> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://documentation.mysmtp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Handling Bounces & Complaints

> Understand hard bounces, soft bounces, and spam complaints, and learn how to handle them to protect your sender reputation and deliverability.

## Handling Bounces and Complaints

## Understanding Bounces

Bounces occur when an email fails to be delivered to the recipient. mySMTP categorizes bounces into two main types:

### Hard Bounces

A hard bounce indicates a permanent delivery failure. Common reasons include:

* The recipient's email address does not exist
* The domain of the recipient is incorrect
* The recipient's email server has blocked delivery

Hard bounces should be removed from mailing lists immediately to maintain sender reputation and avoid deliverability issues.

### Soft Bounces

A soft bounce is a temporary delivery failure, typically due to:

* The recipient's mailbox being full
* The recipient's mail server being temporarily down
* The email message being too large

Soft bounces can be retried a few times before being treated as a hard bounce if delivery remains unsuccessful.

## Managing Suppression Lists

A suppression list helps prevent emails from being sent to addresses that have previously bounced, complained, or unsubscribed. mySMTP maintains suppression lists to improve email deliverability and compliance.

### Automatic Suppression

mySMTP's MailWizz adds email addresses to the suppression list when:

* A hard bounce occurs
* A recipient submits a complaint (via feedback loops with email providers)
* A recipient unsubscribes

### Manual Suppression

Users can manually add email addresses to the suppression list to prevent sending unwanted emails.

## Handling Complaints

When a recipient marks an email as spam, it is considered a complaint. mySMTP integrates with feedback loops (FBLs) from major email providers to detect complaints.

### Reducing Complaints

To minimize complaints:

* Ensure recipients have explicitly opted in to receive emails
* Use a recognizable sender name and email address
* Provide a clear and easy-to-use unsubscribe link
* Avoid excessive or irrelevant emails

## Monitoring and Best Practices

Regularly monitor bounce and complaint reports within mySMTP's dashboard to maintain a high sender reputation. Follow best practices:

* Clean email lists periodically to remove inactive or invalid addresses
* Segment email lists to send targeted and relevant content
* Use authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to improve email deliverability

By proactively managing bounces and complaints, users can maximize the effectiveness of their email campaigns while maintaining a strong sender reputation.


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