This can happen at times  – You just send an email and it suddenly bounces.

But, is bounce back message sufficient to identify the problem?

Usually, bounce back message gives you an idea of the problem. But, sometimes it shows strange errors that are difficult to understand.

One such error is “554 message rejected for policy reasons“.

Resolving email problems is one of the common tasks that we do every day as part of our Server Support services for web hosts.

Today, we’ll discuss the top 3 reasons for this error and how we fix them.

‘554 message rejected for policy reasons’ – What this means?

In a mail delivery, the recipient server performs a series of checks to verify the authenticity of the sender and the message.

If the recipient server has doubt in the sender’s authenticity 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?

Let’s now discuss the main reasons for this error and how our Server Support Engineers fix them.

1) Restrictions at recipient end

One of the common reasons for this error is the mail rules set at the recipient end.

For example, recipient server rejects emails in the following situations.

• The IP address of the sender is listed in the public RBLs.
• Sender exceeds the limit of the number of messages received from one IP address.
• Email address or domain may be listed on the recipient blacklists.
• Spam filer settings that block incoming emails.

So, our Hosting Engineers verify that the sender’s IP is listed in public RBLs. Online tools like “https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx” comes handy here.

If listed, we identify the spam source and fix it. In addition to that, we implement preventive measures and finally submit delist request to the RBLs. A delist usually takes about 24 to 48 hours.

Alternatively, we change the mail interface IP address of the server to restore the email service immediately.

On the other hand, if the recipient domain has blacklisted the sender, then the sender domain must be whitelisted at the recipient end. So, we suggest the customers to contact the recipient end and whitelist the domain at their end.

Similarly, we review the spam filter settings and the recipient server limits for incoming emails. And if needed, we’ll adjust these values accordingly.

[Is your IP address on blacklist? Click here, and one of our Support Experts can permanently fix it for you.]

2) Suspicious message contents

Similarly, users will receive this error if the content of the message violates the email policies of the provider.

Major email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, etc. have strict policies on the content of the emails. For example, offensive links, malicious attachments, spam contents, bad header information, etc. will be blocked.

So, any emails that violate these policies are rejected by the recipient server. And, users see the error “554 message rejected for policy reasons“.

Here, our Hosting Engineers review the message header information and the email content. If we find spam contents or malicious links, we’ll suggest customers to remove them and send again.

[Trouble with your emails? Click here and get one of our Support Experts to look into your issue.]

3) Bad DNS records

Similarly, the recipient server performs certain authentication checks against the sender domain to verify the validity of the sender.

In other words, the recipient checks the DNS records such as SPF, DKIM, DMARC, etc. If any mismatch is found, it rejects the incoming emails.

Let’s see how the recipient server uses these records to verify the identity of the sender.

a) SPF record

Email providers use SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record to prevent spammers from sending unauthorized emails.

In other words, SPF record contains the IP addresses of the sender that can send emails on behalf of the domain. And, if an email originates from an IP address not listed in the SPF record, recipient server considers it as suspicious and rejects the mail.

We’ve seen cases where the domain has been migrated or mail IP of the domain has changed. But, users don’t update the new IP address in the SPF records. As a result, recipient servers reject the emails.

And, users see the error “554 message rejected for policy reasons“.

b) DKIM record

Similarly, DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail) is another method used by email providers to prevent spoofing.

A digital signature is attached to each message. So, the recipient server can determine if the emails come from a valid sender.

If the incoming email can’t be authenticated against the sending domain’s policy, that email will be rejected.

c) DMARC record

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) record helps recipients to judge the sending domain reputations.

In other words, DMARC record uses SPF and DKIM records to verify messages are authentic. A message that doesn’t pass SPF or DKIM checks triggers the DMARC policy.

In all these cases, firstly our Hosting Engineers check these DNS records of the sender.  And, we make sure that they are set correctly. If a mismatch is found, we’ll immediately make the required changes in the record.

[And, do you need a Support Expert to look into 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 happen due to recipient server restrictions, bad DNS records, and more. Today, we’ve discussed the top 3 reasons for this error and how our Server Support Engineers fix them.