What are typical bounce rates after email validation?

Summary

After email validation, experts and marketers generally agree that a good bounce rate should be below 3%, with many aiming for below 1% or 2%. ZeroBounce suggests striving for a hard bounce rate below 0.5%. MailerLite and Gmass consider rates above 5% a red flag. A slightly higher initial bounce rate (1-3%) might be expected on the first send to newly validated addresses. Maintaining a clean list through continuous validation is vital for deliverability and protecting sender reputation. Higher bounce rates suggest issues with list hygiene, validation effectiveness, or acquisition methods.

Key findings

  • Target Bounce Rate: Most sources aim for bounce rates below 3% after email validation.
  • Ideal Targets: Many recommend aiming for even lower, with some targeting below 1% or 2%.
  • Red Flag Threshold: Rates exceeding 5% are often considered a red flag.
  • Initial Send Variation: A slightly higher bounce rate (1-3%) may occur on the first send to a validated list.
  • Continuous Cleaning: Regular list cleaning is essential for maintaining low bounce rates and good deliverability.

Key considerations

  • List Hygiene: Prioritize maintaining a clean email list to minimize bounce rates.
  • Validation Effectiveness: Ensure your email validation process effectively removes invalid addresses.
  • Acquisition Methods: Evaluate your list acquisition methods to avoid adding low-quality or invalid addresses.
  • Monitoring: Closely monitor bounce rates after each send to identify and address any issues.
  • ESP Limitations: Be aware that some ESPs may impose limitations if bounce rates exceed a certain threshold.

What email marketers say
8Marketer opinions

After email validation, email marketers generally aim for bounce rates between 1% and 3%. Rates exceeding 3% to 5% may indicate issues with the validation process, list source, or overall email list hygiene. Continuous list cleaning and monitoring bounce rates are crucial for maintaining good deliverability and sender reputation.

Key opinions

  • Target Bounce Rate: Most sources suggest aiming for a bounce rate between 1% and 3% after email validation.
  • Red Flags: Bounce rates consistently above 3% to 5% are considered problematic and require investigation.
  • Continuous Cleaning: Regular list cleaning and validation are crucial for maintaining low bounce rates.

Key considerations

  • Validation Process: Ensure your email validation process is effective in removing invalid or risky email addresses.
  • List Source: Investigate the source of your email list to ensure you're acquiring high-quality, engaged subscribers.
  • Monitoring: Continuously monitor bounce rates to identify and address any potential issues promptly.
  • Tool selection: If bounce rate is still high even after validation, you should consider alternative tools, as your validation tool might not be working correctly.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Hippo states that with proper email validation techniques, a bounce rate of 1% or lower is achievable and desirable. They highlight the importance of continuous list cleaning to maintain optimal deliverability.

January 2023 - Email Hippo
Marketer view

Email marketer from MailerLite shares that after validating your email list, you should aim for a bounce rate of less than 3%. They consider anything above 5% to be a red flag, indicating potential problems with your validation process or list source.

March 2023 - MailerLite
Marketer view

Email marketer from Hunter.io shares the opinion that a good bounce rate should be no more than 2% for campaigns after cleaning your list. Some providers might even impose limitations if you exceed this rate

August 2022 - Hunter.io
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit shares that after cleaning their list with an email verification service, they aim for a bounce rate of less than 1%. They recommend regularly validating your list to remove invalid emails and keep your bounce rate low.

May 2024 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum indicates that if you are cleaning your email list often, then you should get less than 1 or 2 percent bounce rate. If you are getting higher than 3% you have other problems to deal with.

October 2024 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from NeverBounce says that bounce rates should be lower than 2% after cleaning an email list with a validation tool. They say if you are still seeing a high bounce rate after cleaning your list, you should investigate the source of your email addresses.

December 2024 - NeverBounce
Marketer view

Email marketer from Gmass recommends a bounce rate of less than 3% after email validation and verification. They consider a rate higher than 5% to indicate problems with your email list, and a possible signal of spam

February 2024 - Gmass
Marketer view

Email marketer from Woodpecker recommends monitoring your bounce rates after you clean your email list. You should expect no more than 2% bounce rate. If you are seeing above this, you might have problems with the tool you are using or the emails may have been invalid.

November 2023 - Woodpecker

What the experts say
2Expert opinions

Experts suggest that after implementing email validation, you should aim for a bounce rate well below 1%. A slightly higher initial bounce rate (1-3%) might be expected on the first send to newly validated addresses due to residual invalid addresses, but subsequent sends should see bounce rates drop below 0.5%. Maintaining a clean list is vital for deliverability.

Key opinions

  • Target Bounce Rate Post-Validation: Aim for bounce rates significantly below 1% after email validation.
  • Initial Send Exception: A slightly higher bounce rate (1-3%) may occur on the initial send to a newly validated list.
  • Subsequent Bounce Rate: After the first send, bounce rates should decrease to below 0.5%.
  • Importance of Clean List: Maintaining a clean email list is critical for optimal deliverability and sender reputation.

Key considerations

  • Validation Effectiveness: Ensure your email validation process effectively removes invalid addresses.
  • List Acquisition: Examine your list acquisition methods to minimize the inclusion of invalid or problematic addresses.
  • Monitoring: Closely monitor bounce rates after each send, particularly after the initial send to a validated list.
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks shares expected bounce rates when using an email validation service like Kickbox. Laura suggests that for a reasonable sender, the first time they mail an address, there's a 1-3% chance the mail will bounce due to the address not existing. After the first send, delivery failures should go to <0.5%.

February 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise notes that after email validation, you should aim for a bounce rate well below 1%. They stress that maintaining a clean list is essential for good deliverability and protecting your sender reputation. Higher bounce rates after validation suggest issues with your validation process or list acquisition methods.

November 2022 - Word to the Wise

What the documentation says
3Technical articles

Email deliverability documentation suggests that typical bounce rates after email validation should ideally be below 0.5% to 3%. Maintaining a bounce rate within this range helps protect sender reputation. Exceeding these thresholds signals problems with list hygiene or validation effectiveness, requiring prompt corrective action and close monitoring.

Key findings

  • Optimal Bounce Rate: A good bounce rate after email validation is generally below 2%.
  • Stringent Targets: ZeroBounce suggests striving for a hard bounce rate below 0.5% after thorough validation.
  • Acceptable Threshold: Validity considers a bounce rate under 3% to be healthy following list validation.
  • Negative Impact: High bounce rates, even post-validation, can harm sender reputation.

Key considerations

  • List Hygiene: Poor list hygiene contributes to higher bounce rates, even with validation.
  • Validation Effectiveness: Ensure your email validation process is robust and identifies invalid addresses effectively.
  • Monitoring: Closely monitor bounce rates to identify and address issues promptly.
  • Corrective Action: Take corrective action when bounce rates exceed acceptable thresholds.
Technical article

Documentation from Validity claims that following list validation, a healthy bounce rate should be under 3%. They advise monitoring bounce rates closely and taking corrective action if they exceed this threshold to protect sender reputation.

December 2023 - Validity
Technical article

Documentation from ZeroBounce indicates that after thorough email validation, you should strive for a hard bounce rate below 0.5%. They emphasize that high bounce rates, even after validation, can negatively impact sender reputation.

February 2024 - ZeroBounce
Technical article

Documentation from SendGrid explains that after implementing email validation, a good bounce rate should be below 2%. Higher than that indicates issues with list hygiene or validation effectiveness.

December 2024 - SendGrid