Microsoft (Outlook.com and Microsoft 365) · permanent error
550 5.7.246: HVE: external recipients removed after expansion
External recipients that came from expanding a distribution list were dropped, because HVE does not support external recipients.
- Microsoft
- Provider
- Permanent (5xx)
- Class
- Sources checked
- Author
At a glance
- Code
- 550 5.7.246
- 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
550 5.7.246 Removed external recipients that were not originally specified on submission.
What it means
A message sent through HVE can reach external addresses indirectly, for example when a distribution list it is addressed to has outside members. HVE does not support external recipients, so those added during expansion are removed and reported with 550 5.7.246. External recipients named directly on submission are handled by 5.7.244 and 5.7.245 instead. The error concerns only the removed external recipients.
Common causes
- A distribution list addressed by the HVE message contains external members.
- A group expanded to include mail contacts or guests outside the organization.
How to fix it
- 01Review the distribution lists the application sends to and remove external members, or use a list with internal members only.
- 02Send messages meant for outside recipients through a different service.
- 03Check the report to confirm which recipients were removed.
Sources
What this page rests on, checked on 20 Oct 2026. The explanation is ours; the reply text is the server's.
- Email nondelivery reports and SMTP errors in Exchange Onlinelearn.microsoft.com
Related codes
Further reading
All 111 Microsoft codesEvery code in the wikiPaste your own bounce