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Last Updated Apr 23, 2024

How to Calculate Email Bounce Rate

Brian Wu

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Calculating Your Email Bounce Rate

Calculating your bounce rate formula is a straightforward process that provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of your email delivery strategy. This email analytics metric measures the percentage of your sent emails that could not be delivered to the recipient's inbox. Here’s how to calculate it:

Formula to Calculate Average Email Bounce Rate

The bounce rate is calculated by dividing the number of bounced emails by the total number of emails sent, then multiplying the result by 100 to express it as a percentage.

Bounce Rate (%) = (Total Emails Sent/Number of Bounced Emails) × 100

Steps to Calculate

1. Identify Bounced Emails: Determine the number of emails that were returned as either hard bounces or soft bounces.

2. Total Emails Sent: Count the total number of emails that were sent out in the same campaign.

3. Apply the Formula: Use the above formula with your specific numbers to find out your bounce rate.

Example Calculation

Suppose you sent out 1,000 emails in a campaign via Gmail, Yahoo, or any other email account, and 20 of those emails bounced back.

Bounce Rate (%) = (1000/20) × 100

This means your email bounce rate for this campaign is 2%, which falls within the range of what is typically considered an acceptable bounce rate, indicating healthy email list hygiene and effective delivery practices.

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What Constitutes a Good Email Bounce Rate?

Below 2%: Typically, an average bounce rate below 2% is considered excellent when it comes to industry benchmarks. This low percentage suggests that the vast majority of your emails are being delivered successfully, with only a minimal number being returned or failing to reach the inbox.

Factors Influencing a Good Bounce Rate

Industry Standards: Different industries may have varying average bounce rates due to the nature of their email lists and how frequently they clean and update them. It's helpful to compare your bounce rate with industry-specific benchmarks and regulations to gauge your performance accurately.

Email List Hygiene: Regularly cleaning your email list to remove invalid, outdated, or unengaged subscribers can significantly improve your bounce rate. A good bounce rate often reflects a well-maintained and engaged email list.

Email Sending Practices: How you manage your email deliverability, including the frequency of emails, the relevancy of the content to your audience, and adherence to best email practices, can also impact your bounce rate.

Common Reasons for Email Bounces and Corresponding Solutions

  • Invalid Email Addresses

Solution: Regularly clean your email list to remove or correct invalid addresses. Utilize email validation services during the sign-up process.

  • Full Recipient Mailbox

Solution: Resend the email at a later time. If the issue persists, consider removing the subscriber after multiple attempts.

  • Server Issues on Recipient's Email Server 

Solution: Wait and resend the email. If bounces continue, contact the recipient through alternative communication means to update their email address.

  • Email Size Too Large

Solution: Optimize email content and images to reduce overall size. Test emails before sending to ensure they are within acceptable size limits.

  • Spam Content Detected

Solution: Review and adjust your email content to ensure compliance with spam filters. Avoid excessive use of sales-oriented language and include a clear unsubscribe option.

  • Domain Not Found

Solution: This often indicates a permanent issue. Remove these addresses from your list to avoid affecting your bounce rate and sender reputation.

Incorporating Email Validation APIs

API integration into your marketing emails strategy can drastically improve your deliverability rates and enhance overall email campaign performance. 

AbstractAPI

AbstractAPI offers a simple, effective email validation service that can be easily integrated into your email marketing process. Using AbstractAPI, you can:

Validate Emails Easily: AbstractAPI provides a straightforward API that can give you real-time verification, helping you to maintain a clean list.

Reduce Bounce Rates: By ensuring that only valid email addresses are added to your list, reducing hard bounces becomes significant.

Improve User Experience: Validate email addresses at the point of entry on your website or app, providing immediate feedback to users and preventing errors.

ZeroBounce

ZeroBounce is a comprehensive email validation and deliverability platform that helps marketers clean their email lists and optimize sending practices. By using ZeroBounce, you can:

Validate Email Addresses: ZeroBounce checks each email address on your list to ensure it is correct and active, helping to reduce hard bounces.

Detect and Remove Abuse Emails: The platform identifies email addresses known for marking emails as spam traps, allowing you to remove them from your list proactively.

Improve Email Deliverability: With a cleaner email list and insights into potential deliverability issues, you can achieve higher inbox placement rates.

NeverBounce

NeverBounce offers real-time email verification and list cleaning services that ensure your emails reach their intended recipients. By integrating NeverBounce into your email campaigns, you can:

Verify Emails in Real-Time: NeverBounce verifies email addresses at the point of capture, such as signup forms, ensuring they are valid from the start.

Automate List Cleaning: Set up automatic cleaning of your email lists at intervals you choose, keeping your lists continuously free of invalid emails.

Enhance Campaign Analytics: Clean lists lead to more accurate analytics, as your engagement rates are calculated based on emails that had a chance to engage, not bounce.

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Brian Wu
Brian Wu is the SEO lead at OpenPhone and has some experience with JavaScript, PHP, Python, and more. Brian has previously worked as Head of SEO at RapidAPI, where he integrated SEO with cutting-edge API technologies. Renowned for advancing digital marketing through innovative API use, his strategies significantly enhance online visibility and user engagement.
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