{"id":1774,"date":"2021-05-20T11:02:35","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T08:02:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/?p=1774"},"modified":"2023-03-01T15:38:33","modified_gmt":"2023-03-01T13:38:33","slug":"smtp-error-554","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/smtp-error-554\/","title":{"rendered":"SMTP Error 554"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email errors can be frustrating to deal with, especially when error codes like &#8220;SMTP 554 transaction failed&#8221; are not clear to the sender.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 554 error <\/span><b>indicates that the email didn\u2019t go through.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Simply put, the email transaction between the sender and receiver&#8217;s email was unsuccessful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So,<\/span><\/i><b><i> what causes 554 errors?<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> And, how do we fix them?<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Let&#8217;s dive in to find out.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What Does SMTP Error 554 Mean?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally, SMTP error 554 means there was an unsuccessful email transaction between the sending server and the receiving server.\u00a0 This error is irreversible, and the server will not attempt to send the message again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Well, until you fix it.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While this might be as a result of <\/span><b>\u201cpermanent problems with remote server\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">due to your sending email server being blacklisted, it could also be because of bad DNS records.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Often, a 554 error code is a blanket code for generic email delivery failure. It&#8217;s usually used when an email error code doesn&#8217;t explicitly identify a problem.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In cases like these, the server sends you a bounce-back message with the variation of email error 554 as the subject and your original message in the body.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s what a 554 bounce-back message may look like:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>&lt;recipient@sampledomain.com&gt;:host mail.sampledomain.com [124.62.3.52]: 554 Invalid recipient<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Other variations of the SMTP error 554 may include:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">554 Transaction Failed Spam Message not queued.554 Virus found, message permanently rejected (#5.3.0)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">554 rejected due to spam content<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">554 Relay access denied<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">554 Message not allowed \u2013 [PH01] Message rejected for policy reasons.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you can see, even when there\u2019s a reason provided, it is mostly technical jargon. Not to worry, we\u2019ll explore some of the complex causes for SMTP error 554 and how you can fix them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Causes of SMTP Error 554<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The following are some of the reasons for a 554 email error.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Invalid Recipient Address or Errors<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SMTP email errors that come up as \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">invalid recipient address<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d might result from an incorrect email address or custom filters configured by the recipient. In extreme cases, the recipient\u2019s address might have been suspended or disabled.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, the receiving mail server might pose a problem by having<\/span><b> an incorrect MX record of the recipient\u2019s domain.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>Blacklisted IP Address<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The main reason for this error is a blacklisting of the sender IP. Some spam monitoring systems may blacklist the sender\u2019s IP address because of <\/span><b>spam issues or open relays.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Major webmail service providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Zoho Mail check the reputation of IP addresses before accepting connections and rejects incoming emails if it detects any issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consequently, monitoring systems like <\/span><b>SORBS and <span data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;DNSBL&quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{&quot;2&quot;:637,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;6&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;7&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;8&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:[{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;5&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:0}},{&quot;1&quot;:0,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;3&quot;:3},{&quot;1&quot;:1,&quot;2&quot;:0,&quot;4&quot;:1}]},&quot;9&quot;:0,&quot;12&quot;:0}\">DNSBL <\/span>blacklists the mail server IP address.<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>Bad DNS Records<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bad DNS records bring up errors like:<\/span><b> \u201c554 permanent problems with the remote server.\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The receiving server can reject emails due to poor DNS records at the sender\u2019s domain.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Usually, the recipient\u2019s server scans these DNS records DMARC, SPF, and DKIM for validation on the sender\u2019s receiver. If there are any discrepancies, it rejects the incoming message and brings up a 554 error.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>We\u2019ll briefly discuss these records in a bit.<\/b><\/p>\n<h4><b>SPF Record<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email service providers use an <\/span><b>SPF<\/b> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Sender Policy Framework) <\/span><\/i><b>record to curb unwanted emails from spammers\u2019 domains.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To put it another way, the SPF record lists server IP addresses that can send emails on behalf of the domain. Thus, it rejects any email that doesn\u2019t come from any of these IPs, preventing email spoofing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though the sender\u2019s mail server <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/what-is-my-ip\/\"><b>IP address<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> changes in some cases, the SPF record may not have it listed in its records.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a result, the receiving server bounces the incoming message because it can\u2019t verify it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>DKIM Record\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><b>DKIM<\/b> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Domain Keys Identified Mail)<\/span><\/i><b> records<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, on the other hand, sign the emails in a way that helps the recipient server to verify whether or not the sender is legitimate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some mail servers will reject emails if there are no DKIM records, assuming the sender is fake.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>DMARC Record<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DMARC <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Domain Message Authentication Reporting &amp; Conformance)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> records are similar to SPF and DKIM.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It assists the recipient server in verifying the sender&#8217;s authenticity by validating that an email comes from a designated source.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A missing DMARC record can cause an unsuccessful email transaction.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Sender Address Flagged as Spam<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some email users use custom blacklist configurations to filter out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/emails-delivered-spam-folder\/\"><b>spam<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> words in incoming messages. So, emails with these words get bounced back at the recipient\u2019s end.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The same thing occurs when the sender tries to cross their email sending limits; recipient filters see these actions as suspicious and bounce the message.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Email Violation Policy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email service providers all have email policies that users\u2019 messages must follow. If a message doesn\u2019t follow these policies, t<\/span><b>he email provider blocks it immediately.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><b>How to Fix SMTP Error 554\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While you can fix some of the errors by yourself, other ones require technical expertise. Here\u2019s how to fix some of the common causes for SMTP error 554.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Fix: Invalid Recipient Address or Errors<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you see an<\/span><b> \u201cAddress not found\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bounce message, then check carefully for misspelling words in the recipient\u2019s address.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If there are no typos, you can check with our support team to verify the domain name and know whether the recipient\u2019s domain MX records are set correctly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Fix: Bad DNS Records<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you purchase email hosting with us, we immediately verify <\/span><b>the SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records upon<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> request and make the required changes if needed.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Fix: Spam and Blacklisted IP Address<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are multiple ways to go about fixing this error. But the easiest way is having your address delisted from <\/span><b>public Reputation Block Lists<\/b> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(RBLs).<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Various web tools make it possible to check for blacklisted sender IP addresses and create a delist request. This delisting process can take a couple of days, so hang on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another way is to upgrade your email account to enjoy <\/span><b>pro spam protection and robust storage and bandwidth.<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>Fix: Email Violation Policy<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bad headers, spam contents, offensive links, or malicious attachments go against some email providers or ISP\u2019s policy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Endeavor to rid your messages of these to avoid error messages like: <\/span><b>\u201c554 Message not allowed \u2013 [PH01] Message rejected for policy reasons.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><b>In Summary<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SMTP error 554 can occur for the various reasons we listed above.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Avoid sending spam contents<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, have your DNS records checked, and ensure to stick to your providers\u2019 email policies, and you\u2019re golden.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Email errors can be frustrating to deal with, especially when error codes like &#8220;SMTP 554 transaction failed&#8221; are not clear to the sender.\u00a0 The 554 error indicates that the email didn\u2019t go through. Simply put, the email transaction between the sender and receiver&#8217;s email was unsuccessful. So, what causes 554 errors? And, how do we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-email-hosting"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1774"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1774\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5411,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1774\/revisions\/5411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}