Gmail and Google Workspace · permanent error
552 5.3.4: message 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.
- 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 Your message exceeded Google's message size limits.
What it means
Gmail rejected the message because its total size is over Google's limit. Size here means the whole message as sent, and attachments grow by about a third when they are encoded for email, so files that look small enough can still push it over. One version of the reply states the message's size in bytes next to Google's limit, which shows how far over you are. Resending the same message fails again; share large files as links instead.
Common causes
- Attachments too large for Gmail once encoded.
- Several attachments that together go over the limit.
- Large images embedded in the message body.
How to fix it
- 01Compare the size in the bounce, if it is given, with the limit it names.
- 02Share large files as links to a file storage service instead of attaching them.
- 03Compress or resize images and files before attaching them.
- 04Split the attachments across several messages if they must go 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 5.3.4Too many attachments.Gmail rejected the message because it carries more attachments than Google allows in one message, whatever their size.
- 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