What causes a 'relaying denied' error when sending emails, and how can I diagnose the issue?
Summary
What email marketers say9Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Namecheap Support shares that the 'Relaying Denied' error means the mail server you are attempting to use is not authorized to send emails for the specific recipient or domain. This can happen if the server is not properly configured to relay emails for external domains, often due to security measures to prevent spam.
Email marketer from LinuxQuestions.org Forum answers that ensure your server's IP address is whitelisted on the receiving server or that you are properly authenticating. The receiving server may be configured to only accept mail from known, trusted sources or authenticated senders.
Email marketer from Reddit User /r/emailadmin shares that the error often occurs when your email server tries to send mail through another server that isn't configured to allow relaying from your server. Ensure your SMTP authentication is correctly configured and that your server's IP address is whitelisted, if required.
Email marketer from Super User Community shares that a common configuration mistake leading to the 'Relaying Denied' error is the absence of proper SMTP authentication. Always ensure that your mail client or application is authenticating with the mail server using valid credentials.
Email marketer from Stack Overflow User explains that to diagnose a 'Relaying Denied' error, check your mail server's configuration to ensure you are properly authenticated and authorized to send emails. Also, verify your MX records and ensure that your sending server is permitted to relay mail through the destination server. Tools like `nslookup` or `dig` can help verify DNS settings.
Email marketer from MXToolbox answers that common causes include incorrect SMTP settings, lack of authentication, or the server being blocked by the recipient's mail server. Ensure your sending server has proper SPF and DKIM records to verify its legitimacy.
Email marketer from SparkPost answers that a 'Relaying Denied' error, often accompanied by messages like '550 5.7.1', means the server you're trying to send mail through isn't authorized to relay mail from your domain to the recipient's domain. This typically happens because the server requires authentication or because your domain isn't properly configured for sending.
Email marketer from DigitalOcean Community answers that, if you're running a mail server on a DigitalOcean droplet, the 'Relaying Denied' error might occur if the server isn't configured to allow relaying from outside networks. Configure your mail server to authenticate incoming connections and authorize relaying for specific IP ranges or authenticated users.
Email marketer from SiteGround answers that it is an error message that indicates the mail server you are using is not allowed to send emails to the specified recipient. This can happen if you're trying to send email through a server that is not configured to relay mail for your domain or if the receiving server has rejected your email.
What the experts say4Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource explains that 'Relaying Denied' occurs when a mail server is not authorized to send email on behalf of a domain. This can happen because the server is not configured to relay email for the domain, or because the sending server is not properly authenticated.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that the MX record is pointing at a server, so you send mail there. The server doesn't believe it’s a final destination, so thinks you’re trying to use it as a smarthost.
Expert from Email Geeks explains the 'relaying denied' error usually means the destination domain is dead, has broken its DNS, or is having serious problems with a service migration.
Expert from Email Geeks shares that doing a manual lookup of the MX, then checking delivery to each of the MXes using swaks with a —quit-after TO will probably give you the details you need to explain it.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Postfix explains that their default anti-relay policy rejects attempts to send mail to external domains unless the client is authenticated or comes from a trusted network. This policy helps prevent spam and unauthorized mail relaying.
Documentation from Microsoft Support explains that in Exchange Server, 'Relaying Denied' indicates the server isn't configured to allow relaying from the source IP. To resolve this, you need to configure a receive connector that allows relaying from the specific IP address or network range. Ensure proper authentication is enabled.
Documentation from Exim Wiki explains that the 'Relaying Denied' error typically arises when the sending mail server is not permitted to forward mail through the recipient's server. This usually occurs because the sending server is not authenticated or is not recognized as a trusted relay.
Documentation from cPanel explains that a 'Relaying Denied' error occurs when the mail server you're using isn't authorized to send mail on behalf of the domain you're using. This can be due to incorrect MX records, authentication issues, or the server being configured to prevent unauthorized relaying.
Documentation from Sendmail.org describes the relaying controls in Sendmail, explaining that the server must be configured to explicitly allow relaying from a given source to a given destination. This can be controlled through access databases or other configuration mechanisms.