How can I reduce soft bounces after a one-day email volume spike?

Summary

Following a one-day email volume spike, reducing soft bounces requires a multifaceted approach focused on sender reputation, list hygiene, and responsible sending practices. Experts and marketers alike stress the importance of monitoring sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS, identifying and suppressing problematic addresses, and warming up IP addresses after a spike. Responsible list management practices, including removing unengaged users and implementing feedback loops, are also crucial. Adjusting sending rates to throttled ISPs, ensuring proper email authentication, and segmenting lists to target engaged subscribers further mitigate the impact of a volume spike on deliverability.

Key findings

  • Reputation Monitoring: Monitoring sender reputation via Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS is essential to identify and address issues post-spike.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly cleaning lists by removing unengaged subscribers and bounced addresses helps maintain a healthy sender reputation.
  • ISP Identification: Identifying ISPs generating soft bounces allows for targeted volume reduction and reputation improvement efforts.
  • IP Warm-up: Warming up IP addresses is crucial for avoiding spam filters and ensuring deliverability after sending spikes.
  • Address Removal: Removing addresses added during the spike that have not engaged improves overall engagement metrics.
  • Authentication Importance: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is vital for ISPs to verify email legitimacy.

Key considerations

  • Feedback Loops: Implementing feedback loops allows automatic removal of invalid addresses.
  • Throttling Mitigation: Reducing sending rates to ISPs that throttle email helps maintain deliverability.
  • SMTP Error Analysis: Analyzing SMTP error codes provides clues about underlying deliverability problems.
  • Segmentation Strategy: Segmenting lists to focus on engaged subscribers improves deliverability and reduces soft bounces.
  • Frequency Caps: Implementing frequency capping prevents overwhelming subscribers and can improve engagement.
  • Bounce Code Examination: Examining bounce codes helps understand the causes of soft bounces and implement appropriate list management strategies.

What email marketers say
11Marketer opinions

After a one-day email volume spike, reducing soft bounces involves a multi-faceted approach focusing on identifying and mitigating the causes of deliverability issues. Key strategies include monitoring and managing sender reputation with ISPs, improving list hygiene, identifying affected ISPs, re-engaging subscribers, ensuring proper email authentication, and adjusting sending practices to avoid throttling. Utilizing tools like Google Postmaster Tools, implementing feedback loops, and warming up IP addresses can further enhance deliverability.

Key opinions

  • Reputation Monitoring: Closely monitor sender reputation with ISPs using tools like Google Postmaster Tools to identify and address negative impacts from the volume spike.
  • List Hygiene: Regularly clean email lists by removing inactive subscribers and bounced addresses to maintain a healthy sender reputation.
  • ISP Identification: Identify specific ISPs generating soft bounces to target efforts for reducing volume and improving reputation with those providers.
  • Subscriber Engagement: Implement re-engagement campaigns to win back inactive subscribers and remove those who don't respond to improve sender reputation.
  • Email Authentication: Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to verify email legitimacy and reduce soft bounces.
  • Volume Adjustment: Gradually reduce sending volume to affected ISPs to avoid throttling and maintain deliverability.

Key considerations

  • Feedback Loops: Implement feedback loops to automatically remove invalid addresses from your list, improving deliverability and sender reputation.
  • IP Warm-up: If using a new IP address, implement a warm-up schedule to gradually increase sending volume and establish a positive sender reputation.
  • Segmentation: Segment email lists and focus on sending targeted campaigns to engaged subscribers after a volume spike to improve deliverability.
  • Frequency Capping: Implement frequency capping to limit the number of emails sent to each subscriber, preventing overwhelm and improving engagement.
  • Bounce Code Analysis: Examine bounce codes to understand the reasons behind soft bounces and implement corresponding list management practices.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Quora answers that low engagement can be the reason. Focus on re-engaging your subscribers. Implement a re-engagement campaign to win back inactive subscribers and remove those who don't respond. This helps improve your sender reputation and reduces the risk of soft bounces.

August 2023 - Quora
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares that the first step is to identify which ISPs are generating the soft bounces. This will help you target your efforts to reduce volume and improve reputation. Use your email analytics to identify the ISPs with the highest bounce rates and adjust your sending practices accordingly.

September 2023 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from Neil Patel shares the importance of list hygiene. Regularly clean your email list to remove inactive subscribers and those who have bounced in the past. This helps maintain a healthy sender reputation and reduces the likelihood of soft bounces after a volume increase. He suggests using double opt-in to verify email addresses at signup.

October 2022 - Neil Patel
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus shares advice that segmenting your email list can help mitigate the impact of a volume spike. After the spike, focus on sending targeted campaigns to your most engaged subscribers. This helps improve your sender reputation and reduces the likelihood of soft bounces.

November 2021 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit explains that ISPs often throttle senders after a volume spike as a security measure. Gradually reduce your sending volume to the affected ISPs to avoid being flagged as a potential spammer. Monitor your bounce rates and adjust sending practices accordingly.

October 2022 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Sendinblue responds that to mitigate the impact of a volume spike, actively monitor your bounce rates. Higher bounce rates signal deliverability issues to ISPs. They recommend implementing a feedback loop to automatically remove invalid addresses from your list and proactively manage your sender reputation.

February 2025 - Sendinblue
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that after a volume spike, it's important to monitor your sending reputation closely. A sudden increase can negatively impact your reputation with ISPs, leading to increased bounces. They suggest warming up your IP address if it's new, gradually increasing volume, and segmenting your lists to send relevant content to engaged users.

