What are the new Microsoft Exchange receiving limits and how do they work?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Spiceworks community forum shares that the new limits affect organizations sending large volumes of email, especially automated notifications. They suggest segmenting email lists and staggering sends to avoid triggering the limits.
Email marketer from MXToolbox shares that Exchange Online has limits on how many emails a user can send per day and how many recipients an email can have. These limits are in place to prevent spamming and ensure fair resource utilization.
Email marketer from SuperUser.com answers that exceeding the receiving limits in Exchange Online means that senders may receive bounce-back messages (NDRs). This user advises checking the sender's sending reputation and ensuring proper authentication is in place.
Email marketer from Reddit user explains that Microsoft implemented these limits to combat spam and denial-of-service attacks. They recommend monitoring email traffic and adjusting sending practices if you approach these limits.
Email marketer from EmailGeek Forum user explains that these limits can impact marketing campaigns and transactional emails. They suggest using a dedicated email marketing service to handle large volumes.
Marketer from Email Geeks explains the Microsoft Exchange receiving limits as a double-layered rate limit. The first layer is a mailbox limit of 3,600 emails per hour. The second layer limits a single sender to sending no more than 33% of that hourly limit (1,200 emails) to the same mailbox.
Email marketer from StackExchange explains that the hourly limit means a mailbox can only receive 3600 emails per hour, and a single sender can't send more than 1200 emails to the same mailbox in that time. If these limits are exceeded, emails may be deferred or bounced.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares an update from Microsoft regarding Exchange receiving limits. The update introduces a limit on sender-recipient pairs (SRP). If a single sender sends over 33% of the 3,600 messages per rolling hour threshold to a specific recipient, the SRP limit will kick in, and the mailbox will no longer accept messages from that sender. The mailbox will continue accepting messages from other senders.
Email marketer from EmailDeliverabilityBlog.com shares that the key to avoiding these limits is to warm up your IP address, maintain a good sender reputation, and avoid sudden spikes in email volume.
Marketer from Email Geeks clarifies that one mailbox equals one email address.
Email marketer from EmailProvider.com blog explains that the Exchange Online limits are designed to protect users from spam and abuse. It's important to monitor sending practices and ensure compliance with Microsoft's guidelines.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that rate limiting in Exchange Online is a mechanism used to prevent abuse and ensure fair usage of resources. It limits the number of emails a single sender can send to prevent spamming.
Expert from Spam Resource shares that Microsoft’s recommended limits should be adhered to at all costs to avoid issues with mail delivery and ensure your mail is delivered. It is far better to err on the side of caution and stay well within these limits.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft Learn details that transport rules can be configured to manage email flow and enforce policies, but they do not override the hard limits on sending and receiving messages. They can be used to monitor and manage traffic to stay within the defined limits.
Documentation from Microsoft Learn states that message rate limits in Exchange Online help to throttle the number of messages sent to prevent spam and maintain system performance. These limits can vary based on sender reputation and other factors.
Documentation from Microsoft outlines that the service descriptions for Exchange Online offer detailed information about service availability, features, and technical specifications, including sending and receiving limits.
Documentation from Microsoft Learn explains that Non-Delivery Reports (NDRs) are system messages that report problems with email delivery. If a sender exceeds the receiving limits, the recipient's mail server might generate an NDR explaining the issue to the sender.
Documentation from Microsoft Docs explains that Exchange Online has receiving limits to protect the service. A mailbox can receive a maximum of 3,600 messages per hour. Additionally, a single sender cannot send more than 1,200 messages (33% of the total limit) to the same mailbox per hour.