The Bounced feature automatically associates the messages returned as undeliverable with the appropriate contacts. This feature is useful when you send out large volume of email newsletters and autoresponders, because it is often hard to tell who were the original recipients of the bounced emails.

The Bounced module can be enabled in Settings > Department.

When enabled, you will see a Bounced folder in your message folder list.

To track the undeliverable messages, Relenta will include a unique message identifier in the full email headers:

Return-Path: unique-identifier@bounce.relenta.net
XRelentaHDRH511: unique-identifier@bounce.relenta.net

When the bounced (undeliverable) email is received, the system will note its error code as well as the email address to which it was originally sent, associate it with the appropriate contact, and place the message into the Bounced folder.

There are two types of bounced messages: soft and hard. Hard bounce means that the email delivery failure is permanent (SMTP code 550). All other bounces are considered soft. If the number of soft bounces per email address exceeds two, the email address will be marked as hard bounce.

Both soft and hard bounce emails are placed in the Bounced folder so you can review them and act accordingly.

A contact which has at least one soft or hard bounced message associated with it is visually identified with a yellow triangle icon.

On a contact view page, soft bounced emails are displayed in brown, hard bounces in red.