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Understanding Cold Email Bounce Rates & What To Expect Using ListKit

Ever wondered why you're getting email bounces, even though ListKit leads are Triple Verified? Check this article for more info!

Said Jrad avatar
Written by Said Jrad
Updated over a week ago

Understanding Cold Email Bounce Rates & What To Expect Using ListKit

Why You May See Bounces Even With Triple-Verified Leads

If you've noticed email bounces occurring despite using ListKit's Triple-Verified leads, you're not alone. Even with the highest quality verification processes, some level of bouncing is normal and expected in cold email campaigns. This guide explains why bounces happen and what rates should be considered acceptable.

Understanding Email Bounces

An email bounce occurs when your message cannot be delivered to the intended recipient's inbox and is returned to the sender. When this happens, your email server receives a Non-Delivery Report (NDR) that includes information about why the delivery failed.

Email bounces are a natural part of email marketing, but understanding their types and causes helps you maintain a healthy sender reputation.

Types of Email Bounces

Soft Bounces

A soft bounce represents a temporary delivery issue with an otherwise valid email address. The email reached the recipient's server but couldn't be delivered due to transient conditions.

Common causes of soft bounces include:

  • Server issues: The recipient's email server is temporarily down or experiencing technical difficulties

  • Full mailbox: The recipient's inbox has reached storage capacity

  • Message size: Your email exceeds the recipient's size limits

  • Content filtering: Security systems temporarily blocked your message

  • Greylisting: Some servers initially reject emails from new senders but accept subsequent attempts

  • Rate limiting: You've sent too many emails to a domain in a short period

Soft bounces typically resolve themselves without intervention as the temporary conditions change.

Hard Bounces

A hard bounce indicates a permanent delivery failure due to an invalid recipient address or domain-level issues.

Common causes of hard bounces include:

  • Invalid address: The email address doesn't exist

  • Closed account: The account has been terminated or closed

  • Domain failure: The recipient's domain no longer exists

  • Blocking: The recipient's server has blocked your domain

Email service providers consider hard bounces serious indicators of poor list quality. Most email platforms recommend immediately removing hard-bouncing addresses from your sending lists to protect your sender reputation.

What to Expect When Using ListKit Leads

ListKit's Triple-Verification Process

ListKit employs a comprehensive Triple-Verification process for all leads before delivery. This process:

  1. Validates email syntax and format

  2. Confirms domain existence and mail server configuration

  3. Verifies mailbox existence without sending test emails

This system effectively eliminates the vast majority of potential hard bounces before they ever reach your campaign.

Normal Bounce Rates With Triple-Verified Leads

Even with ListKit's rigorous verification, you may still experience some level of bouncing. Here's what you should expect:

  • 2-4% overall bounce rate is completely normal for cold email campaigns, even with the highest quality verification

  • Primarily soft bounces rather than hard bounces

  • No negative impact on sender reputation when staying within this range

Why Bounces Still Occur With Verified Leads

Several factors can cause bounces even with perfectly verified addresses:

  • Email account changes: An employee may have left the company after verification but before your campaign

  • Temporary server issues: The recipient's email system may be experiencing momentary problems

  • Security policies: Some organizations implement strict filtering that can reject even legitimate email

  • Domain reputation: Your sending domain's reputation may affect delivery independent of the recipient address quality

Best Practices for Managing Bounce Rates

To maintain optimal deliverability with ListKit leads:

  • Monitor bounce types: Distinguish between soft and hard bounces in your email platform's reporting

  • Remove consistent soft bouncers: If an address soft-bounces across multiple campaigns, consider removing it

  • Warm up new domains: Gradually increase sending volume when using a new domain

  • Follow up appropriately: Don't repeatedly email addresses that have bounced multiple times

  • Maintain good sending practices: Follow email deliverability best practices regardless of list quality

Expert Support for Optimizing Results

Looking to maximize your campaign performance beyond just managing bounce rates? Book a 1-on-1 onboarding call with one of our ListKit experts to learn:

  • How to target your Ideal Client Profile with precision

  • Advanced list-building strategies used by top performers

  • Deliverability optimization techniques beyond basic verification

  • Campaign structure best practices for maximum engagement

Our team is ready to help you transform your cold email results through expert guidance and strategy development.

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