THIS ARTICLE IS FOR: ✅ Both
Stage: Live
Owner: CS
Last updated: 2025-12-15
TL;DR
2–4% total bounce rate is normal for cold email—even with Triple-Verified leads.
Most bounces should be soft, not hard.
A small number of bounces does not hurt sender reputation when within range.
Bounces can still occur due to timing, servers, and security policies.
When you’d use this / Why it matters
Use this if you’re seeing bounces and want to confirm whether they’re expected. Understanding normal ranges and bounce types helps you protect deliverability and avoid overreacting to healthy campaign signals.
Understanding email bounces
An email bounce happens when a message can’t be delivered and is returned with a Non-Delivery Report (NDR) explaining why. Some bounces are temporary and harmless; others require action.
Types of email bounces
Soft bounces (temporary)
A soft bounce means the address is valid, but delivery failed due to a temporary issue.
Common causes:
Recipient server downtime
Full inbox
Message size limits
Temporary content filtering
Greylisting (common for new senders)
Rate limiting on the recipient domain
What to do:
Usually nothing. Soft bounces often resolve automatically.
Hard bounces (permanent)
A hard bounce means delivery failed permanently.
Common causes:
Invalid or non-existent address
Closed or terminated account
Non-existent domain
Recipient server blocking your domain
What to do:
Remove hard-bouncing addresses immediately to protect sender reputation.
How ListKit’s Triple Verification works
ListKit’s Triple Verification (used during export) checks:
Email syntax and formatting
Domain existence and mail server configuration
Mailbox existence (without sending test emails)
This removes the vast majority of invalid addresses before they reach your campaign.
What bounce rate to expect with Triple-Verified leads
Even with rigorous verification, some bounces are normal.
Expected benchmarks:
2–4% total bounce rate is normal
Mostly soft bounces
No negative reputation impact within this range
Why bounces still happen with verified leads
Verification is a snapshot in time. Between verification and sending, things can change:
Employees leave companies
Mail servers experience temporary issues
Corporate security filters reject new senders
Your sending domain reputation affects delivery independent of list quality
Best practices to manage bounce rates
Follow these to keep deliverability healthy:
Monitor bounce types (soft vs. hard)
Remove hard bounces immediately
Remove repeat soft bouncers over multiple campaigns
Warm up new domains gradually
Avoid re-sending to addresses that bounced repeatedly
Maintain solid sending hygiene regardless of list quality
Expected outcome
You should now be able to:
Identify whether your bounce rate is healthy
Understand which bounces require action
Maintain strong deliverability while scaling campaigns
FAQs
Is 0% bounce realistic?
No. A small bounce rate is normal in cold email.
Are hard bounces common with ListKit leads?
They should be rare due to Triple Verification.
Will a 2–4% bounce rate hurt my inbox placement?
No—this range is considered safe.
Callouts
If ListKit runs campaigns for you (DFY Managed Program)
What ListKit handles:
– Lead sourcing with Triple Verification
– Deliverability-safe sending limits
– Ongoing monitoring
What you should do:
– Review replies and manage pipeline
– Share feedback on targeting and copy
How to request changes:
– Submit a request via Slack or your AM
If you use ListKit self-serve (DIY)
Steps in the product:
– Export leads with Business Email (Triple Verified)
– Warm up domains before scaling
– Monitor bounce reports in your sending tool