Reviews are AWS’s way of enforcing its sending rules without switching you off straight away. Most senders get one email, and it arrives after the problem is well under way.
The thresholds
| Under review | Sending can be paused | |
|---|---|---|
| Bounce rate | 5% | 10% |
| Complaint rate | 0.1% | 0.5% |
These are the figures AWS publishes. Check the current AWS documentation, since AWS can change them. Note how close the complaint limits are to normal numbers: 0.1% is one complaint per thousand messages.
What happens
- Your rate crosses the review line.
- AWS places the account under review and gives you time to fix the cause. The console shows the status as Under review.
- If the rate falls, the review ends. If it does not, or it reaches the higher limit, AWS can pause your sending.
- A paused account stops sending until you have explained and fixed the cause.
Responding
- Find the source. Was it one campaign, one list or one application? Filter bounces and complaints by sender and date.
- Stop sending to that source.
- Remove the affected addresses from your lists. They should be on your suppression list already.
- Write back to AWS with what happened and what you changed. AWS says that if it agrees your changes will reduce the rate, it recalculates using only bounces received after the changes.
Not getting there
The review notice is the last warning, not the first. The rates climbed for hours or days before it arrived, and a dashboard checked now and then missed it. Alerts at a share of the thresholds give you a day or two of room. See bounce rate and complaint rate.
Common questions
How long do I have to fix a review?
AWS's documentation gives no fixed length for a review. It says it is giving you time to fix the problem, so read the notice and act the same day.
Can I get a paused account restored?
Usually, if you can show AWS what went wrong and what you changed. Reply to the case with specifics: how the bad addresses got on the list, what you removed and what you changed to prevent a repeat.