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What does the Braze error code soft bounce mean, specifically 'unable to get mx info: failed to get IPs from PTR record'?

10 Marketer opinions2 Expert opinions4 Technical articles0 Resources

Summary

The Braze soft bounce error 'unable to get mx info: failed to get IPs from PTR record' indicates a recipient domain's DNS configuration issue. While soft bounces are typically temporary, this specific error points to a problem with MX record resolution (inability to locate the recipient's mail server) and/or a failure in reverse DNS lookup using PTR records (inability to verify the sending server's legitimacy). This can stem from misconfigured or missing MX records, DNS server problems, or issues with PTR record setup. While some suggest the error could be a Braze logging/reporting bug, the consensus leans toward a DNS problem on the recipient's end, potentially impacting sender reputation and requiring exclusion of problematic addresses after repeated failures.

Key findings

  • MX Record Resolution Failure: The sending server cannot find the mail exchange (MX) record for the recipient's domain, preventing it from routing the email correctly.
  • PTR Record Lookup Failure: Reverse DNS lookup using PTR records is failing, preventing the sending server from verifying the authenticity and legitimacy of the email source.
  • Recipient-Side DNS Issue: The problem primarily originates from the recipient's domain DNS configuration rather than a widespread email delivery issue.
  • Potential Braze Bug (Minority View): A few sources suggest that the error message might be due to a Braze-specific logging or reporting issue, not necessarily a DNS problem on the recipient's end.
  • IETF Fallback not possible: RFC 5321 specifies a fallback to A records if MX records are missing, but this error occurs before that fallback process

Key considerations

  • Recipient Notification: If feasible, notify the recipient about the DNS configuration issue and encourage them to check their MX and PTR record setup.
  • Sender Reputation Monitoring: Monitor sender reputation closely, as repeated soft bounces due to this error can negatively affect email deliverability in the long run.
  • Address Exclusion Strategy: Implement a strategy to exclude problematic recipient addresses from future mailings after a certain number of consecutive failures to prevent reputation damage.
  • Use DNS Diagnosis Tools: Use tools like Google Admin Toolbox to diagnose if the recipient's DNS records are correct and configured as expected
  • Temporary v. Persistent: Even though it is categorised as a soft bounce, given the DNS nature it is likely a persistent issue and less temporary

What email marketers say
10Marketer opinions

The Braze error code 'soft bounce' with the specific message 'unable to get mx info: failed to get IPs from PTR record' generally indicates a problem with the recipient domain's DNS configuration. The sending server is unable to retrieve the MX record for the recipient domain, and/or the reverse DNS lookup (PTR record) is failing, preventing verification of the server's legitimacy. While soft bounces are often temporary, this specific error points to a deeper DNS issue on the recipient's side, potentially impacting sender reputation if these bounces become frequent.

Key opinions

  • MX Record Issue: The error 'unable to get mx info' means the sending server could not find the mail exchange (MX) record associated with the recipient's domain. This prevents the sender from locating the recipient's mail server.
  • PTR Record Failure: The error 'failed to get IPs from PTR record' suggests a failure in the reverse DNS lookup. The sending server cannot verify the legitimacy of the recipient server, as the IP address is not resolving back to a valid hostname.
  • DNS Configuration Problem: The underlying cause is generally a misconfiguration, missing MX record, or reverse DNS setup issue at the recipient's domain. This prevents the sending server from routing the email correctly.
  • Temporary vs. Persistent: While soft bounces are often temporary, this DNS-related error suggests a more persistent problem on the recipient's end, rather than a simple temporary server issue.
  • Bad Domain: In some cases the domain can be bad which has issues with its MX record setup or reverse DNS configuration.

Key considerations

  • Recipient Domain Issue: The problem lies with the recipient's domain DNS configuration, not the sender's. The sender has limited control over resolving the issue.
  • Sender Reputation: While a single soft bounce isn't critical, repeated soft bounces due to this error can negatively impact the sender's reputation, leading to deliverability problems.
  • Address Exclusion: After multiple failed delivery attempts due to this DNS issue, consider excluding the recipient address to protect sender reputation.
  • Check recipient domain: If you can contact the recipient through other channels notify them to check their domain's records.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Tips Blog explains that bounces are always bad but the error code indicates a DNS related problem on the receiving side. As a sender, there's often not much you can do except note the error and potentially exclude the address after multiple failed attempts.

March 2022 - Email Marketing Tips Blog
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks explains that a bounce reason 'unable to get mx info: failed to get IPs from PTR record: lookup <nil>: unrecognized address' from SendGrid indicates a delivery attempt to a recipient domain with a missing or malformed MX record. The reason text comes from some bit of logic when complying with RFC5321#section-5.1 regarding fallback in the event of no MX.

April 2024 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mimecast indicates that the specific error suggests the recipient's domain has issues with its MX record setup or reverse DNS configuration. The sender is unable to resolve the domain's mail server, leading to the soft bounce.

February 2025 - Mimecast
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit explains that the error means the system tried to find the mail exchange server for that domain but couldn't. It might mean a temporary DNS issue, or the domain's MX records are incorrectly set up.

May 2022 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that soft bounces are often temporary and could be due to a full mailbox or a server being down. However, the detailed error implies a problem with DNS configuration at the recipient's domain.

October 2024 - Mailjet
Marketer view

Email marketer from EmailOnAcid shares that a soft bounce relating to MX records and PTR records suggests either a misconfiguration of the recipient's DNS settings or a temporary DNS resolution issue. This can harm deliverability as repeated soft bounces may negatively impact sender reputation.

