What happens when a recipient has a hard bounce from an email campaign?

When a recipient experiences a hard bounce from an email campaign, it signifies that the email could not be delivered to that recipient due to a permanent error. This typically occurs when the email address is invalid, has been closed, or does not exist. Hard bounces indicate issues that cannot be resolved by simple means, meaning that the email address should generally not be contacted again regarding that particular campaign.

This understanding is crucial for maintaining a clean and healthy email list, as continued attempts to reach invalid addresses can hurt the sender's reputation and deliverability. Recognizing hard bounces allows marketers to take appropriate actions, such as removing or inactivating those email addresses to optimize future campaigns and ensure that communications reach valid recipients.