> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.rechat.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.rechat.com/guides/marketing/email-deliverability/understanding-bounces-and-unsubscribes.md). # Understanding Bounces and Unsubscribes Learn the difference between bounced emails and unsubscribes, and how each impacts your email deliverability. Understanding how your emails perform after sending is key to maintaining strong deliverability.Two important metrics to monitor are **bounces** and **unsubscribes**. ### **What is a Bounced Email?** A bounced email occurs when a message cannot be delivered to the recipient’s inbox. #### **Hard Bounce (Permanent Failure)** A hard bounce means the email cannot be delivered permanently.Common reasons: * Invalid or non-existent email address * Domain does not exist * Recipient server has blocked the email 👉 **What to do:**Remove these contacts immediately to protect your sender reputation. #### **Soft Bounce (Temporary Issue)** A soft bounce is a temporary delivery issue.Common reasons: * Recipient’s inbox is full * Email server is temporarily down * Message is too large Rechat will retry sending these emails for a period of time (typically up to 72 hours).If delivery continues to fail, the email may eventually be treated as a hard bounce. #### **In Rechat** * Multiple soft bounces may appear with a red badge (e.g. “Bounced7”) * This indicates multiple delivery attempts ### **What is an Unsubscribe?** An unsubscribe occurs when a recipient chooses to stop receiving your emails.This means: * Your email was successfully delivered * The recipient opted out of future communication ### **Why This Matters** * **Bounces = delivery problem** * **Unsubscribes = engagement choice** Both impact your sender reputation in different ways. ### **Best Practices** * Remove hard bounces immediately * Monitor repeated soft bounces * Respect all unsubscribe requests * Regularly clean your contact list {% hint style="info" %} A healthy email list is not about size—it’s about engagement.Smaller, high-quality lists will always outperform large, unengaged ones. {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://help.rechat.com/guides/marketing/email-deliverability/understanding-bounces-and-unsubscribes.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.