Metric · 2 min read
Email bounce rate
Email Bounce Rate measures the percentage of emails that couldn't be delivered to recipients. Here’s everything you need to know: what it is, why it matters, how to calculate it, and how to improve it!
Formula
Example. If you send 10,000 emails and 300 of them bounce, your Email Bounce Rate is 3%. Keeping this rate low helps protect your sender reputation and ensure more of your emails reach the inbox.
What it is
Email Bounce Rate is the percentage of sent emails that are returned by the recipient’s server as undeliverable. Bounces are typically categorized as either soft (temporary issue) or hard (permanent failure like invalid email addresses).
Why it matters
Email Bounce Rate reflects the health and quality of your mailing list. A high bounce rate can hurt your sender reputation, decrease email deliverability, and limit the success of future campaigns.
How it is calculated
Divide the number of bounced emails by the total number of emails sent, then multiply by 100 to get the percentage.
A good value
A good Email Bounce Rate is under 2%. Rates lower than 1% are ideal and show you’re maintaining a clean and engaged list.
A bad value
A bounce rate over 5% is a warning sign. It could be caused by outdated contacts, spam traps, or low-quality data, and can damage your ability to reach users.
Do
Follow these strategies to reduce your Email Bounce Rate and improve email deliverability.
- 01
Use confirmed opt-in
Require subscribers to confirm their email addresses to prevent fake or mistyped contacts from entering your list.
- 02
Clean your list regularly
Remove hard bounces and inactive subscribers on a regular basis to maintain a healthy database.
- 03
Authenticate your emails
Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to validate your sender identity and reduce the risk of being blocked or marked as spam.
Avoid
Don’t buy email lists or neglect to verify addresses. Ignoring bounce reports can lead to poor sender reputation and email deliverability issu
Related metrics you might be interested in
Average Engagement Rate= (Total Engagements ÷ Total Impressions or Followers) × 100Bounce Rate= (Single-Page Sessions ÷ Total Sessions) × 100
Conversion Rate= (Total VisitorsConversions) × 100
Exit Rate= (Total Exits from Page ÷ Total Pageviews for Page) × 100
Email Subscribers= New Subscribers − (Unsubscribes + Bounces)
Emails Sent= Total Number of Emails Processed for Delivery in a Campaign
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Calculate Email Bounce Rate on your own data.
OWOX Data Marts connects your email platform data to help you monitor bounce trends and identify sources of bad emails. Use these insights to clean your list and improve future deliverability.
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