Gmail 550 5.4.5 "Daily User Sending Limit Exceeded": What Resets It and What to Do
Gmail's 550 5.4.5 is "Daily user sending limit exceeded." Your Gmail or Google Workspace account has sent more messages or recipients than Google allows in a rolling day, and it refuses further sends until the limit resets. It is about your account, not the recipient. The recipients were never contacted.
The 550 5.4.5 code page has the quick answer.
Reading the code
| Part | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Reply code | 550 | Requested action not taken |
| Class | 5 | Permanent failure |
| Subject | 4 | Network and routing status |
| Detail | 5 | Mail system congestion in RFC 3463; Google uses it for the daily limit |
RFC 3463 defines X.4.5 as "mail system congestion". Google applies it to its sending quota, so read the text rather than the number.
Why it happens
- A campaign or mail merge was sent from an ordinary Gmail or Workspace mailbox.
- An app or script sending through your account sent more than expected.
- The SMTP relay service hit its own daily limit for the user. Variants read "Daily SMTP relay limit exceeded for user."
Our guide to Gmail sending limits has the limits and how they are counted.
What to do
- Wait for the reset. Google's limits work on a rolling 24-hour window.
- Move bulk and cold sending to a dedicated sending service built for volume, not a personal or Workspace mailbox.
- Check for apps or scripts you did not expect to be sending through the account.
- Do not remove the recipients. They were never contacted.
- Resend the unsent part after the reset, in smaller batches.
Bounces count towards the limit
A recipient that bounces still uses part of your allowance. A list full of dead addresses therefore spends your daily limit on messages that never arrive, and raises your bounce rate at the same time. See Gmail sending limits and cold email bounce budget per inbox.
What this code does not mean
It does not mean the account is blocked for good or that your domain has a bad reputation. It is a quota. If you also see Gmail 421 4.7.28 or Gmail 550 5.7.1 variants, those are separate signals about how your mail looks and need their own fixes. Gmail bounce codes lists them side by side.
Keep the address side clean
This code does not come from your list, but every bounce still counts against your sending reputation, so the addresses you do send to should be real. Upload your list on the verify page: the first 100 email checks are free with a Google sign-in, no card. Each address comes back valid, risky or invalid with a reason such as "Mailbox not found" or "Accepts all addresses", and nothing is sent to anyone on the list. For larger or recurring lists, see bulk email verification, list cleaning and pricing.
Common questions
What does Gmail 550 5.4.5 mean?
Your Gmail or Google Workspace account has sent more messages or recipients than Google allows in a rolling day, and it refuses further sends until the limit resets.
Is 550 5.4.5 a hard bounce?
No bounce happened for the recipients, because they were never contacted. The error is about your account.
When does the limit reset?
Google's limits work on a rolling 24-hour window, so wait for the limit to reset.
Do bounced recipients count towards the limit?
Yes. Bounced recipients still count toward Google's sending limits, so sending to a verified list makes better use of the allowance.
Check your list before you send
Real mailbox checks over SMTP, and nothing is sent to the address. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. Plans for bigger lists are on the pricing page.