What does the error '550 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected: Access denied AS(xxxx)' mean and how to resolve it?
Summary
What email marketers say9Marketer opinions
Email marketer from MXToolbox notes that a 550 error is a permanent rejection. They suggest using MXToolbox's tools to check if the sender's domain or IP is blacklisted and to verify proper DNS records.
Email marketer from Sendinblue answers that a 5.4.1 error usually means the destination address rejected the message. The sender may need to contact the recipient by another means to resolve the issue or to confirm the email address.
Email marketer from Stack Overflow responds that the error message '550 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected: Access denied' indicates the recipient's mail server believes your server is not authorized to send emails to that domain, and that you should check your SPF record to see if it is correctly configured.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's blog explains that a 550 error is a hard bounce. This indicates a permanent reason your email couldn't be delivered, such as the recipient email not existing.
Email marketer from Spiceworks forum mentions that the '550 5.4.1' error often indicates an issue with the sender's reputation or the recipient's security policies. The user suggests checking if the sender's domain is properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records.
Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that the 5.4.1 error often signifies a problem with the recipient's email address or the recipient's server configuration. The user suggests verifying the recipient's email address and checking with the recipient's email administrator for potential issues.
Email marketer from SuperUser mentions that in addition to SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, it's important to ensure that your reverse DNS (PTR) record is correctly configured, as many receiving servers use this to verify the legitimacy of sending servers.
Email marketer from Reddit answers that the error may indicate the recipient's server has blocked your email because of spam filters or reputation issues. The user suggest ensuring the email content is not spammy and the sending IP is not blacklisted.
Email marketer from MailerQ explains that the 550 code is a negative permanent reply. If this happens it means the sending mail server tried to deliver a message to a recipient address for which it is not authorized. Often caused by the receiving server's security or anti spam policies.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that the "550 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected: Access denied" error, especially with the 'AS' code, often indicates a block implemented by the tenant's anti-spam measures, rather than a simple 'no such user' error.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that 5xx errors are permanent failures. A 5.4.1 code generally indicates a policy rejection and means the mail server will not send the message. In cases with the AS code, this is more likely to be an anti-spam policy block.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from RFC 3463, which defines enhanced mail system status codes, explains that a 5.4.1 status code generally signifies a problem with the destination email address. The sending system may need to verify the validity of the recipient address.
Documentation from Microsoft Support explains that the '550 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected: Access denied' error indicates that the recipient's email server has rejected the message due to security policies or filtering. It suggests checking the sender's IP address and domain reputation to ensure they are not blacklisted.
Documentation from Titan explains that a 550 error could be due to reasons like incorrect recipient address, the recipient's mailbox being full, or sender being blocked. Titan suggests verifying recipient address, contacting their support, or whitelisting the sender.
Documentation from cPanel explains that the 550 error can arise due to SPF record issues, incorrect email configurations, or the recipient's server settings. It is recommended to verify DNS settings and ensure proper authentication is in place.
Documentation from Exim, a mail transfer agent, describes the 5xx series of errors as permanent failures. A 5.4.1 error specifically indicates an issue with the recipient address, suggesting further investigation is needed into its validity and the recipient's server configuration.