Permanent Error
552

Error (Permanent Error)

What is SMTP 552?

SMTP code 552 generally indicates a failure due to storage issues or a
limit imposed by the recipient's mail server.
This often relates to the recipient's mailbox being over quota or the
sent message exceeding the size limit set by the recipient's server.

It may sometimes be used for mailboxes that are not found but this is a
non-standard usage.

Code Breakdown

Each digit in an SMTP response code carries a specific meaning.

1st digit
5

Permanent Negative

The command failed permanently. Do not retry without changes.

2nd digit
5

Mail System

Status of the mail system as a whole.

3rd digit
2

Specific Condition

The third digit narrows the response. Zero is typically generic; higher values are increasingly specific.

Response Examples

Typical server responses you may encounter.

smtp session
S: 552 5.2.2 <[recipient email]>: user is over quota
S: 552 Message size exceeds the allowed size for this account (10485760)
S: 552 5.2.2 <[recipient email]> Quota exceeded (mailbox for user is full)
S: 552 1 Requested mail action aborted, mailbox not found
gmail smtp
S: 552 5.2.2 The email account that you tried to reach is over quota.
S: 552 5.2.3 Your message exceeded Google's message size limits.

Common Causes

Why you might receive this response.

1
Mailbox over quota: The recipient's mailbox has exceeded its storage capacity and cannot accept new emails.
2
Message size exceeds limit: The sent email is too large based on the size limits set by the recipient's mail server.
3
Mailbox not found: The specified mailbox cannot be located, often due to incorrect email addresses or deleted accounts.

How to Fix This

To address a 552 error:

  • Verify the recipient's email address for accuracy and correct any
    mistakes.
  • If the issue is due to a full mailbox, the recipient needs to clear
    space in their mailbox to receive new emails.
  • If the email size is the issue, reduce the size of the email by
    compressing attachments or splitting the content into multiple emails.
  • For persistent mailbox not found errors, confirm if the email account
    is active and correctly spelled.

Need help with email delivery?

CloudMailin can help troubleshoot and resolve SMTP issues.

Contact Support

Other SMTP Codes

All codes