Email is an important tool for staying in touch, whether for work or personal reasons. Email delivery is ensured via the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). However, problems with this process can result in errors like “554 Email Rejected Due to Security Policies,” which may block the email’s delivery. Dealing with these issues can be frustrating, especially if the sender does not understand the error.
The good news is that after reading this article, you’ll know exactly why the 554 error happens and how to fix it, so you can send emails without any trouble.
What is SMTP Error 554?
SMTP Error 554 occurs when an email fails to be sent successfully. This indicates that the email is halted during transmission and is rejected by the recipient’s server. The error is final for that attempt, and the server won’t retry sending the email until the issue is resolved.
Normally, you’ll receive a bounce message indicating that the email couldn’t be delivered. In some cases, this message might also suggest that the sender’s IP address has been blacklisted or that the content of the email triggered spam filters.
When the precise cause of an email delivery failure is unknown, a 554 error code is frequently used. When this happens, the server sends you a bounce-back message that includes your original email and a 554 error code as the subject.
Here’s an example of what a 554 bounce-back message might look like:
- 554 Message not allowed – [PH01] Message rejected for policy reasons
- 554 rejected due to spam content
- 554 Transaction Failed Spam Message not queued.
- 554 Virus found, message permanently rejected (#5.3.0)
- 554 Relay access denied
- 554 delivery error: dd This user doesn’t have a ymail.com account
- 554 Message permanently rejected
- 554 rejected due to virus
- 554 Spam violation, the content of your e-mail contains illegal characters, re-sent after examination
- 554 Sorry, no mailbox here by that name
- 554: Relay access denied
- 554 5.7.1 Content blocked due to policy violations. Email flagged as spam.
- 554 5.1.0 Sender’s domain blacklisted for abusive behavior. Contact administrator for removal.
- 554 5.5.2 Invalid recipient address [email protected]. Check recipient details.
- 554 5.2.3 Sender’s email address has a poor reputation. Correct sender behavior.
Even if you get a reason for the error, it’s often full of technical terms. But as promised, we’ll look at the causes of SMTP error 554 and show you how to fix them.
Causes of SMTP Error 554
1. Invalid Recipient Address or Errors
When an SMTP email error occurs with the message “invalid recipient address,” it usually indicates that the recipient has configured custom filters or that the email address is incorrect. The recipient’s address may occasionally be disabled or suspended.
Moreover, Internet service providers (ISPs) will notice if you consistently send emails to incorrect addresses. This may damage your reputation and affect the delivery of your emails.
2. Blacklisted IP Address
This indicates that open relays or spam problems could have blocked the sender’s IP address. This could happen if someone uses your login information for spam or fraud, or if systems mistakenly recognize your actions as suspicious.
Leading webmail service providers, such as Gmail, Outlook, and Zoho Mail, reject incoming emails if they find any problems and verify the reputation of IP addresses before accepting connections.
3. Missing or Invalid DNS Records
DNS is a critical component of the internet. The essential purpose of this system is to convert domain names for websites into IP addresses. Poor DNS records at the sender’s domain result in errors like “554 permanent problems with the remote server.”
These DNS records, DMARC, SPF, and DKIM are typically scanned by the recipient’s server to verify the sender’s receiver. Should there be contradictions, the incoming message is rejected, and a 554 error is displayed.
Now, let’s examine how DNS records assist the destination server in confirming the message’s authenticity and the sender’s identity.
SPF Record
An SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record specifies the IP addresses that are permitted to send emails for a domain. Emails sent from IP addresses that aren’t on this list are seen as suspicious and are rejected, which results in the error “554 Email rejected due to security policies.” This lessens the likelihood of email spoofing.
DKIM Record
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an email authentication system that allows servers to validate an email’s integrity. Each email is digitally signed, which allows the destination server to affirm that it was not altered during transit. If the DKIM verification fails due to a missing or invalid record, the email will be rejected with an error code 554.
DMARC Record
DMARC (stands for Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance), connects SPF with DKIM to help receivers verify the sender’s identity and email’s authenticity.
The sender’s domain will reject the email with a 554 SMTP error citing a security policy violation if the sender has not configured a DMARC record.
4. Email Violation Policy
Every email service provider has email policies that users’ messages need to abide by. A message that violates these guidelines is instantly blocked by the email provider. For instance, spam, malicious attachments, malicious links, and incorrect header data will all result in the blocking of emails.
5. Recipient’s Policies Blocking Specific Emails
The recipient can manage who is permitted to send emails from their domain by using the Sender Policy Framework (SPF) to block unwanted spam. SPF assists in stopping attackers and spammers from sending emails that seem to be from reputable companies.
If the mail IP or domain has been transferred but the new IP address has not been updated in the SPF records, emails may cause an error and be blocked by the recipient’s server.
