What does it mean if emails to Apple Private Relay accounts are soft bouncing?
Summary
What email marketers say9Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Stack Overflow discusses that if emails consistently soft bounce to @privaterelay.appleid.com addresses, it strongly suggests that the sender's domain isn't registered with Apple's Private Email Relay service. Registration might be necessary to ensure proper delivery.
Email marketer from Sendgrid explains that seeing soft bounces to Apple Private Relay addresses may require checking the sender's IP and domain reputation to make sure that you are registered with Apple Postmaster tools. This can help in managing bounces effectively.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum responds that if all your email authentication measures (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are correctly set up and you're still experiencing soft bounces, you likely need to register or configure your sending domain specifically with Apple's relay service.
Email marketer from Reddit shares that experiencing consistent soft bounces to Apple Private Relay addresses often means the sender hasn't correctly configured their sending domain within Apple's ecosystem, requiring specific registration or configuration steps.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that if emails to private relay addresses are bouncing, first check your sender reputation, authenticate your domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and ensure your email content adheres to best practices to prevent filtering. If problems persist, contact Apple support.
Email marketer from Email on Acid says that soft bounces to Apple Private Relay addresses might point to deliverability problems rooted in sender reputation, authentication issues (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), or content triggers that cause Apple to filter the emails.
Marketer from Email Geeks confirms with their product team that the soft bounces to Apple Private Relay addresses were due to an app transfer where they didn't re-register with Apple Private Relay.
Email marketer from Gmass explains that Apple's Private Relay can impact tracking and engagement metrics, but soft bounces often result from configuration gaps, suggesting that email authentication should be reviewed, or the sender needs to register their sending source with Apple.
Email marketer from Litmus mentions that Apple's Mail Privacy Protection can cause deliverability complications. Soft bounces to Private Relay may indicate issues related to data privacy settings impacting how emails are received and processed.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource explains that if you are receiving soft bounces when emailing @privaterelay.appleid.com addresses, it is an indication that Apple requires you to register your sending entity with them.
Expert from Email Geeks responds to the question of whether soft bounces to Apple Private Relay addresses indicate a registration issue with a TL;DR: yes, go register with apple.
Expert from Word to the Wise, Laura Belgray, advises that soft bounces when sending to Apple Private Relay addresses can often point to issues with sender reputation or authentication. It's important to ensure your sending domain is properly authenticated and has a positive reputation.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from RFC defines soft bounces as temporary delivery failures. If it's Apple Private Relay, it might mean a temporary authentication or configuration problem.
Documentation from Apple Developer explains iCloud Private Relay and its effect on email. Soft bounces may indicate that the sender doesn't comply with Apple's privacy and security requirements, which may need an audit of your sending practices.
Documentation from Spam Resource details that undeliverable mail to @privaterelay.appleid.com addresses indicate an Apple requirement to register the sending entity with them. This helps to authorize sending to these addresses without bounces.
Documentation from Apple Support explains that if emails are soft bouncing to iCloud Private Relay addresses, it could indicate that the sender's domain hasn't been properly configured or registered with Apple's systems, impacting deliverability to users relying on the service for email privacy.