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Troubleshooting

My pitch email bounced — what should I do?

Understanding and resolving email delivery issues

Email bounces happen when your pitch can't be delivered to a journalist's inbox. Understanding why emails bounce and how to respond can help you maintain good sender reputation and improve your outreach success rates.

Important:

Don't immediately re-send to the same email address. First, understand why the email bounced and take appropriate action to avoid being marked as spam.

Types of Email Bounces

Hard Bounces

Permanent delivery failures that indicate the email address is invalid or doesn't exist.

  • •Email address doesn't exist
  • •Domain doesn't exist
  • •Recipient's email server permanently rejects emails
  • •Email address is badly formatted

Action: Do not retry. Find an alternative email address for the journalist.

Soft Bounces

Temporary delivery issues that might resolve themselves or with minor adjustments.

  • •Recipient's inbox is full
  • •Email server is temporarily down
  • •Message size is too large
  • •Temporary server configuration issues

Action: Wait 24-48 hours, then try again. If it bounces again, treat as a hard bounce.

What to Do When Your Email Bounces

Step 1: Check the Bounce Reason

HeyJared automatically categorizes bounces and provides details in your campaign dashboard:

1
Go to your "Sent Pitches" or "Campaign Dashboard"
2
Look for emails marked with a bounce status (usually shown with a warning icon)
3
Click on the bounced email to see the specific bounce reason and error message

Step 2: Take Appropriate Action

For Hard Bounces:

  • •Mark the email address as invalid in your records
  • •Search for an alternative email address for the journalist
  • •Check the journalist's publication or social media for current contact info
  • •Consider reaching out through the publication's general contact form

For Soft Bounces:

  • •Wait 24-48 hours before attempting to resend
  • •If it's a "mailbox full" error, try again in a few days
  • •For large attachment issues, send without attachments
  • •If the second attempt fails, treat as a hard bounce

Finding Alternative Contact Information

When a journalist's primary email bounces, try these methods to find alternative contact information:

Primary Sources

  • •Journalist's author bio on recent articles
  • •Publication's staff directory or contact page
  • •Journalist's Twitter/LinkedIn profile
  • •Author page on the publication's website
  • •Professional journalism databases

Alternative Approaches

  • •Contact the publication's news desk
  • •Reach out via social media (professional tone)
  • •Use the publication's tip line or contact form
  • •Contact through the journalist's personal website
  • •Ask colleagues for current contact information

Common Bounce Reasons and Solutions

"Mailbox Full" or "Over Quota"

Cause: The journalist's inbox has reached its storage limit.

Solution: Wait 2-3 days and try again. Journalists often clear their inboxes regularly.

"User Unknown" or "No Such User"

Cause: The email address doesn't exist or has been deactivated.

Solution: Find an alternative email address. Do not retry the same address.

"Message Blocked" or "Policy Violation"

Cause: The recipient's email server blocked your message due to content or sender reputation.

Solution: Review your pitch content for spam-like language. Try a different approach or contact method.

"Domain Not Found"

Cause: The email domain doesn't exist or is misspelled.

Solution: Check for typos in the domain. Research the correct email format for that publication.

Preventing Future Bounces

Best Practices

  • •Use HeyJared's verified journalist database to minimize bounces
  • •Double-check email addresses before sending
  • •Keep your journalist contact list updated
  • •Monitor bounce rates and address issues promptly
  • •Avoid sending emails with large attachments
  • •Follow email best practices to maintain good sender reputation

When to Update Journalist Information

Help improve the database for everyone by reporting outdated contact information:

Report Hard Bounces: Let us know when email addresses are permanently invalid
Share Updated Contacts: If you find new email addresses for journalists, share them with our team
Report Job Changes: Let us know when journalists move to new publications

Impact on Your Account

Bounce Rate Monitoring

HeyJared monitors bounce rates to maintain email deliverability. High bounce rates can temporarily limit sending capabilities, so it's important to maintain good email hygiene and use verified contact information.

Need More Help?

Related help topics for email delivery and journalist outreach:

Why some reporters don't appear in search resultsResponsible pitching: avoiding spamContact support for technical issues