user engagement.
- Monitor Bounce Rates: Actively monitor soft bounce rates to identify potential deliverability issues and address them promptly.
- Segment Your Email List: Segment your email list and send targeted emails to engaged subscribers to improve deliverability and engagement.
- Process Bounces Effectively: Implement a robust bounce processing system to promptly remove bouncing addresses from your list.
- Consider Gmail Throttling Factors: Take into account Gmail's throttling factors (IP reputation, user engagement, sending volume) when planning your email campaigns.
- Adjust iCloud Sending Volume: Adjust your sending volume to iCloud addresses to avoid exceeding their volume restrictions.
What email marketers say
11 marketer opinions
Experiencing higher soft bounce rates for Gmail and iCloud addresses can stem from various factors. These include sending to lapsed subscribers, deliverability issues, and stricter spam filtering. Specific Gmail issues involve exceeding quota limits, rate limiting, and greylisting. iCloud issues often involve rate limiting and volume restrictions. Improving list hygiene, sender reputation, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and email content quality are frequently suggested solutions.
Key opinions
- Lapsed Subscribers: Increased sending to lapsed subscribers can contribute to soft bounces.
- Gmail Specifics: Gmail soft bounces can result from over quota issues, rate limiting, and greylisting.
- iCloud Specifics: iCloud soft bounces can occur due to rate limiting and volume restrictions.
- List Hygiene: Poor list hygiene, including inactive or invalid addresses, negatively impacts deliverability and increases soft bounces.
- Sender Reputation: A poor sender reputation increases the likelihood of soft bounces.
- Authentication: Lack of proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) contributes to deliverability issues.
- Content Quality: Spammy or low-quality content can trigger spam filters, leading to more soft bounces.
Key considerations
- Monitor Bounce Reasons: Actively monitor bounce reasons to understand the specific causes of soft bounces from Gmail and iCloud.
- Clean Email List: Regularly clean your email list by removing unengaged or invalid email addresses.
- Improve Sender Reputation: Take steps to improve sender reputation, such as ensuring consistent sending volume and engaging content.
- Implement Authentication: Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is implemented to verify your sender identity.
- Refine Email Content: Review and refine email content to avoid spam triggers and improve engagement.
- Segment Your List: Segment your email list and send more targeted email to engaged subscribers.
- Resend Deferred Emails: Consider resending emails that initially resulted in a soft bounce, as the issue might be temporary (e.g., greylisting).
Marketer view
Email marketer from Mailjet advises checking email content, sender reputation, and authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to reduce soft bounces. They also suggest segmenting your email list and sending to engaged subscribers.
20 Sep 2021 - Mailjet
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests diving into bounce reasons, especially with Gmail/GSuite. Provides examples of Google bounce messages indicating over quota or rate limiting. For iCloud, issues can also be situational, including rate limiting. Provides example bounces for iCloud.
1 Sep 2023 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
3 expert opinions
Experiencing a higher soft bounce rate, particularly with Gmail and iCloud, often stems from factors like Gmail's throttling mechanisms, requiring attention to IP reputation, user engagement, and sending volume. Maintaining a clean email list through proper bounce processing is also crucial. General deliverability issues, including sender reputation, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene, and email content, must be addressed to improve overall deliverability and reduce soft bounces.
Key opinions
- Gmail Throttling: Gmail's throttling mechanisms can lead to soft bounces, influenced by IP reputation, user engagement, and sending volume.
- Bounce Processing: Proper bounce processing and list maintenance are critical for a clean email list and improved sender reputation.
- Deliverability Factors: General deliverability factors (sender reputation, authentication, list hygiene, content) greatly influence soft bounce rates.
Key considerations
- Improve Engagement: Focus on improving user engagement to mitigate Gmail throttling issues.
- Monitor and Process Bounces: Implement a robust bounce processing system to remove bouncing addresses promptly.
- Address Key Deliverability Factors: Regularly review and optimize sender reputation, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list hygiene, and email content.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that Gmail's throttling can cause temporary failures (soft bounces). Factors include IP reputation, user engagement, and sending volume. Improving these factors can reduce throttling.
18 Jul 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise recommends proper bounce processing to maintain a clean email list. Consistently removing bouncing addresses will help improve sender reputation and decrease both hard and soft bounces in the long run.
2 Dec 2022 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Higher soft bounce rates for Gmail and iCloud addresses often result from temporary issues. Google's documentation cites recipient server outages, full mailboxes, and deferrals due to low sender reputation. Apple's documentation points to high volume and suspected spam activity, emphasizing the need for proper authentication. RFC documents define soft bounces as temporary failures, like 'mailbox full', where retries are possible. SparkPost emphasizes the temporary nature of soft bounces and the importance of monitoring the bounce rates.
Key findings
- Temporary Issues: Soft bounces are generally caused by temporary issues on the recipient's or sender's end.
- Google Specifics: Gmail soft bounces can stem from full mailboxes, server outages, or low sender reputation.
- Apple Specifics: iCloud soft bounces can be triggered by high sending volume or suspicions of spam activity.
- Authentication Importance: Apple emphasizes the need for proper sender authentication to avoid soft bounces.
- Retry Option: The temporary nature of soft bounces means retrying delivery may be successful.
Key considerations
- Monitor Soft Bounce Rates: Actively monitor soft bounce rates to identify potential deliverability issues.
- Improve Sender Reputation: Focus on improving your sender reputation to avoid Gmail's deferral of messages.
- Ensure Authentication: Make sure your emails are properly authenticated (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to prevent being flagged as spam by iCloud.
- Address Volume Issues: If sending to iCloud, consider lowering your sending volume to avoid triggering spam filters.
Technical article
Documentation from Apple Support indicates that iCloud email servers may temporarily reject messages due to high volume or suspected spam activity. They advise senders to ensure proper authentication and avoid sending unsolicited emails.
15 Jul 2021 - Apple Support
Technical article
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that temporary issues like recipient server outages or full mailboxes can cause soft bounces. Gmail may also temporarily defer messages from senders with a low reputation.
8 Feb 2025 - Google Workspace Admin Help
Do soft bounces affect email deliverability and sender reputation?
How are email bounce rates calculated and what is considered a good bounce rate?
How can I reduce soft bounces after a one-day email volume spike?
How do Gmail 'mailbox full' bounces affect email deliverability and how can I monitor it?
What are common email bounce messages and what do they mean?
Why are bounce rates higher for iCloud email addresses compared to other email providers?
