Is mailbox full still a valid email bounce message?
Summary
What email marketers say15Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Mailjet indicates that 'mailbox full' is classified as a hard bounce, meaning that it is a permanent error. They suggest that this error means a recipient's mailbox has reached its storage limit.
Email marketer from Webmaster Forum states that while 'mailbox full' bounces are less frequent than in the past, they still exist. Especially in corporate environments with strict storage policies or older email systems.
Email marketer from Email Geeks confirms that "mailbox full" is a valid bounce message, noting that people abandon mailboxes and they overflow. He even asked in the group previously how to properly cleanup his Gmail mailbox, as he was running out of space.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that mailbox full errors are still possible especially with iCloud accounts, and acknowledges that while Gmail has high storage limits it's not unlimited.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares data from gmass.co indicating that Gmail bounces with the `452-4.2.2 The email account that you tried to reach is over quota` message are still observed, often due to Google Drive/Photos space overflows. They add that iCloud's top bounce reason is `552 5.2.2 : user is over quota` for the same reason.
Email marketer from Acme Corp Blog explains that "Mailbox full" errors still occur. The article recommends handling this bounce as a hard bounce and removing the contact from the email list if the issue persists after a few attempts.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that Gmail over quota errors are the #3 highest bounce reason for them. They attribute these errors to abandoned mailboxes, but also note that some recent clickers fill up space with Photos or Drive.
Email marketer from StackOverflow explained that "Mailbox full" is still a valid error response from mail servers, indicating that the recipient has exceeded their storage quota. While less frequent with larger storage limits, it still occurs.
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum describes seeing "Mailbox Full" errors less frequently now due to increased storage, however they still come across it, especially in smaller businesses or older systems. Recommends treating it as a hard bounce if repeated.
Email marketer from Reddit explains that a 'mailbox full' bounce still occurs, particularly with older or less-managed email systems. They also explain that it suggests the recipient has exceeded their storage quota, although modern systems often have large limits. The person added it could also suggest an abandoned account
Marketer from Email Geeks confirms that mailbox full bounce reasons are valid, citing personal experience with Google Photos exceeding storage limits. Alison suggests that a mailbox full bounce could indicate an abandoned mailbox or simply a user exceeding their storage quota.
Email marketer from Reddit explains that while less common, 'mailbox full' bounces still happen, especially when people use their email storage for large files like photos and videos, exceeding their quota. The user says they have seen it happen with their family's accounts.
Email marketer from Sendinblue explains that 'mailbox full' is a hard bounce, signifying a permanent delivery failure. It happens when a recipient's inbox reaches its storage limit, preventing the acceptance of new messages.
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that mailbox full bounces from Gmail or iCloud are likely due to users exceeding storage space for photos and videos, rather than simply filling their accounts with emails. James states that it would take a very long time to fill a Gmail account with just unread emails.
Email marketer from EmailOctopus explains that a 'mailbox full' is a hard bounce, meaning the email address is permanently unavailable. This can occur because the recipient has reached their storage limit or the account is no longer active.
What the experts say3Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise explains in an article about handling bounces that 'user or mailbox is full' errors should be treated as a soft bounce initially, retrying delivery. If the bounce persists, it should then be treated as a hard bounce, indicating a permanent issue with the address.
Expert from Email Geeks advises retrying delivery to "mailbox full" addresses over a few days, as active users may clear the backlog. If the issue persists, it is likely an abandoned account or used for photo/video storage.
Expert from Spamresource.com explains in their article on understanding bounce codes that 'Mailbox Full' is a bounce code. This means that the receiving server has rejected your message because the user has run out of disk space for their inbox. This is technically a transient, soft bounce.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft Support explains that Exchange Server uses mailbox quotas to control mailbox size. When a mailbox exceeds its quota, users may be unable to send or receive new email, leading to a 'mailbox full' bounce message for senders. Quotas are configured at the database or mailbox level.
Documentation from Exim states that a "Mailbox Full" error is a still a valid bounce message. This often occurs when a quota is enforced on the user account at the system level and the user has exceeded this quota.
Documentation from RFC 3463 defines 5.2.2 "Mailbox full" as a permanent failure condition. This enhanced mail system status code indicates that the recipient's mailbox has exceeded a storage limit and cannot accept further mail.
Documentation from cPanel explains that email accounts have disk quota limits set by the hosting provider. When an account reaches its quota, incoming emails will bounce with a 'mailbox full' error. Users need to delete emails or increase the quota to receive new messages.