January 2024 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from Hubspot explains you should implement frequency capping. Limit the number of emails you send to each subscriber within a specific timeframe to avoid overwhelming them. This can help reduce the likelihood of soft bounces and improve engagement.

May 2021 - Hubspot
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid that you need to Ensure email authentication is properly configured (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). This helps ISPs verify that your emails are legitimate and reduces the likelihood of soft bounces. Monitor your authentication reports to identify any issues.

September 2022 - Email on Acid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares hints to reduce soft bounces which include checking which ISP generates those bounces, ensuring you don't send to inactives, and being mindful of volume spikes.

November 2022 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Gmass highlights understanding and improving sender reputation. Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools to see a domain's reputation and take the appropriate action. Low reputation is a primary cause of emails going to spam folders, or soft bouncing.

August 2021 - Gmass

What the experts say
4Expert opinions

After a one-day email volume spike, reducing soft bounces requires careful list management and a focus on sender reputation. Experts advise removing unengaged addresses added during the spike and suppressing problematic ones identified by bounce codes. Throttling by ISPs like Yahoo and Gmail is a concern, necessitating a reduction in sending rates to those ISPs. Warming up your IP address slowly after such a spike is also crucial to avoid triggering spam filters.

Key opinions

  • List Pruning: Removing unengaged addresses from the spike and suppressing problematic addresses identified by bounce codes is essential.
  • Throttling Mitigation: Reducing sending rates to ISPs like Yahoo and Gmail that are throttling your mail is necessary to improve deliverability.
  • Reputation Damage: A volume spike can damage your sender reputation, potentially leading to increased throttling and bounce rates.
  • IP Warm-up: Warming up your IP address is crucial for avoiding spam filters and ensuring deliverability after a sending spike.

Key considerations

  • Bounce Code Analysis: Examine bounce codes to understand the nature of the soft bounces and identify problematic addresses.
  • Authentication: Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to improve deliverability and prevent soft bounces.
  • Feedback Loops: Monitoring and responding to feedback loops can help identify and address deliverability issues.
  • Gradual Volume Increase: Increase volume slowly and methodically when warming up your IP address to avoid triggering spam filters.
Expert view

Expert from Spamresource.com shares a step by step process that can be followed when warming up your IP - this is important after large sending spikes. The article indicates the importance of increasing volume slowly to avoid issues with ISPs and spam filters.

July 2024 - Spamresource.com
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that after a volume spike, careful list management is crucial. Examine bounce codes to understand the nature of the soft bounces. It's essential to identify and suppress problematic addresses. She also suggests ensuring proper authentication and monitoring feedback loops.

January 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks suggests backing off your sending rate slightly to the ISPs that are throttling you until you're not being throttled as much. He also notes that throttling can be a warning that your mail stream reputation is grey and spiking volume can put you on a list of mail sources to monitor.

July 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks advises removing any addresses added for the “spike” that haven’t engaged, and to stop sending to them ever again. She also notes that a spike in volume could damage your reputation and cause ISPs like Yahoo and Gmail to throttle your mail.

February 2024 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Following a one-day email volume spike, documentation advises focusing on monitoring and managing sender reputation, analyzing soft bounce patterns, and implementing IP warm-up procedures. Persistent soft bounces should be treated as potential hard bounces to maintain list hygiene. Utilizing tools like Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS is crucial for tracking domain and IP reputation. Gradual volume increases over time are essential to establish a positive sender reputation, especially for new IPs or domains.

Key findings

  • Soft Bounce Monitoring: Monitor the frequency of soft bounces and treat persistent ones as potential hard bounces to maintain list hygiene.
  • Reputation Tracking: Use Google Postmaster Tools to monitor domain reputation and Microsoft SNDS to monitor IP reputation, especially after a volume spike.
  • SMTP Error Codes: Check specific SMTP error codes for clues about the causes of soft bounces.
  • IP Warm-up: Implement a warm-up schedule for new IP addresses or domains, gradually increasing sending volume over time.

Key considerations

  • Address Issues Promptly: Address any issues identified in Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS, such as spam complaints or high bounce rates.
  • Avoid Large Volumes: Avoid sending large volumes of email all at once, especially to inactive subscribers.
  • Proactive Reputation Management: Proactively manage sender reputation to avoid deliverability issues after a volume spike.
  • Regular Analysis: Regularly analyze soft bounce patterns and SMTP error codes to identify and address underlying deliverability problems.
Technical article

Documentation from RFC explains that soft bounces are temporary delivery failures, and the server will try again. Monitor the frequency of soft bounces, and if they persist, treat them as potential hard bounces to maintain list hygiene. Check the specific SMTP error codes for clues about the cause.

July 2024 - RFC
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft SNDS shares information about using Microsoft's Smart Network Data Services (SNDS) to monitor your IP reputation with Microsoft. Check your IP address in SNDS after the volume spike to see if it has been flagged for any issues. Resolve any reported issues to improve deliverability to Outlook.com and Hotmail users.

September 2024 - Microsoft SNDS
Technical article

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains sender reputation which affects deliverability, particularly after a spike. Use Google Postmaster Tools to monitor your domain reputation and identify any sudden drops in reputation after the spike. Address any issues identified, such as spam complaints or high bounce rates, promptly.

March 2024 - Google Postmaster Tools
Technical article

Documentation from SparkPost shares best practice about implementing a warm-up schedule for new IP addresses or domains. Slowly increase your sending volume over time to establish a positive sender reputation. Avoid sending large volumes of email all at once, especially to inactive subscribers.

March 2022 - SparkPost