A Soft Bounce or soft rebound occurs when an email is not delivered to the recipient due to a temporary problem with a valid email address. Once the problem is resolved, the recipient will be able to receive the email. Unlike a Hard Bounce, it is a temporary delivery problem and not a permanent one.
Causes of Soft Bounces in Email
There are various reasons why an email may not be temporarily delivered to the recipient. Some of the most common causes include:
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The recipient's inbox is full
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The size of the email exceeds the recipient's inbox limit
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The server is not available at the time of sending
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The server had a delivery issue but will continue to attempt delivery
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Issues with the server's DNS
What is the Difference Between Soft Bounces and Hard Bounces?
The main difference between soft bounces and hard bounces is that hard bounces are emails whose delivery is permanently unsuccessful. Due to various reasons, such as a non-existent email address, the email will never reach the recipient's inbox. Soft bounce, on the other hand, is a temporary delivery failure, and another delivery attempt will be made after some time.