Your bounce rate is high usually because your list contains invalid or outdated addresses, or because your sending domain is not properly authenticated. A healthy bounce rate stays below 2%; anything higher signals list-quality or configuration problems that hurt deliverability.

What causes a high bounce rate?

Bounces come in two types. A hard bounce is a permanent failure — the address doesn’t exist or the domain is invalid. A soft bounce is temporary, such as a full mailbox or a briefly unavailable server. A rising bounce rate is most often caused by purchased lists, typos at signup, old addresses, or missing SPF/DKIM authentication.

Cleaning your list before every send is the fastest way to cut bounces — Mailpro flags and isolates bad addresses automatically.

How do I reduce my bounce rate?

  1. Remove hard bounces after every campaign — Mailpro moves them to a separate bounces list automatically.
  2. Use double opt-in so only real, confirmed addresses enter your list.
  3. Authenticate your sending domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
  4. Validate addresses at the point of collection to catch typos.
  5. Re-engage or remove contacts who haven’t opened in months.

Related questions

See why managing bounces matters and the guide on the importance of your badmail and bounce rate.

Mailpro and deliverability

Beyond bounce rates — reach the inbox every time

Mailpro cleans bounces automatically, authenticates your domain and monitors deliverability, so more of your emails actually land.

Start free with Mailpro See Mailpro pricing

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