If you use email to reach customers, you know bounce rates can kill your results. Whether you’re running a small newsletter or managing big campaigns, too many bounces mean wasted effort and missed connections. This guide is for anyone who wants an honest, step-by-step approach to tracking and actually reducing bounce rates using Nobouncemails—without getting lost in marketing fluff.
Let’s cut through the noise and get you sending emails that actually land.
What Is an Email Bounce, Really?
A “bounce” is just an email that doesn’t make it to the recipient’s inbox. But not all bounces are the same:
- Hard bounces: Permanent failures. Think fake email addresses, typos, or accounts that don’t exist anymore. These will never deliver.
- Soft bounces: Temporary problems. Full inboxes, server hiccups, or emails that are too large. Sometimes your message will go through if you try again, but not always.
High bounce rates hurt your sender reputation—which means even your good emails might start getting filtered out. So, yeah, it’s worth fixing.
Step 1: Get Your Bounce Rate Data in Nobouncemails
You can’t fix what you can’t see. Before you do anything, you need to know your numbers.
How to Find Your Bounce Stats
- Log into your Nobouncemails dashboard.
- Head to the “Reports” or “Analytics” section.
- Look for the “Bounce Rate” metric—it’s usually right alongside opens and clicks.
- Drill down: Nobouncemails separates hard and soft bounces. Pay attention to both, but focus on hard bounces first.
Pro tip: If you’re sending from multiple lists or campaigns, check each separately. Sometimes a single bad list can skew your whole average.
What’s a “Bad” Bounce Rate?
- Under 2%: You’re doing fine.
- 2–5%: Caution—start digging for issues.
- Over 5%: Something’s broken. Time to act.
Ignore anyone who tells you zero bounces is realistic. Some bounces are just part of the game.
Step 2: Clean Up Your List
Most bounce problems happen because your list is messy. Here’s how to fix it:
How to Clean Your List in Nobouncemails
- Use the built-in list cleaning tool.
- In Nobouncemails, go to “Lists” → select your list → click “Clean List.”
- Run a full validation. Nobouncemails will flag invalid, risky, or disposable emails.
- Remove or suppress:
- Delete addresses Nobouncemails marks as invalid or “hard bounce.”
- For “risk” or “unknown” statuses, you can either suppress them (stop sending) or review manually if you’re cautious.
- Set up automatic cleaning.
- In Nobouncemails’ list settings, enable auto-removal for hard bounces. Saves you from future headaches.
Don’t bother: Trying to “fix” obviously fake emails (like asdf123@gmail.com). Just cut them.
Should You Use Third-Party List Cleaning?
If you’re importing lists from outside sources, or your list is years old, a one-time third-party cleaning might help. But if you’re using Nobouncemails’ validation regularly, you usually don’t need to pay extra for this.
Step 3: Check Your Signup and Import Process
A lot of bad emails sneak in right when someone joins your list. Here’s how to stop that.
Make Signup Forms Smarter
- Enable real-time email validation in your signup forms, if Nobouncemails supports it. This blocks obvious typos and junk before they hit your list.
- Use double opt-in (send a confirmation email before adding someone). It’s a pain, but it slashes bounces and spam complaints.
Import Carefully
- Never buy lists. Really. Most purchased lists are full of dead or fake addresses, and using them will wreck your sender reputation.
- When importing, always use Nobouncemails’ validation. Don’t skip this step, even if you “trust” the source.
Step 4: Mind Your Sending Practices
Even with a clean list, how you send emails affects bounces.
Warm Up New Domains and IPs
If you just started sending from a new domain or IP, start slow. Send to your most engaged users first, then gradually add volume. Big blasts from a cold sender are a red flag for mailbox providers.
Watch Your Sending Frequency
Hammering your list daily will get you flagged as spam, and more messages may bounce. If you’re seeing a spike, dial it back.
Avoid Spam Triggers
Emails that look spammy get filtered or blocked—which can show up as soft bounces. Skip ALL CAPS SUBJECTS, too many links, or shady attachments.
Step 5: Set Up Proper Authentication
If mailbox providers can’t tell your emails are legit, they’ll bounce or junk them. Here’s what matters most:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Shows which servers can send for your domain.
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Signs your emails to prove they’re genuine.
- DMARC: Sets policies for what to do with suspicious emails.
Nobouncemails has setup guides for all three. If you’re not technical, ask your IT person or domain host for help. It’s boring but necessary.
Step 6: Keep Monitoring—and Don’t Obsess
Bounce rates change over time. Keep an eye on your reports, but don’t let minor spikes drive you crazy.
- Schedule a monthly review of your bounce stats.
- React to trends, not one-off blips.
- If you see a sudden jump, retrace your steps: Did you import a new list? Change domains? Try a new sending tool?
What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)
What’s Worth Your Time
- Regular list cleaning (built-in tools are fine)
- Real-time validation at signup
- Double opt-in for new subscribers
- Proper email authentication
- Slow, steady sending from new domains or IPs
What’s Mostly Hype
- Fancy “deliverability hacks” with no proof
- Buying “safe” lists (they’re rarely safe)
- Endless tweaking of subject lines to chase bounces (that’s more about opens than delivery)
What You Can Ignore
- Trying to chase a 0% bounce rate. It’s not realistic.
- Worrying about every soft bounce—just focus on patterns.
Keep It Simple—and Iterate
Email deliverability isn’t magic. Most bounce rate problems come down to a dirty list, sloppy signup forms, or skipping the basics like authentication. Use Nobouncemails’ built-in tools, trust your data, and don’t overthink it. Clean your list, watch your numbers, and make a habit of reviewing what’s working.
You’ll never get to zero bounces, but you’ll get a lot closer—and your emails will actually reach real people. That’s what matters.