Why is there a sharp increase in soft bounces from iCloud email addresses?

Summary

A sharp increase in soft bounces from iCloud email addresses is a multifaceted issue. It can stem from iCloud users exceeding their storage limits, full recipient mailboxes, temporary server issues (downtime or overload) on the iCloud end, messages exceeding size limits, temporary blocks due to perceived spam activity, stricter spam filtering policies or new security measures implemented by iCloud, greylisting, sender reputation issues, or infrastructure problems at the receiving end. Since soft bounces are also ESP-specific classifications, diagnosing the problem often requires investigating specific bounce messages and monitoring trends.

Key findings

  • Storage Quota Exceeded: iCloud users who have exceeded their storage quota may cause emails to bounce.
  • Full Mailboxes: Recipient mailboxes being full leads to soft bounces.
  • Server Issues: Temporary server downtime or overload at iCloud contributes to delivery problems.
  • Message Size: Oversized emails (exceeding limits) trigger soft bounces.
  • Spam Filtering: iCloud may have tightened spam filters or implemented new security measures causing bounces.
  • Temporary Blocks: Sending IPs/domains may be temporarily blocked due to perceived spam-like activity.
  • Reputation Problems: Poor sender reputation can result in increased soft bounces.
  • Greylisting: Temporary deferral of email delivery (greylisting) can cause initial soft bounces.
  • ESP Classification: Soft bounce classification is not universal and varies by ESP.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Bounce Rates: Track bounce rates, especially for iCloud addresses, to identify patterns and anomalies.
  • Analyze Bounce Messages: Examine specific bounce error messages to pinpoint the reasons for delivery failures.
  • Check Message Size: Ensure emails do not exceed size limits to prevent bounces.
  • Review Sending Practices: Follow email marketing best practices to avoid triggering spam filters.
  • Maintain Reputation: Monitor and maintain a good sender reputation to improve deliverability.
  • Contact iCloud Postmaster: If bounce rates are high and the cause is unclear, consider contacting iCloud's postmaster for assistance.
  • Check Blocklists: Confirm that sending IPs and domains are not on any blocklists.

What email marketers say
9Marketer opinions

A sharp increase in soft bounces from iCloud email addresses can stem from multiple factors. These include iCloud users exceeding storage limits, temporary server issues on iCloud's end, stricter spam filtering policies implemented by iCloud, full recipient inboxes, messages exceeding size limits, or temporary blocks due to perceived spam activity. Monitoring bounce rates and investigating specific bounce messages is crucial for identifying the root cause.

Key opinions

  • Full Mailboxes: iCloud users exceeding their storage quota can cause soft bounces.
  • Server Issues: Temporary server problems on iCloud's side can lead to delivery failures.
  • Spam Filtering: iCloud may have tightened spam filters or implemented new security measures.
  • Message Size: Messages exceeding size limits imposed by iCloud can trigger soft bounces.
  • Temporary Blocks: Temporary blocks on sending IPs/domains can result in bounces.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Bounce Rates: Closely track bounce rates and investigate spikes, especially for iCloud addresses.
  • Examine Bounce Messages: Analyze specific bounce error messages to pinpoint the cause of the delivery issues.
  • Contact Postmaster: If bounce rates are exceptionally high and the cause is unclear, contacting iCloud's postmaster may provide additional insight.
  • Check Sending Reputation: Assess sender reputation as iCloud may be stricter on senders with low reputation.
  • Review Email Content: Ensure email content and sending practices adhere to best practices to avoid triggering spam filters.
Marketer view

Email marketer from Reddit mentions that iCloud has been known to have periods of increased bounce rates, possibly due to stricter spam filtering or temporary server issues on their end.

June 2023 - Reddit
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that they have seen high bounce rates at iCloud before when mailboxes are too full on the recipient side. The postmaster is usually responsive and suggests to scroll to the bottom of this page - <https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204137>

September 2021 - Email Geeks
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email on Acid shares that soft bounces can occur due to a full inbox, temporary server problems, or the recipient's server being temporarily unavailable.

August 2023 - Email on Acid
Marketer view

Email marketer from SendGrid notes that soft bounces include reasons such as 'mailbox full,' 'message too large,' or 'temporary server error,' advising investigation into whether issues are isolated to one domain like iCloud.

October 2024 - SendGrid
Marketer view

Email marketer from Stack Overflow shares that a soft bounce indicates a temporary problem, such as the recipient's mailbox being full, the server being down, or the message being too large.

January 2023 - Stack Overflow
Marketer view

Email marketer from Litmus explains that spikes in bounce rates, especially soft bounces, should be monitored closely. Investigating the specific error messages can help identify if the problem is isolated to a particular domain like iCloud.

February 2022 - Litmus
Marketer view

Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum suggests that a sudden increase in iCloud soft bounces could be due to a temporary issue with their mail servers or a change in their spam filtering policies.

