Gmail and Google Workspace · permanent error
552 5.2.2: mailbox full and inactive
The recipient's Google account is out of storage and no longer in use, so Gmail rejected your message permanently.
- Gmail
- Provider
- Permanent (5xx)
- Class
- Sources checked
- Author
At a glance
- Code
- 552 5.2.2
- 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 recipient's side. Their mail admin has to change something; you can tell them.
- What the server says
552 5.2.2 The recipient's inbox is out of storage space and inactive.
What it means
The account is full, and Gmail also considers it inactive. Where 452 4.2.2 defers mail in the hope that the owner frees some space, this reply gives up and returns the message. An account in this state has usually been abandoned, so treat the address much like an unknown user and take it off regular mailings. Google's reply suggests pointing the recipient to its help on managing Drive storage, which only helps if the person still uses the account.
Common causes
- The account's storage is full and the owner has stopped using it.
- An abandoned address that still appears on your list.
How to fix it
- 01Remove the address from your lists.
- 02If you know the person, tell them another way that their Google storage is full.
- 03Send again only once they confirm the account is in use and has space.
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
Related codes
- 452 4.2.2Recipient's mailbox is full.The Gmail or Workspace account you wrote to has run out of storage, so Gmail is deferring your message until the owner frees up space.
- 552Storage allocation exceeded.The receiving server aborted the message because it exceeded a storage limit, usually a full mailbox or a message larger than allowed.
- 5.2.2Mailbox full.The recipient's mailbox has reached its storage quota, so the server will not take more mail until the owner deletes messages or gets more space.
5.2.2 at other providers
- 5.2.2Submission quota exceeded.The sender went over the Exchange Online recipient or message rate limit, so Microsoft 365 refused to accept more mail from the account.
- 554 5.2.2Mail-enabled public folder is full.Delivery to a mail-enabled public folder failed because the folder, the organization default, or its public folder mailbox reached its quota.
Further reading
All 108 Gmail codesEvery code in the wikiPaste your own bounce