Bounce Rate Thresholds: NuReply’s Mitigations and Best Practices for List Hygiene
Objective
By the end of this article, users will understand the importance of maintaining good list quality, the bounce rate thresholds for both individual and campaign emails, and how NuReply will take action when thresholds are exceeded.
Introduction
Bounce rates are a key factor in maintaining a healthy sender reputation and ensuring the success of email campaigns. In cold emailing, hard and soft bounces can harm deliverability if not managed properly. NuReply monitors your bounce rates and applies mitigations when thresholds are exceeded, ensuring that your email list remains clean and effective. While thresholds offer helpful guidelines, they may be updated or adjusted based on individual circumstances.
Prerequisites
- Access to email campaign metrics (bounce rates, delivery rates).
- Ability to pause or modify email campaigns.
- Tools for email list validation and cleaning.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Understand the Types of Bounces
- Hard Bounce: Permanent delivery failure, often due to invalid email addresses.
- Soft Bounce: Temporary issue, such as a full mailbox or server problem.
2. Bounce Rate Thresholds for Individual Email Accounts
| Bounce Type | Warning Threshold | Critical Threshold | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard Bounce | 2% | 5% |
|
| Soft Bounce | 5% | 10% |
|
3. Bounce Rate Thresholds for Campaigns (Multiple Sending Accounts)
| Bounce Type | Warning Threshold | Critical Threshold | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard Bounce | 3% | 7% |
|
| Soft Bounce | 7% | 12% |
|
Note: These thresholds are guidelines to help maintain optimal email performance and deliverability. NuReply may adjust limits based on individual account behavior or broader system trends.
4. NuReply’s Automatic Mitigations
NuReply actively monitors your bounce rates and applies automatic mitigations when thresholds are exceeded. This helps protect your sender reputation and ensure that future emails have a higher chance of reaching the recipient’s inbox.
- When thresholds are exceeded:
- NuReply will notify you if your hard or soft bounce rates surpass the critical levels.
- For individual accounts, NuReply will temporarily suspend email sending until the issue is resolved, ensuring no further damage to your sender reputation.
- For campaigns, NuReply will pause the campaign and prompt you to clean your lists before resuming.
These mitigations are designed to protect your cold email performance and maintain a healthy sender reputation. After receiving a notification from NuReply, it’s essential to take the recommended actions to improve list quality.
5. Best Practices for List Hygiene
Maintaining a clean email list is critical to preventing high bounce rates and ensuring deliverability:
- Email Verification: Use reliable email validation services to ensure email addresses are correct before sending.
- Regular List Cleaning: Routinely remove addresses that have hard bounced to maintain list health.
- Double Opt-In: Implement a double opt-in process to confirm the validity of new subscribers.
- Avoid Purchased Lists: Steer clear of using purchased or scraped lists, as they typically contain invalid or outdated addresses.
- Monitor Engagement Metrics: Track bounce rates and engagement metrics closely to catch problems early.
Conclusion
By adhering to the recommended bounce rate thresholds and practicing good list hygiene, you can protect your sender reputation and maximize the effectiveness of your cold email campaigns. NuReply’s automated mitigations ensure that any issues are addressed quickly, giving you peace of mind while you focus on improving your email strategy.