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Error: “552 5.3.4 Message size exceeds fixed maximum message size”

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Introduction

When sending outbound emails, you may encounter an error message indicating that the email size exceeds the allowed limits. A typical example of this error is:

Error:

A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of its recipients.
This is a permanent error. The following address(es) failed:

SMTP error from remote mail server after pipelined MAIL
552 5.3.4 Message size exceeds fixed limit

This error occurs because either the recipient’s mail server or an intermediate messaging gateway enforces strict limits on the maximum email size accepted.

Prerequisites

  • Basic Email Knowledge: Understanding how to send emails with attachments.
  • File Management Skills: Ability to compress files or use file-sharing services.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Identify the Error

If you receive an error message like the one above, it means the total size of your email message—including any attachments—is larger than what the recipient’s mail server allows.

Step 2: Understand the Cause

This error usually means the message was rejected by the recipient’s mail server because the email itself or one or more attachments exceeded the recipient’s size limits.

Step 3: Suggested Solutions
  • Compress Attachments: Reduce file size by compressing attachments into ZIP or similar formats.
  • Use File-Sharing Services: Upload large files to cloud services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, and include a download link in your email instead of attaching the files directly.

Conclusion

Outbound email rejections due to message size limits are common when the recipient’s mail server enforces a smaller size limit than your message size. Compressing attachments or using file-sharing services is the best way to prevent this issue.

For further assistance, please contact our support team at support@ipserverone.com.

Article posted on 29 May 2025

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