534 5.7.9: sign in with a web browser first
Google refused your client's SMTP sign-in and wants the account owner to sign in through a web browser first, where Google can run its checks.
- Gmail
- Provider
- Permanent (5xx)
- Class
- Sources checked
- Author
At a glance
- Code
- 534 5.7.9
- Provider
- Gmail and Google Workspace
- Temporary or permanent
- PermanentRefused for good: the message comes back to the sender, and resending it gets the same answer.
- Who has to act
- The sender. The fix is on the sending side: your domain, your server or your list.
- What the server says
534 5.7.9 Please log in with your web browser and then try again.
What it means
Google documents this wording with 5.7.9, next to a nearly identical one with 5.7.14. In both, Google wants the account owner to sign in on the web before an app can sign in over SMTP, because a browser can show checks that a mail client cannot. Google links the reply to its help for people who cannot sign in to their Google Account. Sign in from a browser and clear any prompts; if the app uses the normal password, move it to an app password or OAuth. The current table prints 5.7.90; the June 2025 version read 5.7.9.
Common causes
- Google wants to verify the account owner before it allows SMTP sign-ins.
- A security prompt on the account is waiting for the owner.
- The app signs in with the normal password instead of an app password or OAuth.
How to fix it
- 01Sign in to the account in a web browser and complete any checks Google shows.
- 02Switch the app to an app password, or to OAuth sign-in.
- 03Try the app again.
Sources
What this page rests on, checked on 20 Oct 2026. The explanation is ours; the reply text is the server's.
- Gmail SMTP errors and codes (Google Workspace Admin Help)knowledge.workspace.google.com
- Gmail SMTP errors and codes, version of June 2025 (Internet Archive copy)web.archive.org
Related codes
- 534 5.7.14Sign in through a web browser first.Google refused your client's SMTP sign-in and wants the account owner to sign in through a web browser before the client tries again.
- 534 5.7.9App password required.The account uses 2-Step Verification, so Google will not accept its normal password from your mail client and asks for an app password instead.
- 534Authentication method too weak.The server refused the login because the authentication method the client chose is weaker than its policy allows for this user.
Further reading
All 108 Gmail codesEvery code in the wikiPaste your own bounce