March 2022 - Email Marketing Forum
Marketer view

Email marketer from Quora shares that sometimes a sudden increase in soft bounces from iCloud can be related to them tightening their spam filters or implementing new security measures.

July 2021 - Quora
Marketer view

Email marketer from Mailchimp shares that soft bounces often point to transient issues, such as the recipient's server being temporarily down or the mailbox being over its quota, and advises monitoring these trends.

November 2024 - Mailchimp

What the experts say
3Expert opinions

A sharp increase in soft bounces from iCloud addresses can arise from various factors. As soft bounces are internal classifications of ESPs, issues could include spam blocks by iCloud or its vendors, temporary blocks on sending IPs/domains due to perceived spam, greylisting, sender reputation problems, or iCloud's infrastructure issues. Accessing the specific bounce message text is crucial for diagnosis.

Key opinions

  • Internal ESP Classification: Soft bounces are ESP-specific and not universally defined.
  • Spam Blocking: iCloud or its anti-spam vendor might be blocking messages as spam.
  • Temporary Blocks: Sending IPs or domains might be temporarily blocked due to perceived spam-like activity.
  • Greylisting: Temporary delivery failures due to greylisting can cause soft bounces.
  • Reputation Issues: Problems with sender reputation can lead to soft bounces.
  • Infrastructure Issues: Infrastructure problems at iCloud's end can cause delivery issues.

Key considerations

  • Access Bounce Text: Obtain and analyze the actual text of the bounce messages for more specific error codes.
  • Check Sender Reputation: Monitor your sending reputation to ensure it's not negatively impacting deliverability.
  • Review Sending Practices: Ensure your sending practices adhere to best practices to avoid triggering spam filters and blocks.
  • Investigate IP/Domain Blocks: Check if your sending IPs or domains are on any blocklists.
Expert view

Expert from Word to the Wise explains that soft bounces, including those from iCloud, can be due to a number of factors including temporary greylisting, reputation issues, or infrastructure problems at the receiving end.

December 2021 - Word to the Wise
Expert view

Expert from Spam Resource suggests that a sudden increase in soft bounces from iCloud could be caused by temporary blocks placed on your sending IP or domain due to perceived spam-like activity.

March 2024 - Spam Resource
Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks explains that soft bounces are an internal classification done by the ESP and aren’t universal. It could be a spam block put up by iCloud (or their anti-spam vendor), and having the actual text of the bounce message is helpful.

May 2022 - Email Geeks

What the documentation says
5Technical articles

A surge in soft bounces from iCloud addresses often stems from temporary delivery issues. These issues include iCloud users exceeding storage limits, full mailboxes, server downtime or overload, or messages exceeding size limits. Soft bounces don't necessarily indicate permanent deliverability problems, as the messages might be deliverable in the future.

Key findings

  • Storage Limits: iCloud users exceeding their storage limits can cause emails to bounce back.
  • Full Mailboxes: Recipients' mailboxes being full is a common cause of soft bounces.
  • Server Issues: Temporary server downtime or overload can prevent email delivery.
  • Message Size Limits: Emails exceeding the size limits imposed by iCloud can result in soft bounces.
  • Temporary Failures: Soft bounces are typically temporary issues and not necessarily permanent deliverability problems.

Key considerations

  • Monitor Bounce Rates: Closely monitor bounce rates, especially soft bounces from iCloud, to identify trends.
  • Check Message Size: Ensure that your email messages are within acceptable size limits to avoid bounces.
  • Address User Capacity: While not directly controllable, understand that full mailboxes contribute to bounce rates.
  • Retry Sending: As soft bounces are temporary, consider retrying sending messages after a delay.
Technical article

Documentation from AWS explains that temporary (soft) bounces are commonly caused by issues that are outside of the sender's control, such as the recipient's mailbox being full or a temporary problem with the recipient's email server.

August 2024 - AWS
Technical article

Documentation from RFC Editor explains that a soft bounce, or temporary failure, means the message could not be delivered now but might be deliverable in the future. This is often due to temporary server issues or mailbox problems.

July 2024 - RFC Editor
Technical article

Documentation from Mailjet shares that soft bounces typically indicate transient issues like a full mailbox, a server being down or overloaded, or a message exceeding size limits. They do not necessarily indicate a permanent deliverability problem.

November 2024 - Mailjet
Technical article

Documentation from Apple Support explains that if an iCloud user has exceeded their storage limit, incoming emails may bounce back to the sender.

January 2023 - Apple Support
Technical article

Documentation from Microsoft explains that a soft bounce means that an email message was received by the recipient's mail server, but it was not delivered to the recipient's inbox. This can happen because the inbox is full, the server is temporarily unavailable, or the message is too large.

December 2024 - Microsoft