Reasons for bounced emails and solutions

Without a doubt, bounced emails are a headache, as they are in our mailings and disrupt our marketing plans and email campaigns.

For this reason, it is essential to know their origin and the possible actions we can take to deal with this problem.

We will detail the reasons for each bounce and what we can do in each case (if anything can be done), since this is not always possible) to recover this subscriber from their bounce status and bring them back as an active subscriber and therefore convert them back into a potential customer or reader of our messages.

For a more structured view, we'll use the table of reasons for bounced emails that was published in an article on our blog. However, here we will present more detailed descriptions of the reasons and a new column of possible solutions or actions.

bad-configuration

Error message

Messages were rejected due to problems with the remote server's settings. This is a problem with the destination server, which has some error in its settings and is not allowing the messages to be delivered.

Procedure to try to resolve the problem

We should contact the subscriber by phone so that they can speak to the system administrator to correct the problem and let us know when the problem has been solved so that we can notify Mailrelay.

bad-connection

Error message

The messages bounced due to connection problems with the remote server. In other words, it is not possible to correctly access the destination domain from the sending server due to a failure in the intermediate connection route.

Procedure for trying to solve the problem

Here the problem may not be related to the destination server, but to one of the intermediate servers. Ideally, you should contact the administrator of the destination server to notify them of the problem, but also with the Internet provider so that they can also analyze where the problem might be located.

bad-domain

Error message

Messages bounced due to invalid or non-existent domains. In other words, the recipient's domain doesn't exist.

Procedure for trying to solve the problem

We should check that the account we are sending to is correct and contact the subscriber by phone, asking them to contact the system administrator to have the problem reviewed. When the email is working again, it's time to contact Mailrelay support to have the email address reactivated.

bad-mailbox

Error message

Messages rejected due to incorrect, invalid or non-existent recipient address. The destination email account doesn't exist.

Procedure to try to solve the problem

We should check that the account we are sending to is correct and contact the subscriber by phone, asking them to contact the system administrator to have the problem reviewed.

When the email is working again, it's time to contact Mailrelay support to activate the subscriber.

content-related

Error message

Messages rejected due to content-related problems (possible SPAM, sender added to blacklists, etc.)

Procedure for trying to resolve the problem

We must check that we are complying with all the points indicated in the article "tips to prevent your newsletter from being considered as SPAM". We should contact the administrator of the destination server to explain the problem and see the best possible solution. Finally, you can contact our Customer Service Department to analyze the problem in depth.

inactive-mailbox

Error message

The messages were rejected because the recipients' accounts have expired, are inactive or deactivated. In short, something similar to the non-existent email error.

Procedure to try to solve the problem

We should check that the account we are sending to is correct and contact the subscriber by phone, asking them to contact the system administrator to have the problem reviewed.

When the email is working again, it's time to contact Mailrelay support to have the email address reactivated.

message-expired

Error message

The message was sent before the maximum allowed retry delay period

Procedure to try to correct the problem

We can resend the message at a time when there is less saturation in the sending queue.

no-answer-from-host

Error message

Messages are bounced due to no response from the remote server after connection. This is a remote server configuration problem.

Procedure to try to correct it

We'll have to contact the administrator of the destination server to inform them of the problem and see the possible solutions.

other

Error message

The messages were rejected for other reasons.

Procedure for trying to solve the problem

We will need to contact the administrator of the destination server to notify them of the problem and look at possible solutions.

policy-related

Error message

Messages were rejected or blocked due to policy problems. Usually due to spam policies.

Procedure for trying to correct the problem

It is necessary to check that you are complying with all the points indicated in the article "tips that will prevent your newsletter from being considered spam".

We should contact the administrator of the destination server to notify them of the problem and check for possible solutions.

Finally, you can contact our Customer Service Department to analyze the problem in depth.

protocol-errors

Error message

Messages rejected due to SMTP protocol syntax errors. Mailrelay always uses the correct syntax and commands, but there may be an interpretation problem on the destination server.

Procedure to try to solve the problem

We should contact the administrator of the destination server to notify them of the problem and look at possible solutions.

quota-issues

Error message

Messages rejected or blocked due to quota problems. The server rejected the message because the destination account is full.

Procedure to try to solve the problem

We should contact the subscriber by phone, asking them to contact the system administrator to have the problem reviewed. When the email is working again, it's time to contact Mailrelay support to have the email address reactivated.

relaying-issues

Error message

Messages rejected or blocked due to delivery problems on the remote server. There may be various reasons, deriving from policies applied by the destination server, for example, not admitting any emails from the domain that have not been sent from its own IP.

Procedure to try to resolve the problem

We'll have to contact the administrator of the destination server to notify them of the problem and look at possible solutions.

routing-errors

Mensagem de erro

Messages bounced due to routing problems in the recipient's domain. In other words, the sending server is unable to correctly reach the destination domain due to an intermediate connection routing error.

Procedure for trying to solve the problem

spam-related

Error message

Messages rejected or blocked for SPAM-related reasons. There is a problem with the sender's configuration, the content of the message or spam complaints.

Procedure for trying to solve the problem

We must check that we are complying with all the points set out in the article "Tips to prevent your newsletter from being considered as SPAM".

We should contact the administrator of the destination server to notify them of the problem and check for possible solutions.

Finally, you can contact our Customer Service Department to analyze the problem in depth.

routing-errors

Error message

Procedure for trying to solve the problem

virus-related

Error message

Message rejected or blocked due to computer virus-related reasons. This can be problematic. It occurs especially when we attach a file that contains or may contain viruses, e.g. Excel or Word.

Procedure to try to solve the problem

The solution is to check the attached files with an antivirus and, if the problem is that the destination server rejects them because they are potentially dangerous, you can either compress them beforehand or directly use this procedure to send a download link to your subscribers.