My emails are bouncing!
Have you ever sent an email and it bounced back? It can be frustrating and confusing, especially if you're not sure why it happened. But don't worry, you're not alone. In this blog post, we'll explore some of the common reasons why emails bounce and provide you with some tips on how to fix the problem. Follow this guide and if you're still struggling, let me know; I'm here to help!
Check your spam folder
Sometimes, our messages get lost in the shuffle. If you don't see the email you're expecting in your inbox, it may have been mistakenly marked as spam. To fix this, simply move the email to your inbox, mark it as "Not Spam" or "Not Junk," or add the sender to your address book or safe sender list. If you're not sure how to do this, check with your email provider for instructions.
Check your email address
Another common reason for bounced emails is a mistyped email address. This can happen for several reasons, such as typos, autocorrect errors, or human error when entering the email address. To avoid this problem, ask your client to double-check the email address they are sending the email to, paying close attention to any periods or dashes. If you are sending the email to a new contact, it is a good idea to confirm their email address by asking them to repeat it back to you or by sending a test email.
Moreover, when reaching out to multiple recipients, it is crucial to ensure the accuracy of each email address. Employ an email validation tool or manually verify each address to guarantee your communications are reaching the right inboxes. This way, you can maximise your productivity by avoiding the pitfalls of sending to invalid or outdated addresses.
Is your inbox overflowing?
If your inbox is reaching capacity, your email provider might start bouncing new messages to maintain a manageable size. This is particularly common with free email accounts that have limited storage. To resolve this, consider deleting or archiving older messages to free up space for incoming emails.
To ensure your inbox is not at capacity, simply log in to your email account and check the storage indicator. Most email providers display a progress bar or visual cue to show available space. If you're nearing the limit, it's time to declutter by deleting or archiving emails to maintain functionality.
Here are some tips for managing your email storage:
Regularly delete old emails that are no longer necessary.
Transfer large attachments to a cloud storage service such as Google Drive or Dropbox.
Unsubscribe from email lists you no longer read.
By implementing these strategies, we can maintain the cleanliness of our inboxes and make room for new, important emails. This proactive approach will prevent email bouncing and guarantee the receipt of all vital messages.
Have you been blacklisted?
It's possible that your emails are bouncing because you've been blacklisted. This can occur if you've been sending what Google or the recipients consider spam emails, emails with malicious attachments or links, or emails to recipients who haven't opted to receive them. You might also be blacklisted if you're sending emails from a domain that's been blacklisted or through an email marketing service that's been blacklisted.
To verify if you've been blacklisted, a few steps can be taken. First, attempt to send an email to yourself. If it bounces back, this could indicate blacklisting. Additionally, there are online tools available to check if your email address or domain is on any blacklists.
Follow this Google guide to get yourself set up on Postmaster. If we've worked together, it's likely I've done this for you already and can let you know if something has gone wrong. However it's worth you getting yourself set up on Postmaster so that you can see if your domain is being marked for SPAM.
Should you continue to encounter difficulties, reaching out to your email provider for further assistance may be necessary.
Contact your email provider
If you've exhausted all other possibilities and are still unsure why your emails are bouncing, it's time to reach out to your email provider. We'll guide you through the process and what to anticipate in this section.
First, gather information about the bounced emails. This includes the email addresses of the recipients, the dates and times the emails were sent, and the error messages you received. You can usually find this information in your email client's sent folder or in your email provider's control panel.
Following this, reach out to your email provider's customer support team. They are typically accessible by phone, email, or live chat. When you connect with them, have the information from the previous step at the ready.
Their customer support team will promptly investigate the issue and take the necessary steps to ensure your emails are delivered successfully.
Should the root of the problem lie with the recipient's email server, their team should reach out to their email provider to ensure a swift resolution.
Once the issue is resolved, you should be able to send emails without any problems.
If you continue to experience problems, please contact your email provider's customer support team again.