Ways to Fix SMTP Error 554
1. Check the Email Address
Checking the email addresses you’re sending to again will help you fix the 554 issue if the email error is being caused by an invalid recipient address. Check any typos and misspellings, and confirm that the addresses are valid.
2. Verify Your IP and Domain Status
Keeping an eye on your blacklist status is essential since it allows you to act quickly to get unlisted Fortunately, tools like MXToolbox, Barracuda Networks, and Mailgun provide blacklist monitoring and quick alerts. The services will show you the blacklists you are on and, in certain situations, give the most likely explanation. If your IP address or domain seems to be on one, take action based on the delisting guidelines provided by the blacklist service. If the blacklist has an automated procedure, delisting typically takes 1-2 weeks. Self-service removal can be speedier, ranging from several hours to a few days. In severe circumstances or for recurrent violations, delisting can take 3-4 months.
3. Send from a Different Set of IP Addresses
You also have the option to send using a different email address or from a different range of IP addresses. This is critical, particularly if your list contains fake emails or the cause is an invalid recipient address.
Your sender’s reputation will increase as a result, and going forward, your emails won’t be viewed as spam. After that, proceed with caution to make sure you only send to lists that have been confirmed to be valid.
4. Verify DNS Records
To ensure the integrity of your email communications, integrate and configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication standards. Through the precise configuration of these security protocols, you may improve your sender reputation, increase email deliverability, and reduce the possibility of running into SMTP Error 554 with recipient mail servers.
5. Get Delisted from RBLs
The first step is to determine why the blacklisting occurred. You then need to request to be taken off of the RBL blacklist. To accomplish this, go to the RBL website and adhere to their removal guidelines. This usually entails completing an application, explaining your reasons for being placed on a blacklist, and outlining the actions you have taken to address the matter. You have to wait for the RBL to take your IP off the blacklist after submitting your removal request. This can take a few hours or several days, depending on the workload and procedure of the RBL.
6. Re-Send Later
Resending the email at a later time may increase your chances of successfully sending it when you receive the “554 Email rejected due to security policies” error because of limitations imposed by the recipient’s server. ISPs frequently set a restriction on how many emails they will accept for a given recipient in a given amount of time, such as an hour or a day. If the limit has been surpassed, sending the email again later could get around the restriction and let your message get through.
7. Test Email Deliverability
To test how your email copy is delivered by several ISPs, send it to a test list. You can use tools like Mail Tester, MXToolbox, GlockApps, or SenderScore to test email deliverability.
If there are any undelivered results, they will indicate which providers might have blocked the message because of security policy. You’ll be provided with specific instructions on how to remedy the 554 SMTP problem.
Tips to Prevent Email Error 550
1. Limit the Number of Emails
Limit the rate at which you send emails to prevent the 554 email error in the future. Setting a restriction on how many emails you send can assist in preventing recipient servers from becoming overloaded. Put limits on a minute, hourly, or daily basis. As an example, limit your email sending to no more than fifty per hour, or send less or more depending on your demands and the destination server’s capacity. This method lowers the possibility that your emails will be rejected and helps you keep a positive reputation with email servers.
2. Check whether IP filtering is enabled
This feature limits the IP addresses to which emails can be sent, so you can only send emails from those allowed locations. In this case, sending messages from any IP address that isn’t on the list won’t be possible with your server configuration.
Contact your mail server administrator to fix this problem. They can check the IP filtering settings currently in place, make the required changes to add your IP address, or change the list of allowed addresses. This will allow you to send emails without being restricted due to IP filtering.
3. Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF)
One of the most important steps in protecting your online apps and data is to use a Web Application Firewall (WAF). Through the monitoring and filtering of incoming traffic to your web applications, a WAF helps defend against a variety of attacks. It prevents malicious efforts to exploit online application vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and other typical threats.
4. Change Your Password Frequently
Changing your passwords regularly is a good way to avoid email errors like error 550. Changing your passwords regularly helps shield your email account from potential security breaches and lowers the chance of unwanted access. A strong password should not contain information that is simple to figure out, including your name, age, or date of birth. Instead, make strong, complicated passwords. To make your password more secure, use a combination of numbers, capital and lowercase letters, and special characters.
5. Scan Outgoing Emails
SMTP error 550 may occasionally appear if spammers have gained access to your email account and are using it to send unsolicited messages. It’s crucial to put up an anti-spam system that checks your outgoing emails for indications of malicious activity to protect against this.
Conclusion
As we’ve discussed in this post, there are several possible causes of SMTP error 554. Even the best-designed email campaigns may be prevented from reaching their target audience by this error, missing out on chances for engagement and conversion.
We hope that these solutions will give you the quick support you require to ensure that your emails are sent to your audience effectively and smoothly.