552 5.2.2 Gmail bounce: inbox full and inactive
What 552 5.2.2 means
The recipient's Gmail inbox is out of storage and the account is inactive, so the message will not be delivered.
Message text
The recipient's inbox is out of storage space and inactive…
This is an excerpt: the provider's documentation shortens the message. Full text: provider documentation
Common causes of 552 5.2.2
- Recipient storage is full and the account is no longer active
How to fix 552 5.2.2
- Do not retry; the recipient account is inactive.
- Remove the address from your list or contact the recipient by another channel.
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How to read 552 5.2.2
The first part, 552, is the SMTP reply code. Requested mail action aborted, exceeded storage allocation: the mailbox or message is too large. Replies that start with 4 are temporary and replies that start with 5 are permanent (RFC 5321 §4.2.1).
The second part, 5.2.2, 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 2 is mailbox: a problem with the recipient mailbox, such as full, disabled or unknown. 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: knowledge.workspace.google.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
- 5.2.2 SMTP: mailbox full
- 5.2.2 Microsoft: submission quota exceeded
- 5.2.3 SMTP: message too large
- 5.2.121 Microsoft: per-sender hourly limit
- 5.2.122 Microsoft: recipient hourly receive cap
- 550 5.2.1 Gmail: recipient mailbox inactive
FAQ
What does 552 5.2.2 mean?
The recipient's Gmail inbox is out of storage and the account is inactive, so the message will not be delivered. This is a permanent failure.
How do I fix 552 5.2.2?
Do not retry; the recipient account is inactive. Remove the address from your list or contact the recipient by another channel.
Is 552 5.2.2 permanent, and should I retry?
552 5.2.2 is a permanent failure, so retrying the same message will fail again. Fix the cause first, then send a new message.