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Understanding Email Delivery Errors

Below is a comprehensive guide to the most common email error messages and what they mean.

Updated this week

Transient Errors (Temporary Issues)

These are temporary problems that usually resolve on their own. Our system will automatically retry sending the email multiple times over a period (usually after 24 hours).

Transient-General

  • Description: A general temporary failure occurred.

  • Possible Causes:

    • Temporary server overload or downtime on the recipient’s side

    • Greylisting or DNS resolution delays

  • Action: No immediate action required. Wait for retry attempts to complete.

Transient-MailboxFull

  • Description: The recipient’s inbox is full.

  • Possible Causes:

    • The recipient has exceeded their mailbox storage quota

  • Action: The system will retry. If urgent, consider reaching out through another channel.

Permanent Errors (Delivery Failed)

These indicate that the message cannot be delivered and won't be retried.

ContentRejected

  • Description: The content of the email was rejected by the recipient's server.

  • Possible Causes:

    • Triggered spam filters

    • Suspicious links, attachments, or formatting

    • Blocked keywords (e.g., “Free”, “Buy now”)

  • Action:

    • Remove or simplify links and attachments

    • Avoid common spam phrases

    • Try sending a plain-text version of the message

550 – Mailbox Unavailable / User Not Found

  • Description: The recipient’s email address is invalid or does not exist.

  • Possible Causes:

    • Typo in the email address

    • The email account has been deleted or deactivated

  • Action: Double-check the address and contact the recipient if needed.

553 – Mailbox Name Not Allowed

  • Description: The recipient address format is not allowed.

  • Possible Causes:

    • Invalid email format or restricted characters

  • Action: Correct the address and resend.

552 – Exceeded Storage Allocation

  • Description: Message size exceeds the recipient's inbox capacity.

  • Possible Causes:

    • Large attachments

  • Action: Reduce the size of attachments or content and resend.

554 – Transaction Failed

  • Description: A generic permanent failure.

  • Possible Causes:

    • Blacklisted sender IP/domain

    • SPF, DKIM, or DMARC authentication failed

  • Action:

    • Check your domain’s email settings

    • Use mxtoolbox.com to check blacklists

Authentication-Related Failures

Email services use authentication protocols to prevent spam and spoofing. If your domain isn’t configured correctly, emails may fail to deliver.

SPF / DKIM / DMARC Failures

  • Description: The email server couldn’t verify that your message came from an authorized sender.

  • Action:

    • Ensure your domain’s SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are set up properly.

    • Contact your domain administrator or hosting provider if you're unsure.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Test with a plain-text version of your email

  • Avoid spammy words and excessive formatting

  • Use authenticated email domains with proper SPF/DKIM/DMARC records

  • Contact support if you’re repeatedly seeing the same errors

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