Salesforce Certified Pardot Consultant Practice Exam

What is a soft bounce in email marketing?

1. An email bounced back identifying spam content

2. An email returned because the recipient's mailbox is full

3. An email sent to invalid addresses

4. An undelivered email due to server downtime

The correct answer is: An email returned because the recipient's mailbox is full

A soft bounce in email marketing refers specifically to an email that was returned undelivered because the recipient's mailbox is full. This scenario indicates that the recipient’s email service provider has temporarily rejected the message, but unlike hard bounces, which indicate permanent issues (like a non-existent email address), soft bounces often suggest a temporary situation. In this context, while the mailbox being full is crucial, it's important to understand that soft bounces may also occur due to other temporary reasons, such as server issues or the recipient's email being too large to accept additional messages. This is important in email marketing, as soft bounces can sometimes resolve themselves, allowing future emails to be delivered once the recipient clears their inbox. Monitoring these bounces helps marketers maintain their sender reputation and optimize their email deliverability effectively.