So, you’re about to send your email marketing content to your target recipients. After hitting send, your email gets bounced and shows a non-delivery report (NDR) displaying the “550 5.4.1. Recipient address rejected: access denied” error message. Several factors, including DNS misconfiguration and low sender reputation from your server, can cause this common email delivery error.
This guide will explain in depth the 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected: Access denied error, its common causes, and four easy-to-do fixes, providing all you need to know to solve this issue on your email accounts.
Read on to know more.
What is the 550 5.4.1 Error Code?
The 550 5.4.1 error is a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) error code. When you send an email, it passes multiple email servers before reaching the recipient’s email address. Once any of these servers encounter a problem, like the 550 5.4.1 error code, there’s likely an issue with the recipient’s email server.
The “550” error code means that the receiver’s email server rejected your message, causing it to be bounced back. Meanwhile, the “5.4.1” code on the non-delivery report (NDR) indicates a problem with your recipient’s email server or that the recipient has blocked you.
Common Causes of 5.4.1. Recipient Address Rejected: Access Denied Error Message
#1. Invalid Email Address
This error may appear if the email address doesn’t exist on the recipient’s email server. Since email providers cannot deliver emails to users with non-existent mailboxes, sending them to an invalid address will get your message blocked, causing the 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected error.
If you’re sending an email to an invalid Outlook address or non-existent domains in Azure Active Directory (for Microsoft Exchange Online users), your email may be rejected using Directory-Based Edge Blocking (DBEB), showing the 550 5.4.1 recipient address rejected error.
#2. Misconfigured Domain Name System (DNS) Settings
Properly configured DNS settings are essential for seamless email communication. This includes checking your mail exchange (MX) record and other necessary records for email authentication to avoid spam, like DKIM, SPF, and DMARC.
#3. The Recipient has Blocked Your Email Domain
If you don’t follow the best sending practices and include spammy content to your recipients, your emails might likely be blocked by a specific recipient, leading to 5.4.1. Recipient address error. To learn more about your spam score and know what it takes to avoid the spam folder, use our free Email Spam Checker.
#4. You’ve Been Blacklisted by the Recipient’s Email Service Provider (ESP)
Once your IP or domain has been frequently associated with spam by email servers, there’s a high chance the ESP has blacklisted your IP or domain. Sending emails in this situation will lead to the 550 5.4.1 recipient address error and other 550 error codes.
If you’re sending bulk emails, It’s also common to receive this error when you’re not following the ideal bulk email sending guidelines provided by your ESP (e.g., Gmail and Outlook). To know the ideal ramp-up schedule for your campaigns, check out our Email Ramp-Up Schedule guide.
4 Effective Fixes to 550 5.4.1 Recipient Address Rejected: Access Denied Error
Here are some simple fixes to the 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected error so your emails reach your recipients properly:
Fix #1: Verify Your Recipient’s Email Address
One of the most important steps to solving this error is ensuring that your recipient’s address is valid and correct. Double-check for any typos on the email’s username, mail server, and extension. To learn more, read our guide on how to check if an email address is still valid and active.
However, if you’re an email marketer who experiences this error on various addresses on your email list, you can instead use an email verification service to expedite the process.
Note: Ensure Your Emails Reach the Right Inbox with InboxAlly’s Email List Verification! Our service removes duplicates and invalid emails from your list, lowering bounce rates and enhancing email deliverability. Start using InboxAlly today for higher open rates and consistent inbox placement!
Fix #2: Ensure Your DNS Records are Properly Configured
Checking if your DNS records are correct is necessary to maintain a good sender reputation. You can start by verifying your domain’s Mail Exchange (MX) and Sender Policy Framework (SPF) records. We’ll focus on Google Workspace and Exchange Online domains (the process may vary depending on your email hosting provider):
Checking MX Records
On Google Workspace
- Sign in to your Google Admin console account.
- Next, select the Menu icon and go to Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail. Click Setup.
- If you started using the service in 2023 or later, you must have only one MX record: SMTP.GOOGLE.COM..
On Exchange Online
On your hosting provider’s website, make a new MX record. Ensure that the fields are set to the following values:
- Record Type: MX
- Priority: Set to the highest value available, typically 0.
- Host Name: @
- Points to address: Copy the value from the admin center and paste it here. (ex. If your domain name is domain.com, the value is domain.com.mail.protection.outlook.com)
- TTL: 3600
Checking SPF Records
To verify if your SPF records are correctly set, you can follow Google’s SPF setup guide and Microsoft’s help article for detailed steps.
Fix #3: Check Your SMTP Server Configuration
Another way to solve the 500 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected error is by checking if your SMTP settings are correctly configured. To do this on Google Workspace and Outlook, follow the steps below:
On Google Workspace
1. Log in to your Gmail account.
2. Click the Settings icon and go to the Forwarding POP/IMAP tab.
3. Under Outgoing Server (SMTP), ensure that the following values are set up:
- Gmail SMTP server address: smtp.gmail.com
- Gmail SMTP name: Input your name here
- Gmail SMTP username: Input your Gmail address here
- Gmail SMTP password: Input your Gmail password here
- Gmail SMTP port (TLS): 587
- Gmail SMTP port (SSL): 465
4. Select Save Changes.
On Outlook
1. Open the Outlook desktop app and log in to your account.
2. Go to File > Info. From the Account Settings dropdown menu, select Manage Profiles.
3. Click the Email Accounts button. Choose your email account and select Change.
4. In the next window, select More Settings. In the Internet Email Settings window, navigate to the Outgoing Server tab.
5. Tick the My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication checkbox and select the Log on using… option. Input your email address and Microsoft account password in the following fields.
6. Next, go to the Advanced tab and ensure that the following values are entered:
- Server Address: smtp-mail.outlook.com (for Outlook users)
- IMAP Port: 993
- Outgoing Server (SMTP): 465
- IMAP Encryption: SSL/TLS
7. Choose OK.
Fix #4: Delist Your IP or Domain From Your Recipient’s ESP
If your email has been blacklisted by email providers for spam or other reasons, you can appeal for a removal request by completing the Bulk Sender Contact form. In Outlook, go to their Anti-Spam Delist Portal web page and complete all the information needed. Ensure to use the same email address where you received the 550 error.
To avoid issues with bulk sending, you can consider familiarizing yourself with Google’s Email Sender Guidelines and the Sender Support guide by Microsoft. If you know the Outlook recipient personally, you can also ask them to add your email to their Safe Senders List to ensure that your emails always land in their primary inbox.
Note: Accelerate Your Email Deliverability with InboxAlly! Our email warm-up service helps you build a strong reputation for your IP and domain faster than ever. By following a proper warm-up schedule and leveraging our seed emails for engagement, you can quickly gain the trust of mailbox providers. Start your journey to better inbox placement and open rates today with InboxAlly!
Final Thoughts
Getting your emails bounced by email delivery errors such as the 550 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected: Access denied error can be challenging and could decrease your sender reputation. However, you can solve it by checking your DNS records and SMTP settings, verifying your recipient’s address, and asking to be delisted from an ESP’s blacklist.
Another effective way to avoid “550” errors and boost your outreach campaign’s success is by using a trusted email deliverability tool like InboxAlly. Our platform offers an email list verification tool, helping you remove invalid and duplicate emails on your mailing list. This results in lower bounce rates and improved email deliverability.
Experience Faster Results with InboxAlly! In as little as 2 weeks, you can see a dramatic improvement in your email deliverability and open rates. Some clients even reported doubling their open rates in this timeframe. Start using InboxAlly today and watch your email campaigns thrive with better engagement and higher revenue.