What is hard bounce vs soft bounce? A Plain-English Guide
A hard bounce is a permanent failure (the address does not exist) and must be suppressed immediately. A soft bounce is temporary (mailbox full, server down) and can be retried before suppression.
Why it matters for deliverability
Understanding hard bounce vs soft bounce is part of how to handle bounces without hurting reputation. Get it right and more of your mail reaches the inbox; get it wrong and even legitimate mail can be filtered.
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How Rainmail helps
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