554: IP address on a Spamhaus blocklist
GMX refused the connection because your sending IP is listed on a Spamhaus blocklist. GMX makes no exceptions; the listing has to be removed at Spamhaus.
- GMX, WEB.DE
- Provider
- Permanent (5xx)
- Class
- Sources checked
- Author
At a glance
- Code
- 554
- Provider
- GMX, WEB.DE and mail.com
- 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
554 IP address is block listed
What it means
Besides its own lists, GMX checks connecting IP addresses against Spamhaus. Cases r0301, r0302 and r0303 mean your IP was found on a Spamhaus blocklist, and GMX refuses the connection with 554. The case page is explicit that exceptions are not possible, so writing to GMX will not help while the listing stands. The route out is Spamhaus itself: its lookup at check.spamhaus.org shows whether the IP is still listed and explains how delisting works for that list. Once Spamhaus removes the IP, GMX accepts connections from it again without any request to GMX.
Common causes
- Spam or malware traffic from your IP was seen by Spamhaus.
- The IP belongs to a range Spamhaus lists, such as dynamic or end-user addresses.
- A previous user of the IP left it with a listing that is still active.
How to fix it
- 01Look the IP up at check.spamhaus.org to see which list holds it and why.
- 02Fix the cause Spamhaus gives, such as an infected machine, an open relay or sending from a dynamic address.
- 03Follow the Spamhaus delisting process for that list.
- 04Retry delivery after the listing is gone; GMX needs no separate request.
Sources
What this page rests on, checked on 20 Oct 2026. The explanation is ours; the reply text is the server's.
- GMX Postmaster case r0301: 554 IP address is block listed (Spamhaus)postmaster.gmx.net
- GMX Postmaster case r0302: 554 IP address is block listed (Spamhaus)postmaster.gmx.net
- GMX Postmaster case r0303: 554 IP address is block listed (Spamhaus)postmaster.gmx.net
Related codes
- 554IP address on the GMX blocklist.Your sending IP is on a blocklist that GMX manages itself, so its servers refuse the connection. GMX keeps a strict no tolerance policy toward spam.
- 550Sender domain on a Spamhaus blocklist.GMX refused your mail because your envelope or From domain is listed on a Spamhaus blocklist. GMX makes no exceptions; the listing must be removed at Spamhaus.
- 554Transaction failed.The server permanently refused the transaction, often after receiving the message data or straight away when the connection opened.
554 at other providers
- 554Permanent rejection (554).Yahoo or AOL rejected the message for good with a 554. Yahoo uses this code for several problems, from failed authentication to unacceptable content, so the wording of the reply tells you which.
- 554Failed authentication.Yahoo or AOL refused the message because it failed the checks that confirm the sending domain, such as DKIM against the domain's policy. Yahoo lists this among its permanent 553 and 554 errors.
- 554Recipient does not exist.The Yahoo or AOL account you wrote to does not exist. The failure is permanent: check the address with the recipient, and remove it from any list.
- 554No reverse DNS (PTR) record.Xfinity refused the connection because your sending IP has no PTR record. Every server sending to Xfinity needs valid reverse DNS, so the owner of the IP must add one.
- 554No reverse DNS for your IP.IONOS refused your mail because the IP address of your mail server has no domain name assigned to it in DNS (no PTR record).
- 554Reverse DNS does not meet IONOS policy.IONOS refused your mail because the PTR record of your IP does not meet its policy, typically a generic or dynamic-looking provider name.
Further reading
All 57 GMX, WEB.DE codesEvery code in the wikiPaste your own bounce