Salesforce Marketing Cloud Data Views: _Bounce

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The _Bounce data view in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) provides visibility into email delivery issues by tracking bounced email events. Understanding why emails bounce is critical for maintaining sender reputation, improving deliverability, and ensuring campaign success.

This blog explains the structure of the _Bounce data view, outlines each field’s purpose, shares common use cases, and provides SQL queries to help you analyze bounce data effectively.

What is the _Bounce Data View?

The _Bounce data view captures information about emails that failed to reach the recipient. It includes both hard and soft bounces and retains records for up to six months.

Key Benefits of _Bounce Data View

  • Deliverability Insights: Understand why emails aren’t reaching inboxes.
  • List Hygiene: Identify invalid or inactive email addresses.
  • Reputation Management: Reduce bounces to protect sender score.
  • Campaign Performance: Adjust targeting based on bounce feedback.

Fields in _Bounce Data View & Their Uses

FieldTypeDescription & Use Case
AccountIDNumberID of the SFMC account. Important for multi-account environments.
OYBAccountIDNumberParent account ID in enterprise environments.
JobIDNumberUnique identifier for the send job. Joinable with _Sent, _Open, etc.
ListIDNumberID of the list used in the send. Useful for list-level reporting.
BatchIDNumberBatch ID for the send. Useful for tracking large email sends.
SubscriberIDNumberSystem-generated subscriber ID. Used internally.
SubscriberKeyText(254)External identifier for the subscriber. Often the email or unique contact ID.
EventDateDateDate and time the bounce occurred. Critical for time-based analysis.
DomainText(128)Email domain (e.g., gmail.com). Helps identify domain-specific deliverability issues.
BounceCategoryIDNumberNumeric ID for the bounce category (e.g., Hard Bounce).
BounceCategoryText(50)High-level classification of bounce (e.g., Technical, Block, Unknown).
BounceSubcategoryIDNumberNumeric ID for the bounce subcategory.
BounceSubcategoryText(50)Specific classification within the category (e.g., Mailbox Full, Spam Block).
BounceTypeIDNumberID for the type of bounce (e.g., 1 = Hard, 2 = Soft).
BounceTypeText(50)Type of bounce event (Hard or Soft).
SMTPBounceReasonText(4000)Reason provided by the mail server for the bounce. Used for diagnostics.
SMTPMessageText(4000)Additional message from the mail system. Provides further context.
SMTPCodeNumberSMTP error code. Important for detailed deliverability troubleshooting.
IsUniqueBooleanIndicates if the bounce event is the first for that subscriber for that job. Helps with deduplication.
TriggererSendDefinitionObjectIDText(36)Triggered send object ID. Useful for automation tracking.
TriggeredSendCustomerKeyText(36)Customer key of the triggered send. Used to track journey-specific sends.

When and Why to Use _Bounce Data View?

When to Use?

  • After email campaigns to review delivery issues.
  • To clean up invalid addresses from your lists.
  • For domain-specific bounce analysis.
  • To troubleshoot SMTP bounce messages.

Why Use It?

  • Improve Deliverability: Identify trends that impact inbox placement.
  • Maintain List Quality: Remove invalid or disengaged contacts.
  • Comply with Best Practices: Avoid high bounce rates that damage reputation.
  • Enhance Campaign Reporting: Get a complete picture of email performance.

10 Example Scenarios and Queries

1. Retrieve All Bounce Events from the Last 7 Days

SELECT SubscriberKey, EventDate, BounceType, BounceCategory 
FROM _Bounce 
WHERE EventDate >= DATEADD(day, -7, GETDATE())

Use Case: Weekly deliverability review.

2. Count Bounces by Type

SELECT BounceType, COUNT(*) AS BounceCount 
FROM _Bounce 
GROUP BY BounceType

Use Case: Evaluate hard vs. soft bounce rates.

3. Top Bounce Categories

SELECT BounceCategory, COUNT(*) AS Total 
FROM _Bounce 
GROUP BY BounceCategory 
ORDER BY Total DESC

Use Case: Understand the most frequent bounce reasons.

4. Identify Emails with Repeated Bounces

SELECT SubscriberKey, COUNT(*) AS BounceCount 
FROM _Bounce 
GROUP BY SubscriberKey 
HAVING COUNT(*) > 1

Use Case: Flag emails that consistently bounce.

5. Bounce Details for Specific Campaign (JobID)

SELECT SubscriberKey, SMTPBounceReason, BounceType 
FROM _Bounce 
WHERE JobID = 654321

Use Case: Investigate delivery issues in a campaign.

6. Bounce Rate by Domain

SELECT Domain, COUNT(*) AS TotalBounces 
FROM _Bounce 
GROUP BY Domain

Use Case: Identify deliverability problems by ISP.

7. Unique Bounces Only

SELECT SubscriberKey, EventDate, IsUnique 
FROM _Bounce 
WHERE IsUnique = 1

Use Case: Focus on first-time bounce events.

8. High-Bounce Subcategories

SELECT BounceSubcategory, COUNT(*) AS Total 
FROM _Bounce 
GROUP BY BounceSubcategory 
ORDER BY Total DESC

Use Case: Pinpoint specific reasons for bounces.

9. Track Bounces from Triggered Sends

SELECT SubscriberKey, TriggeredSendCustomerKey, BounceType 
FROM _Bounce 
WHERE TriggeredSendCustomerKey = 'ReEngagement_Journey'

Use Case: Monitor deliverability of automated emails.

10. Bounced Subscribers for Suppression List

SELECT DISTINCT SubscriberKey 
FROM _Bounce 
WHERE BounceType = 'Hard'

Use Case: Build suppression list to reduce future bounces.

Conclusion

The _Bounce data view is an essential tool in Salesforce Marketing Cloud for identifying and addressing email delivery issues. By understanding bounce categories, types, and reasons, marketers can improve list quality, campaign effectiveness, and overall deliverability.

Combine _Bounce with _Sent, _Open, and _Click for a full lifecycle view of email performance.

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