A soft bounce is a term used in email marketing to describe a temporary delivery problem with an email. In contrast to a hard bounce, where an email cannot be delivered permanently and definitively, a soft bounce occurs in situations where delivery is temporarily blocked. There are various reasons for soft bounces and they can usually be resolved to ensure that your emails are delivered successfully.

A common reason for soft bounces is a temporary problem with the recipient's email server. This can occur if the server is overloaded or temporarily unavailable. In such cases, the email will not be delivered, but the email server will try to deliver the message again later. This means that a soft bounce is often a temporary problem that can be resolved by simply waiting.

Another reason for soft bounces can lie in the email itself. For example, large attachments or formatting that is not supported by the recipient's email server could cause the email to be temporarily rejected. In such cases, it is advisable to revise the email and resend it to ensure that it is successfully delivered.

It is important to monitor soft bounces carefully and take measures to minimise repeated soft bounces. If an email address has repeated soft bounces, this may indicate that the address is invalid or that the recipient is actively rejecting the emails. In such cases, the address should be removed from the mailing list to ensure the deliverability of your emails.

To summarise, soft bounces describe temporary delivery problems with emails that can usually be resolved. It is important to monitor them and take appropriate action to ensure that your emails are delivered successfully. This can help improve the effectiveness of your email marketing and ensure that you stay in touch with your target groups.