What causes the 452 SMTP error
SMTP code 452 is used to indicate that the recipient's email server is unable to accept the message due to a lack of storage space, too many recipients, or insufficient system resources.
The error most commonly occurs when the recipient's mailbox is full. However it may also happen if, the email exceeds the server's recipient limit, or the server is facing resource limitations.
Generally this states the message will be defferred (delayed) and will retry again later.
SMTP 452 error explained
Let's break down the SMTP 452 error code into it's parts:
| 4 | The first digit of the SMTP 452 indicates whether the response is good, bad or incomplete. | 4xx Transient Negative Completion. |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | The second digit of the SMTP 452 indicates the response category. | x5x replies generally indicate the status of the mail system or mail server status. |
| 2 | The third digit of the SMTP 452 indicates the specific response. | While not always true, 0 tends to be a generic response and other numbers are more specific. |
SMTP 452 error code examples
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452 4.2.2 <[recipient email]>: Recipient address rejected: Error: BUZON LLENO. MAILBOX IS FULL.
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452 #4.5.3 Too many recipients
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452 4.3.1 Insufficient system storage
Gmail SMTP 452 error examples
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452 4.2.2 The email account that you tried to reach is over quota. Please direct the recipient to Clear Google Drive space & increase storage.
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452 4.5.3 Domain policy size per transaction exceeded, please try this recipient in a separate transaction. This message means the email policy size (size of policies, number of policies, or both) for the recipient domain has been exceeded.
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452 4.5.3 Your message has too many recipients.
What causes the SMTP 452 error?
- Mailbox Full: The recipient's mailbox does not have enough space to accept new emails.
- Server Storage Limits: The email server has reached its storage capacity, preventing it from accepting new messages.
- Too Many Recipients: The email has more recipients than the server's policy allows.
- Insufficient System Storage: The server is facing a shortage of system resources or storage space to process the email.
How do you fix an SMTP 452 error?
To address a 452 error:
- If caused by a full mailbox, the sender can retry sending the email at a later time, allowing the recipient a chance to clear space in their mailbox.
- If due to too many recipients, reduce the number of recipients and resend the email.
- If the issue is related to insufficient system storage, the issue may need to be resolved by the receiving server's administrator.
- Contacting the recipient or their server administrator through alternative means to inform them of the issue can be beneficial.
- Regular monitoring of mailbox sizes, adhering to recipient limits, or server resource management can prevent recurrence of this issue.
Need help sending or receiving transactional email? Contact CloudMailin Support to see if we can provide a more reliable SMTP service.
Other SMTP Responses
Troubleshoot other SMTP responses using the links below: