Your bounce rate is high usually because your list contains invalid or outdated addresses, or because your sending domain is not properly authenticated.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?
- Remove hard bounces after every campaign — Mailpro moves them to a separate bounces list automatically.
- Use double opt-in so only real, confirmed addresses enter your list.
- Authenticate your sending domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
- Validate addresses at the point of collection to catch typos.
- 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.
Related guide: Email list cleaning: how to clean your email list step by step
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.