5.7.501 Microsoft bounce: spam abuse, account banned
What 5.7.501 means
The sending account was banned by Exchange Online because of detected spam activity.
Message text
Access denied, spam abuse detected
Common causes of 5.7.501
- Sending account was used for spam, usually after a phishing or malware compromise
How to fix 5.7.501
- Confirm the account is no longer compromised and reset its credentials.
- Contact Microsoft Support through your regular channel to lift the restriction.
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How to read 5.7.501
The second part, 5.7.501, is an enhanced status code (RFC 3463 §2) written class.subject.detail. Class 5 is a Permanent failure (5xx): the command was rejected and the sender should not repeat it unchanged (RFC 5321 §4.2.1; RFC 3463 §2).. Subject 7 is security or policy: authentication, authorization or policy refused the message. The detail number refines the subject, and providers may define details of their own, which is why one code can read differently at Gmail, Microsoft and Yahoo.
Do not keep resending the same message: a permanent failure repeats until the cause is fixed. Correct the cause, then send a new message.
Official source: learn.microsoft.com. Last verified 2026-10-20.
Related guides
- How to create an SPF record (syntax and examples)
- How DKIM works and how to publish a DKIM record
- How to set up a DMARC record, from p=none to p=reject
Related codes
- 5.7.0 SMTP: security status
- 5.7.1 SMTP: delivery not authorized
- 5.7.23 SMTP: SPF validation failed
- 5.7.25 SMTP: reverse DNS failed
- 5.7.26 SMTP: authentication failed
- 5.7.27 SMTP: sender has null MX
FAQ
What does 5.7.501 mean?
The sending account was banned by Exchange Online because of detected spam activity. This is a permanent failure.
How do I fix 5.7.501?
Confirm the account is no longer compromised and reset its credentials. Contact Microsoft Support through your regular channel to lift the restriction.
Is 5.7.501 permanent, and should I retry?
5.7.501 is a permanent failure, so retrying the same message will fail again. Fix the cause first, then send a new message.