Gmail 452 4.2.2
Recipient inbox out of storage
Gmail 452 4.2.2 means: recipient inbox out of storage. It is a temporary failure, so your server retries it. The Gmail user is out of storage. Retry later; if the same address stays full over weeks, it is probably abandoned.
Gmail’s exact wording
Quoted from Google Workspace Admin Help: Gmail SMTP errors and codes, checked 2026-11-05. Placeholders are Gmail’s own.
Reply text
The recipient's inbox is out of storage space. Please direct the recipient to Manage files in your Google Drive storage.
| Who sends it | Gmail and Google Workspace |
|---|---|
| Basic code | 452: Requested action not taken: insufficient system storage (RFC) |
| Enhanced code | 4.2.2: Mailbox full |
| Permanent or temporary | Temporary (4xx) |
| Verifying the list prevents it | Partly |
In practice
Google storage is shared between Gmail, Drive and Photos, so a full Drive can stop mail from arriving. The temporary form, 452 4.2.2, means the account is still active and the owner may clear space. Your server retries automatically. If an address keeps returning this on every campaign for weeks, the account is likely abandoned, and Gmail may later return the permanent 552 5.2.2.
What the sender should do
The Gmail user is out of storage. Retry later; if the same address stays full over weeks, it is probably abandoned.
Would verifying the list have prevented Gmail 452 4.2.2?
Partly
The reply is not only about one address, but providers weigh how often a sender hits addresses that do not exist. Removing bad addresses before sending lowers that signal.
Common questions
- What does Gmail 452 4.2.2 mean?
- Gmail 452 4.2.2 means: recipient inbox out of storage. It is a temporary failure, so your server retries it. The Gmail user is out of storage. Retry later; if the same address stays full over weeks, it is probably abandoned.
- Should I retry after Gmail 452 4.2.2?
- Your sending server retries it automatically, because it is a temporary (4xx) failure. Investigate only if it keeps coming back over several hours.
- Would verifying my list have prevented Gmail 452 4.2.2?
- Partly. The reply is not only about one address, but providers weigh how often a sender hits addresses that do not exist. Removing bad addresses before sending lowers that signal.
The same code elsewhere
Sources
- Google Workspace Admin Help: Gmail SMTP errors and codes (checked 2026-11-05)
- IANA: SMTP Enhanced Status Codes registry (checked 2026-11-05)
- RFC 5321: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, section 4.2.3 (reply codes) (checked 2026-11-05)
Registry and provider wording is quoted exactly; guidance is written by the SimpleVerifier Team.
SimpleVerifier Team · Last checked against the sources 2026-11-05