Summary
Emails hard bouncing with 'The email account does not exist' after previously being opened and received can be attributed to a combination of factors. Google's policies on inactive accounts and storage limits, the recycling of abandoned email addresses into spam traps by ISPs, account deletion by recipients, domain issues, aggressive spam filtering changes, and past soft bounces due to storage issues all contribute. Maintaining stringent email list hygiene, promptly removing hard bounces, and monitoring bounce rates are crucial for safeguarding sender reputation.
Key findings
- Google Policies: Google enforces policies on inactive accounts and storage limits, leading to account deactivation and hard bounces.
- Spam Trap Recycling: ISPs recycle abandoned email addresses into spam traps.
- Account Deletion: Recipients may delete their accounts, causing hard bounces.
- Domain Issues: Domain problems or server-side blocking can cause bounces.
- Aggressive Filtering: Aggressive spam filtering changes can result in previously engaged contacts bouncing.
- Past Soft Bounces: Prior soft bounces due to storage issues may precede hard bounces after account deactivation.
- Hard Bounce Definition: Hard bounces are permanent delivery failures, often indicated by SMTP error 550.
Key considerations
- List Hygiene: Implement and maintain rigorous email list hygiene practices, including regular scrubbing.
- Bounce Monitoring: Monitor bounce rates to identify and address deliverability issues promptly.
- Hard Bounce Removal: Immediately remove hard bounces from your contact list to protect your sender reputation.
- Re-engagement Campaigns: Use re-engagement campaigns to reach out to inactive subscribers cautiously.
- Soft Bounce Monitoring: Monitor soft bounces and suppress after a reasonable period of inactivity.
- Sender Reputation: Prioritize sender reputation management.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
Emails hard bouncing with 'The email account does not exist' after previously being opened and received can occur for several reasons. Google's policies on inactive accounts or full storage may lead to account deactivation. Email providers often recycle old or abandoned email addresses into spam traps. Other potential causes include account deletion, domain issues, or changes in spam filtering. Maintaining good email list hygiene and promptly removing hard bounces is essential for protecting sender reputation.
Key opinions
- Google Policies: Google's policies regarding inactive accounts and storage limits can lead to account deactivation and subsequent hard bounces.
- Spam Traps: ISPs recycle old or abandoned email addresses into spam traps to catch spammers.
- Account Deletion: Recipients may have deleted their email accounts, leading to hard bounces on previously valid addresses.
- Domain Issues: Domain-related problems or server-side blocking can cause hard bounces.
- Filtering Changes: Aggressive spam filtering changes by mailbox providers can result in previously engaged contacts now bouncing.
- List Hygiene Importance: Maintaining a clean email list is crucial to avoiding sending emails to invalid addresses or spam traps.
Key considerations
- Monitor Bounces: Regularly monitor bounce rates to identify and address potential deliverability issues.
- List Cleaning: Implement a process for regularly cleaning your email list and removing hard bounces.
- Re-engagement Campaigns: Consider implementing re-engagement campaigns to reach out to inactive subscribers and confirm their continued interest.
- Sender Reputation: Be mindful of sender reputation and its impact on email deliverability.
- Soft Bounces: Monitor soft bounces and suppress after a certain period.
Marketer view
Email marketer from EmailOctopus Blog suggests that if previously valid email addresses are now hard bouncing, it could be due to the recipient's email account being closed or deactivated. Email providers recycle these addresses as spam traps. Continously sending to these addresses will harm your sender reputation.
7 Apr 2022 - EmailOctopus Blog
Marketer view
Email marketer from Reddit explains that ISPs will often recycle old email addresses into spam traps. An old, valid address that has since lapsed can begin causing hard bounces if not cleaned from the list.
12 Aug 2024 - Reddit
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Emails hard bouncing with 'The email account does not exist' after previously being opened and received can be attributed to ISPs recycling abandoned email addresses into spam traps. When an account is no longer used, the address may be repurposed as a spam trap. Sending to these addresses results in hard bounces and harms sender reputation. Therefore, good list hygiene practices are vital to avoid sending emails to recycled addresses.
Key opinions
- Address Recycling: ISPs recycle abandoned email addresses.
- Spam Traps: Recycled addresses can become spam traps.
- Reputation Damage: Sending to spam traps damages sender reputation.
Key considerations
- List Hygiene: Maintain rigorous list hygiene practices.
- Bounce Monitoring: Actively monitor bounce rates to identify and remove problematic addresses.
- Re-engagement: Implement re-engagement campaigns cautiously, ensuring compliance and consent.
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise (Laura Atkins) explains that expired or abandoned email addresses can be turned into spam traps by mailbox providers. If previously valid addresses are now hard bouncing, those addresses may have been converted into spam traps. Good list hygiene practices are vital.
6 Mar 2025 - Word to the Wise
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource (John Levine) explains that some ISPs recycle email addresses. When an account is abandoned, the address might eventually be turned into a spam trap. Sending to that address will result in a hard bounce, but also potentially hurt your sending reputation.
21 Apr 2025 - Spam Resource
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
Emails hard bouncing with 'The email account does not exist' after previously being opened and received signifies a permanent delivery failure due to an invalid or non-existent email address. This is often indicated by SMTP error code 550. Repeatedly sending emails to these addresses negatively impacts sender reputation. To mitigate this, immediately remove hard bounces from your contact list.
Key findings
- Permanent Failure: Hard bounces are a permanent failure in email delivery.
- Invalid Address: They indicate the email address is invalid or non-existent.
- SMTP Error 550: SMTP error code 550 signifies 'mailbox unavailable' or 'user unknown'.
- Reputation Impact: Repeatedly sending to hard bounces harms sender reputation.
Key considerations
- Immediate Removal: Remove hard bounces from your contact list immediately.
- Bounce Monitoring: Actively monitor and track bounce rates.
- List Hygiene: Implement regular list cleaning practices.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC Editor explains that SMTP error code 550 (and related codes) often signify 'mailbox unavailable' or 'user unknown', indicating the email address is no longer valid on the receiving server. It is a permanent failure.
11 Aug 2024 - RFC Editor
Technical article
Documentation from Amazon Web Services explains a hard bounce indicates the email address is invalid. Common causes include the domain doesn't exist or the recipient is unknown. A best practice is to immediately remove the hard bounce from your list to protect your sending reputation.
25 Jun 2024 - Amazon Web Services
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