You have to do this
It seems like every few months I run into somebody who's having trouble with bounced emails.
And by “having trouble” I mean:
they're actually not tracking them.
This is totally understandable
because it might be one of the most overlooked bits of CRM configuration.
But it's also trouble
because failing to track bounces can make you look like a spammer.
And looking like a spammer is a good way to ensure nobody receives your messages.
Here's a quick test you can do right now if you're not sure you've covered this base:
Create a CiviCRM scheduled mailing that includes an address you know will bounce.
(For example, as of today, I happen to know that wJ04jxBqlfdYNQWwR5CR@gmail.com is a bogus address that will bounce; probably any random address like that will work as well -- and to verify that, you could just try manually sending an email yourself and see if you get a bounce.)If that address doesn't appear in the "Mail Bounces" report within a day or so, there's a good chance your bounce handling isn't configured correctly.
A test like that just takes a few minutes, and it can save you a ton of grief.
And if you're having trouble with this, I recommend you take a look at the docs here, or reach out to someone who can help you with this. (Heck, just hit reply here and ask me.)
All the best,
A.