Solving "552 5.3.4 Message Size Exceeds Fixed Limit"

If you find any error related to message size fixed limit while sending emails, it's likely that you have encountered the error '552 5.3.4 Message Size Exceeds Fixed Limit'. You will receive this error when the size of the email you are attempting to send is larger than the server allows.

It is important to understand why you are having this issue and how to solve it. To start, let's look at what this error message is and why it occurs.

What Is '552 5.3.4 Message Size Exceeds Fixed Limit' Error?

The '552 5.3.4 Message Size Exceeds Fixed Limit' error is outlined by the RFC 1846 internet standard. It occurs when you attempt to send an email with a message size larger than the server's acceptable limit.

This error code is composed of two sections. The first is the 552 code, which indicates a permanent delivery failure. The second, 5.3.4, indicates the error code for this type of failure. This code indicates that the message size exceeds the allowed maximum limit.

Why Does '552 5.3.4 Message Size Exceeds Fixed Limit' Error Occur?

The error occurs because email hosting providers have their own limits on the size of the messages sent. This ensures that their systems can handle the traffic load on their servers.

By default, most hosting providers will have an individual file upload limit of 10 MB for one message. Some providers impose a size limit for file attachments of 10 MB per message, while others may not.

You may run into this issue if you are sending multiple file attachments in one email. Even if the size of each individual attachment is small, the total size of the email including the text body and all the attachments combined could be larger than the destination server's limit.

How to Fix '552 5.3.4 Message Size Exceeds Fixed Limit' Error?

Check your email message size and file attachment size limit:
You can check with your email provider and your email client to find out the maximum message size and file attachment size limits.

Split your message into multiple emails:
If the size of the message is large, then it would be best to split it into multiple emails so that each individual email does not exceed the size limit.

Compress the file attachments:

If the attachments are the issue, you can compress them before sending the email. Each attachment will require a separate compression but this will save you space and help you avoid the '552 5.3.4 Message Size Exceeds Fixed Limit' error.

Host the file attachment externally:
Instead of attaching it directly to the email, you can host the file on a secure, external file sharing solution like Google Drive and just share the link to it in the message. This will help reduce the size of the message and help you avoid the '552 5.3.4 Message Size Exceeds Fixed Limit' error.

FAQs

Q1: How do I find out the server limits when sending emails?

A: You can check with your email provider and your email client to find out the maximum message size and file attachment size limits supported.

Q2: Can I use external file sharing solutions to reduce my message size?

A: Yes, you can host the file attachments externally on secure file sharing solutions like Google Drive and share the link to it in the message in order to reduce the size of the message and avoid the '552 5.3.4 Message Size Exceeds Fixed Limit' error.

Q3: Can I use compression to reduce the message size?

A: Yes, you can compress the file attachments before sending them in order to save space and help you avoid the '552 5.3.4 Message Size Exceeds Fixed Limit' error.

Q4: What is the 5.3.4 error code indicating?

A: The 5.3.4 error code indicates that the message size exceeds the allowed maximum limit.

Q5: Can I split a single email into multiple emails with large file attachments?

A: Yes, if the size of the message is large you should split it into multiple emails so that each individual email does not exceed the size limit.

Further Reading

Great! You’ve successfully signed up.

Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.

You've successfully subscribed to Lxadm.com.

Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.

Success! Your billing info has been updated.

Your billing was not updated.