Part 1 · 1.2
Error code 554: mail rejected
An error code 554 means the mail has permanently failed to arrive. As with 550, the code starts with a 5: sending it again only helps once the cause has been fixed. With 554, it is usually about policy: the receiving server won't accept mail from this sender or from this server.
What the message looks like
Two examples we often see:
554 IP=203.0.113.25 - None/bad reputation. Ask your postmaster for help or to contact tobr@rx.t-online.de for reset. (NOWL)
554 5.7.1 ... rejected followed by text about spam, blocked or policy.
The causes with us
| Message | What does it mean? | Who needs to act? |
|---|---|---|
| 554 IP=... None/bad reputation (NOWL) | T-Online, Germany's largest mail service, is currently not accepting mail from this IP address. It concerns the server, not your domain or your mail. | We do, if it is a WebOké server. Send us the bounce. |
| 554 or 550 with spam, blocked or policy, when someone emails you | Our spam filter or a blocklist is rejecting the sender. | Ask the sender to send you the full message and contact us. |
| 554 5.7.1 with other text, when you send an email | The recipient is rejecting your mail based on their own policy. | Read the text: it tells you why. It is often about SPF, DKIM, DMARC or a blacklist. |
How to fix it
- Read the text after the 554. If it contains an IP address, check whether that is the IP address of the server you send from.
- Is it about T-Online (NOWL)? Don't email T-Online yourself: only the server administrator can request a release. Send us the bounce. If an email is urgent, arrange another way to get in touch for the time being. More in Mail to Outlook, Hotmail or T-Online delayed or rejected.
- Is it about spam or policy at the recipient's end? Check your domain with the Email Health Check and read My mail ends up in the recipient's spam.
- Does it say blocked using, listed at or Spamhaus? Then an IP address is on a blacklist. Read Sending rejected: blacklists and limits.
Please note: Do you send mail from your own VPS? Then you are the administrator of that mail server. Make sure you have correct reverse DNS and a website with your contact details on that domain.
When should you contact us?
For a 554 from T-Online, or if a WebOké IP address appears in the message. Also if someone can't email you and gets a 554 back.
Ask the AI assistant in My WebOké first, or create a ticket via Support centre and then Submit a ticket. Include:
- the full error message, including the line with the code (forward the mail as an attachment)
- the sender's and recipient's addresses
- the date and time it was sent
Never send your password.