If your bounce rate in Amazon SES seems high, it’s important to understand how this metric is calculated and what you can do to improve it. The bounce rate is the percentage of emails that are rejected because they cannot be delivered. Specifically, it’s the number of hard bounces divided by the total emails you’ve sent. Hard bounces happen when you try to send an email to an address that doesn’t exist anymore, while soft bounces are temporary issues where delivery fails but may succeed later. Only hard bounces are included in the bounce rate; soft bounces, emails sent to verified addresses, domains, or using the Amazon SES inbox simulator aren’t counted.
Amazon SES shows your bounce rate based on your overall sending history, which means it looks at a broad, average picture rather than just a specific time period. This approach helps ensure your bounce rate reflects your typical sending practices. Unlike the daily bounce rate you see on the dashboard, this historic average considers your entire sending history, so stopping emails temporarily won’t immediately lower your bounce rate.
To get your bounce rate under control, focus on cleaning your email list. Sending to invalid addresses increases your bounce rate, and that could hurt your reputation. Using a suppression list at the account level is a good practice — it automatically stops emails from being sent to addresses that have already bounced, preventing further issues. But to really see improvements, you should take extra steps: verify email addresses before sending, regularly remove invalid or outdated addresses, and keep your list healthy. Over time, sending to valid, verified addresses will lower your bounce rate, and your past averages will improve as a result.
Maintaining a good email list is key. It not only helps you stay compliant but also ensures your emails reach the right audience. The more you focus on sending quality emails to verified addresses, the better your reputation will be, which in turn can improve your bounce rate over time.
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