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SMTP Error 552: Exceeded Storage Allocation

SMTP error 552 indicates that the requested mail action was aborted because the mailbox has exceeded its storage allocation. This is a permanent failure that occurs when the recipient's mailbox is full and cannot accept more mail.

What Does 552 Mean?

The SMTP reply code 552 follows the standard SMTP response format:

  • 5 = Permanent failure (permanent negative completion reply)
  • 52 = Requested mail action aborted: exceeded storage allocation

When you receive a 552 error, it means the recipient's mailbox has exceeded its storage quota and cannot accept your message. This is a permanent error until the recipient frees up space.

Error Type

  • Type: Permanent failure (hard error)
  • Category: Storage quota
  • Action Required: Wait for recipient to free up space or remove address

Common Causes

  1. Mailbox Full: The recipient's mailbox has reached its storage limit
  2. Quota Exceeded: The mailbox has exceeded its allocated quota
  3. No Space Available: No storage space is available in the mailbox
  4. Large Messages: Previous large messages have filled the mailbox
  5. Inactive Account: The account is inactive and mailbox is full
  6. Quota Not Increased: Storage quota has not been increased

How to Resolve

For Email Senders

  1. Wait and Retry: Wait for the recipient to free up space, then retry
  2. Contact Recipient: Contact the recipient to inform them their mailbox is full
  3. Reduce Message Size: If sending large attachments, try reducing the message size
  4. Remove from List: Consider removing the address if mailbox remains full
  5. Monitor Retry Success: Track whether retries eventually succeed

For Developers

  1. Implement Retry Logic: Add retry logic with longer delays (24-48 hours)
  2. Queue Management: Queue failed messages for retry
  3. Error Tracking: Log 552 errors separately to track full mailboxes
  4. Message Size Limits: Consider reducing message size for full mailboxes
  5. Suppression Lists: Add addresses to suppression list if mailbox remains full

Related SMTP Errors

Examples

Example Error Message

552 Requested mail action aborted: exceeded storage allocation

Example with Enhanced Status Code

552 5.2.2 Mailbox full

Common Email Provider Responses

  • Gmail: "552 5.2.2 The email account that you tried to reach is over quota"
  • Outlook/Hotmail: "552 Mailbox full"
  • Yahoo: "552 Storage allocation exceeded"
  • Custom Domains: Varies by mail server configuration

Best Practices

  1. Retry with Delays: Retry 552 errors after 24-48 hours
  2. Set Maximum Retries: Limit retry attempts (e.g., 3-5 attempts over a week)
  3. Monitor Success Rate: Track how many 552 errors eventually succeed
  4. Reduce Message Size: Consider reducing message size for full mailboxes
  5. Suppression Lists: Add persistently full mailboxes to suppression lists
  6. User Notification: Notify users when their mailboxes are full
  7. Quota Monitoring: Monitor mailbox quotas to prevent 552 errors
  8. Clean Old Messages: Encourage users to clean old messages