Gmail and Google Workspace · permanent error
552 5.3.4: too many attachments
Gmail rejected the message because it carries more attachments than Google allows in one message, whatever their size.
- Gmail
- Provider
- Permanent (5xx)
- Class
- Sources checked
- Author
At a glance
- Code
- 552 5.3.4
- 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
552 5.3.4 The number of attachments … exceeds Google's limit…
What it means
Gmail limits how many attachments a single message may carry, separately from the limit on its overall size. The reply gives the number of attachments in your message and Google's limit, and points to Google's article on Gmail receiving limits in Workspace. It is permanent, so the message has to be changed before it is sent again. Combining the files into one archive, or sharing them as a link, solves it, though Gmail blocks some archive contents too.
Common causes
- Many small files attached one by one, such as scans or photos.
- Software that attaches each record or image as its own file.
How to fix it
- 01Read the count and the limit given in the bounce.
- 02Combine the files into a single archive, or share them as a link.
- 03Split the attachments across several messages if they must arrive by email.
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
- 552 5.3.4Message too large.The message, with its attachments, is larger than Gmail accepts, so it was rejected and needs to be made smaller or sent another way.
- 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.
- 5.3.4Message too big.The message is larger than the maximum size the receiving system accepts for any message, so it was refused and has to be made smaller.
5.3.4 at other providers
All 108 Gmail codesEvery code in the wikiPaste your own bounce