> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.acymailing.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.acymailing.com/main-pages/bounces/bounce-rules.md).

# Bounce rules

## What's a bounce e-mail?

When you send a message to a non-existing e-mail address, you will get an automatic reply saying that this e-mail address does not exist.\
This is what we call a **bounce e-mail** and this message will be automatically sent to the e-mail address you specified as “**bounce address**” in the AcyMailing configuration page.\
Depending on your server, this message may not be returned immediately and sometimes it can be sent up to one week after you sent your e-mail.

<figure><img src="/files/-MJSSoKawHOXDSV2bD6G" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**AcyMailing Enterprise** is able to handle such messages.

AcyMailing will connect to your mailbox, "read" your messages, determine which e-mail address bounced and automatically execute actions on this wrong receiver such as:

* Delete the user
* Block the user
* Remove the subscription of the user
* Unsubscribe the user
* Subscribe the user to another list

Then AcyMailing can delete the message from your mailbox, save it on the AcyMailing user profile and/or forward it to another e-mail address so that it won't be processed twice.

That way, you will always keep a clean list of subscribers and the non-existing e-mail addresses will be removed from the system.

{% hint style="warning" %}
We highly recommend you to handle your bounce messages on a dedicated mailbox.\
That way, you won’t receive the replies from your subscribers on this same mailbox and you will safely let AcyMailing delete messages from your bounce mailbox.\
If you don't use a dedicated mailbox, please make sure you don't specify any action on the message for the final action.
{% endhint %}


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