Why do some messages return a "soft bounce" message status?

Stephanie_R — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:39:26 GMT

A soft bounce indicates that a message could not be delivered due to a temporary issue, but may be successfully delivered if retried.

This is different from permanent delivery failures, where the message cannot be delivered at all.

Soft bounce vs hard bounce

The table below explains the key differences between soft and hard bounces.

Type	What it means	Typical causes	What you should do
Soft bounce	Temporary delivery issue — message may be delivered later	Phone switched off, network issue, inbox full, carrier delay	Retry sending later
Hard bounce	Permanent delivery failure — message cannot be delivered	Invalid number, deactivated number, blocked recipient	Remove or correct the phone number

👉 Key difference

Soft bounces typically occur due to temporary conditions on the recipient’s side or within the network:

👉 Action: Retry sending later

👉 Action: Retry sending later

👉 Action: Retry or follow up with the user if the issue persists

👉 Action: Retry sending after some time

To manage soft bounces effectively:

👉 Best practice
If a number repeatedly returns soft bounces over time, it may indicate a deeper issue and should be reviewed.

Soft bounces are an important indicator of delivery quality.

They help you:

A soft bounce is a temporary delivery issue that may resolve automatically
A hard bounce is a permanent failure that requires action
Monitoring and managing bounces helps improve deliverability and campaign performance

👉 In short:
Soft bounces don’t mean failure — they highlight temporary issues that you can manage to improve your campaign delivery.