this can happen sometimes: you just send an email and it suddenly bounces.
but is the response message enough to identify the problem?
Usually the bounce message gives you an idea of the problem. but sometimes it shows weird errors that are hard to understand.
one of those errors is “554 message rejected for policy reasons“.
Resolving email problems is one of the common tasks we do every day as part of our server support services for web servers.
Today, we will discuss the top 3 reasons for this error and how we fix them.
‘message 554 rejected for policy reasons’ – what does this mean?
In a mail delivery, the recipient’s server performs a series of checks to verify the authenticity of the sender and the message.
If the recipient’s server has doubts about the authenticity of the sender or the sender’s message, it rejects such emails.
and users see the error “554 message rejected for policy reasons”.
‘554 message rejected for policy reasons’ – why & how to fix it?
Now let’s take a look at the main reasons for this error and how our server support engineers fix it.
1) restrictions on the recipient’s end
One of the common reasons for this error is mail rules set on the recipient end.
for example, the recipient’s server rejects emails in the following situations.
- the sender’s ip address appears in public rbls.
- the sender exceeds the limit for the number of messages received from one ip address.
- email address address or domain may appear on recipient blacklists.
- spam filter settings that block incoming emails.
then our hosting engineers verify that the sender’s ip is on the public rbls list. online tools like “https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx” are helpful here.
If it’s listed, we identify the source of the spam and fix it. In addition to that, we implement preventive measures and finally we send the request for exclusion to the RBLS. a deletion typically takes 24-48 hours.
Alternatively, we change the ip address of the server’s mail interface to restore email service immediately.
on the other hand, if the recipient’s domain has blacklisted the sender, then the sender’s domain must be whitelisted by the recipient. therefore, we suggest customers contact the recipient endpoint and whitelist the domain on their endpoint.
Similarly, we review spam filter settings and recipient server limits for incoming emails. and, if necessary, we will adjust these values accordingly.
[is your ip address blacklisted? click here, and one of our support experts can fix it permanently.]
2) suspicious message content
Similarly, users will receive this error if the content of the message violates the provider’s email policies.
major email providers like gmail, yahoo, etc. They have strict policies on the content of emails. For example, offensive links, malicious attachments, spam content, incorrect header information, etc. will be blocked.
therefore, the recipient’s server rejects any email that violates these policies. and users see the error “554 message rejected for policy reasons”.
Here, our hosting engineers review the message header information and the content of the email. If we find spammy content or malicious links, we’ll suggest customers remove them and submit again.
[problems with your emails? Click here and ask one of our support experts to discuss your issue.]
3) bad dns records
Similarly, the recipient’s server performs certain authentication checks against the sender’s domain to verify the validity of the sender.
in other words, the recipient checks dns records like spf, dkim, dmarc, etc. if it finds any discrepancies, it rejects incoming emails.
Let’s see how the recipient’s server uses these logs to verify the identity of the sender.
a) spf record
Email providers use the spf (sender policy framework) record to prevent spammers from sending unauthorized emails.
In other words, the spf record contains the ip addresses of the sender who can send emails on behalf of the domain. and, if an email originates from an ip address that is not listed in the spf record, the recipient’s server considers it suspicious and rejects the email.
We have seen cases where the domain has been migrated or the domain’s email ip address has changed. but the users do not update the new ip address in the spf records. as a result, the recipients’ servers reject the emails.
and users see the error “554 message rejected for policy reasons”.
b) dkim record
Likewise, dkim (email identified with domain keys) is another method used by email providers to prevent phishing.
A digital signature is attached to each message. therefore, the recipient’s server can determine if the emails are from a valid sender.
If the incoming email cannot be authenticated based on the sending domain’s policy, that email will be rejected.
c) dmarc record
dmarc (domain-based message authentication, reporting, and conformance) logging helps recipients judge the reputation of the sending domain.
In other words, the dmarc log uses spf and dkim records to verify that messages are authentic. a message that fails the spf or dkim checks triggers the dmarc policy.
In all these cases, first of all, our hosting engineers verify these dns records of the sender. and make sure they are configured correctly. if a discrepancy is found, we will immediately make the necessary changes to the registry.
[and do you need a support expert to investigate this email error? click here and one of our support engineers can help you.]
conclusion
In short, “554 message rejected for policy reasons” email delivery error can occur due to recipient server restrictions, incorrect dns records, and more. Today, we have discussed the top 3 reasons for this error and how our server support engineers fix it.