Status 5.1.1#
smtp;550 5.1.1 <[email protected]>: user does not exist
The address does not exist, or is no longer active, at this provider. Remove it from your list and check for a typo in the local part or the domain.
Provider documentation
Email provider · 5.x.x permanent failure
Apple SMTP 550 Errors: Every Bounce Response Explained
Every SMTP 550 response on record from Apple (icloud.com, me.com, mac.com), with the verbatim text, the enhanced status code, a severity rating and a plain-English fix.
The mailbox is unavailable and the message is rejected for good. This is the catch-all permanent failure, covering everything from an unknown address to an authentication failure to a reputation block, so the wording after the number is what actually tells you the reason.
- Provider
- Apple
- Code
- 550 (5xx)
- Responses
- 4
- Highest severity
- Critical
Apple SMTP 550 responses
Status 5.7.1#
smtp;550 5.7.1 [CS01] Message rejected due to local policy. Please visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204137
The receiver rejected the message under a policy rule rather than a content or reputation score. This is usually set by the recipient's mail admin, so ask the recipient to allowlist your sending address or domain.
Provider documentation
smtp;550 5.7.1 Your message was rejected due to example.com’s DMARC policy. See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204137 for info
The message did not pass the sending domain's DMARC policy, so the receiver rejected it. Sign the mail with DKIM for your From domain, or align SPF through a custom Return-Path, then send again.
Provider documentation
smtp;550 5.7.1 Your email was rejected due to having a domain present in the Spamhaus DBL -- see https://www.spamhaus.org/dbl/
The sending IP or domain is on a blocklist the receiver checks, so mail stays refused until the listing clears. Find which list flagged you, fix the underlying cause, then request removal. Delivery can stay blocked for up to a day after delisting while caches refresh.
Provider documentation
Postmaster & documentation
Apple SMTP 550 questions
›What does an SMTP 550 error from Apple mean?
The mailbox is unavailable and the message is rejected for good. This is the catch-all permanent failure, covering everything from an unknown address to an authentication failure to a reputation block, so the wording after the number is what actually tells you the reason. At Apple, it is a permanent rejection, and the specific reason is in the enhanced status code and message text of each response below.
›How do I stop Apple from returning SMTP 550?
Match your bounce text to one of the responses below and follow its guidance. Recipient-side wording means fix the address. Authentication or reputation wording (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, blocklist) means fix your sending setup, and check Apple's postmaster documentation.