Why did my email go to spam after a high bounce rate from an old list?

Email marketer from Email on Acid mentions that bounce rates are an important metric used by ISPs. A high bounce rate is a sign of poor list hygiene, which can get your emails sent straight to the spam folder.

Email marketer from SendGrid explains that when lists aren't cleaned then sending to old data causes high bounce rates which will directly effect your reputation, resulting in emails going straight to spam.

Email marketer from GMass explains that sending to a stale list causes high bounce rates which will damage your sender reputation and increase the chance that email providers will send your campaigns to the spam folder.

Email marketer from Reddit shares that a high bounce rate from sending to old email addresses signals to ISPs that your list is unmaintained and potentially purchased, which drastically increases the chances of your emails going to spam.

Email marketer from MarketingProfs states that poor list hygiene, resulting in high bounce rates, directly affects email deliverability. ISPs use bounce rates as a key metric to determine the quality and trustworthiness of the sender; old lists inherently lead to deliverability problems.

Email marketer from an Email Marketing Forum highlights that old lists often contain spam traps, which are email addresses used by ISPs to identify spammers. Hitting these spam traps, along with high bounce rates, significantly damages sender reputation and leads to spam filtering.

Email marketer from Sender.net shares that sending to an old list results in a high bounce rate, which damages your sender reputation. This in turn, will reduce deliverability and cause messages to land in spam folders.

Email marketer from HubSpot responds that a high bounce rate, often caused by sending to outdated or purchased lists, damages sender reputation. Mailbox providers interpret this as a sign of poor list hygiene, increasing the likelihood of emails being filtered as spam.

Email marketer from Mailjet explains that a high bounce rate signals to mailbox providers that the sender isn't maintaining their list hygiene. This negatively impacts sender reputation and can lead to emails being marked as spam.

Expert from Email Geeks attributes the email delivery issues (going to spam) to an old and potentially not opt-in mailing list. She states the filtering is reflecting the poor quality of the list.

Expert from Email Geeks advises against further sending to the problematic list, emphasizing that it will further damage the mailstream reputation. She suggests including language about potential ESP investigations and internal compliance standards.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that a high bounce rate, especially from an old list, signals to ISPs that the sender is not properly managing their email list. This negatively impacts sender reputation, making it more likely that future emails will be directed to the spam folder.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that having the same email address in the To: and Reply-To: fields could trigger rules-based spam filters, especially smaller ones, as it's unusual and historically associated with unwanted mail. He notes that larger filters may not pay as much attention.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that a 14% bounce rate is significantly high and will likely be flagged as spam. Resending to non-openers after such a high bounce rate exacerbates the problem and signals potential spamming activity.

Expert from Email Geeks recommends using email validation tools like Kickbox to identify bad addresses before sending. Even if it doesn't solve all issues, it provides data points on the list's quality and the cost of validation, which can be insightful for decision-making.

Expert from Word to the Wise shares that sending email to very old, stale data is a very bad practice to begin with, because the likelihood of those addresses still being valid and deliverable is low. High bounce rates that result can easily impact your sending reputation, resulting in messages going to spam.

Expert from Email Geeks provides a detailed explanation, stating that well-maintained lists have bounce rates below 1%, while a 14% bounce rate indicates an old or poorly managed list, leading to delivery problems. She also highlights the potential for the ESP to investigate lists with such high bounce rates.

Expert from Email Geeks suggests telling the director that a 14% bounce rate is 10x the acceptable limit and the email going to spam is a consequence of mailing to an old list.

Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that sending emails to invalid or inactive email addresses contributes to high bounce rates. These high bounce rates are a signal that can cause Google to filter your emails as spam.

Documentation from SparkPost details that high bounce rates from old or unverified lists significantly harm sender reputation, leading ISPs and mailbox providers to classify your emails as spam to protect their users.

Documentation from Microsoft details that sending to old or unengaged lists leads to higher bounce rates and lower engagement, causing damage to sender reputation. Consequently, email is more likely to be classified as junk.

Documentation from Amazon SES indicates that they require bounce rates to remain below 5%, otherwise your account will be subject to limitations. This is because high bounce rates impact the sending reputation for all their customers.