If you’re seeing a “Bounced” status in Peptalkr for a particular patient, or a “Fail” status in Cliniko’s communication log for a transactional email, you’re in the right place.
A bounce means the patient’s email provider rejected the email when Peptalkr tried to deliver it. Below is what that means and how to resolve it fast.
What is a bounce?
A bounce is a delivery failure reported by the patient’s email server. Peptalkr generated and sent the message correctly; the receiving server would not accept it.
Hard bounce (permanent): The address doesn’t exist, is typed incorrectly, or isn’t configured to receive mail.
Soft bounce (temporary): The mailbox may be full, the recipient’s server was briefly unavailable, or similar short-lived issues.
How to fix it
Check for typos in the patient’s email (common culprits: extra spaces, .con vs .com, misspelt domains).
Ask the patient for an alternative email address (work or personal).
Update the patient’s email in Cliniko. This will update it in Peptalkr, and you can then resend the email to the patient if needed.
Note: To resend an email to a patient where you've changed their email address, you must do it manually. If it's a welcome or confirmation email you're trying to resend - the easiest thing to do is archive the appointment re-book it.
But their email address is valid?
You can instantly validate whether an email address has a problem by using this free tool - simply enter the recipients email address and hit 'Verify' - scroll down to see problems this email address has.
If we can't deliver email to it - there's a problem with the recipients email address.
It’s valid to think “the email address must be fine” because:
The patient has emailed you successfully, or
You’ve replied from your personal inbox and it went through.
However, email deliverability isn’t always that straightforward. A server can allow some emails in (or let the patient send emails out) while rejecting others. This is why you may still see a bounce even though the address looks valid.
Scenario | What you see | Why it can still bounce | Bounce type |
Patient emailed you from that email | You can receive their emails in your inbox | Sending is different from receiving — their provider may allow outgoing mail but block certain incoming mail (e.g. bulk/automated emails like reminders) | Hard or Soft |
You emailed the patient directly | Your personal/work email to them delivered fine | Manual replies often use a different mail route, which might be accepted, while automated systems like Peptalkr are treated differently by filters | Hard or Soft |
Email address looks correct | Spelling looks fine, domain exists (e.g. @yahoo.com.au) | The specific mailbox may no longer exist, or may be suspended/disabled | Hard |
Patient’s inbox is full | Patient can still send emails out, but can’t receive new ones | The provider rejects new incoming mail until space is freed | Soft |
Workplace or school address | Your personal emails go through | IT security filters often block automated reminders/transactional systems | Hard or Soft |
Free email services (Yahoo etc.) | Address exists, and sometimes works | Strict spam/reputation rules may bounce automated mail while letting some personal ones through | Soft (intermittent) |
How can the recipient fix their email?
Email configuration can be complicated and is managed by the patient’s email provider. If a patient’s address continues to bounce, the best option is for them to contact the technical support team for their email service (for example, Yahoo, Hotmail, or their workplace IT department).
In the meantime, we recommend asking the patient for a different email address (such as a personal Gmail account) to ensure they continue receiving important reminders without interruption.
FAQs
Why did this specific email bounce?
Why did this specific email bounce?
Because the patient’s email server rejected it. This is controlled by the recipient’s provider, not Peptalkr.
Can Peptalkr “force” delivery?
Can Peptalkr “force” delivery?
No. It is an external issue with the recipients email address and is out of our control.
Will soft bounces fix themselves?
Will soft bounces fix themselves?
Often, yes. If repeats occur, confirm the address with the patient or use an alternative.