452 4.5.3: Too many recipients
You put more recipients in one message than the receiving server accepts.
Temporary Often fixes itself or after a small change. Your server may retry.
What the bounce message looks like
The wording changes from one provider to another. These are typical examples:
452 4.5.3 Your message has too many recipients. (Gmail)Common causes
- A large To, Cc or Bcc list in one email
- A mail merge or script that adds everyone to one message
How to fix it if you sent the email
- Split the message into smaller groups.
- For newsletters, use an email marketing service. See emailing many people at once.
If you manage the receiving or sending mail system
- Check recipient limits for your sending accounts.
Free tool: paste the full bounce into the bounce message decoder to get a plain-English reading of every code in it.
Questions people ask
- What does 452 4.5.3 mean?
- You put more recipients in one message than the receiving server accepts.
- Is 452 4.5.3 a hard or soft bounce?
- Temporary. Often fixes itself or after a small change. Your server may retry.
- Should I remove the address after a 4.5.3 bounce?
- Not straight away. Retry later, and remove it only if it keeps failing for weeks.