August 2023 - EmailOnAcid
Marketer view

Email marketer from SendGrid Help Center explains that if a message bounces due to an MX record issue, it means the sending server couldn't find the recipient's mail server. The error 'unable to get mx info' means exactly that, they couldn't retrieve it, and 'failed to get IPs from PTR record' suggests a reverse DNS lookup failure on the recipient domain.

September 2022 - SendGrid Help Center
Marketer view

Email marketer from Digital Ocean explains that the issue involves DNS configuration, specifically the domain's MX records and PTR records. The 'unable to get mx info' portion means the mail system could not find the MX record associated with the recipient domain, while 'failed to get IPs from PTR record' indicates problems with the reverse DNS lookup.

January 2023 - Digital Ocean
Marketer view

Email marketer from Stack Overflow shares that the 'failed to get IPs from PTR record' usually indicates that the DNS server is unable to perform a reverse DNS lookup on the IP address associated with the domain. This could be because the PTR record is missing or misconfigured, leading to temporary delivery failures.

September 2024 - Stack Overflow
Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks indicates the soft bounce is because of a bad domain specifically.

May 2024 - Email Geeks

What the experts say
2Expert opinions

The Braze error code 'soft bounce' with the specific message 'unable to get mx info: failed to get IPs from PTR record' points to potential DNS issues. One perspective suggests it's likely a logging/reporting bug or a bad address/domain within Braze's system, while another highlights a misconfiguration or missing MX record on the recipient's domain, preventing the sending server from verifying legitimacy via reverse DNS lookup (PTR record).

Key opinions

  • Potential Braze Bug: It could be a logging/reporting problem within Braze, unrelated to the recipient's DNS.
  • DNS Misconfiguration: The recipient domain may have a misconfigured or missing MX record, hindering proper mail server identification.
  • PTR Record Failure: Failure in reverse DNS lookup (PTR record) indicates the sending server can't verify the legitimacy of the recipient server.
  • Bad address/domain: The address may just be badly formed, or the entire domain may be badly configured.

Key considerations

  • Braze-Specific Issue?: Consider that the error might be a Braze-specific problem rather than a generalized email deliverability issue. Investigate any known Braze-related bugs.
  • Recipient Domain Check: If possible, encourage the recipient to check their domain's DNS settings to ensure proper MX record configuration and a functional reverse DNS lookup.
  • Address validation: It may be worth adding address validation in the sign up flow to avoid badly configured or temporary email addresses.
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that this type of error strongly suggests an issue with DNS records, specifically with either the MX record lookup or reverse DNS lookup (PTR record). The recipient's domain likely has a misconfigured or missing MX record or the reverse DNS lookup is failing, meaning the sending server cannot verify the domain's legitimacy.

November 2023 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks suggests that Braze shouldn't be looking at PTR records, and there aren’t any IPs in them anyway and it's likely a logging / reporting bug more than anything else, but likely a bad address or bad domain

August 2024 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
4Technical articles

Braze documentation defines soft bounces as temporary issues like a full inbox or server unavailability, prompting retry attempts. However, the specific error 'unable to get mx info: failed to get IPs from PTR record' suggests deeper DNS problems. RFC 5321 outlines a fallback to A records if no MX records are present, indicating the error occurs even before this. PTR records, as explained by EasyDMARC, are crucial for reverse DNS lookups, verifying a server's authorization by resolving IP addresses to hostnames. The Google Admin Toolbox is a resource for diagnosing DNS issues, including MX and PTR record setup.

Key findings

  • Soft Bounce Definition: Generally, soft bounces are temporary issues with retry attempts (Braze).
  • DNS Fallback: RFC 5321 specifies a fallback to A records if MX records are missing, but this error precedes that step.
  • PTR Record Function: PTR records enable reverse DNS lookups, essential for verifying server authorization (EasyDMARC).
  • DNS Diagnosis Tool: The Google Admin Toolbox can be used to diagnose DNS problems related to MX and PTR records.

Key considerations

  • Temporary vs. Fundamental: While categorized as a soft bounce, the specific error suggests a fundamental DNS misconfiguration rather than a transient issue.
  • Verification Importance: PTR records are critical for verifying the legitimacy of sending servers, potentially affecting email deliverability.
  • Diagnostic Resources: Utilize tools like Google Admin Toolbox to verify DNS setup and troubleshoot deliverability problems.
Technical article

Documentation from Google Admin Toolbox provides a way to diagnose DNS issues. You can enter a domain and check that the DNS records are set up correctly including MX and PTR records.

November 2022 - Google Admin Toolbox
Technical article

Documentation from Braze Help Center explains that a soft bounce indicates a temporary problem, such as the recipient's inbox being full or the server being temporarily unavailable. Braze will retry sending to soft-bounced addresses.

March 2021 - Braze Help Center
Technical article

Documentation from EasyDMARC explains that PTR records, or Pointer Records, resolve an IP address to a domain/hostname. PTR records are the opposite of A records, which resolve a domain/hostname to an IP address. PTR records are used to verify that the server sending an email is authorized to do so.

March 2024 - EasyDMARC
Technical article

Documentation from IETF's RFC 5321 section 5.1 describes the fallback mechanism when no MX records are found. It explains that the fallback involves attempting to treat the domain name as an A record, but this is only done if no MX records exist. The error message indicates an issue even before this fallback could be attempted.

May 2022 - IETF

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