What does the Gmail error '452 4.2.2 The email account that you tried to reach is over quota' mean, and how should I handle it?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 28 Apr 2025
Updated 12 Oct 2025
5 min read
Encountering the Gmail error message '452 4.2.2 The email account that you tried to reach is over quota' can be a point of confusion for email senders. This message indicates a temporary delivery failure, meaning your email could not be delivered to the recipient's Gmail inbox at that specific moment. Unlike a hard bounce, which signifies a permanent failure, this is a soft bounce, suggesting the issue might resolve itself.
The core of the problem lies with the recipient's mailbox. Their Gmail account storage quota is full, preventing them from receiving new messages. While frustrating, it's often a recoverable situation. Understanding this error is crucial for maintaining good email deliverability and managing your email lists effectively.
What the '452 4.2.2' error actually means
The '452 4.2.2' SMTP error code specifically tells us that the temporary rejection is due to the recipient's mailbox being over its allocated storage capacity. Gmail, like most email providers, sets limits on how much data a user can store in their inbox and associated Google Drive services. When a user exceeds this limit, incoming emails are temporarily refused.
This is distinct from other temporary errors or issues with your sending infrastructure. The message clearly points to a problem on the recipient's side, indicating that your mail server successfully connected to Gmail's server, but the delivery failed at the mailbox level due to storage constraints. You can find more details about Gmail SMTP errors and codes in their official documentation.
Understanding Gmail's
The error 452 4.2.2 indicates a temporary problem with the recipient's mailbox, not your sending practices. Gmail will typically attempt to redeliver the message multiple times over a period. If the mailbox remains full, this soft bounce can eventually escalate into a permanent (hard) bounce. It's important to monitor these trends to avoid negatively impacting your email lists.
Why Gmail accounts go over quota
Several factors can lead to a Gmail account exceeding its quota. Most commonly, it's due to the user simply accumulating too many emails, particularly those with large attachments, or storing a significant amount of data in their Google Drive. Inactive accounts are also prone to this, as users might not be regularly clearing their inbox or managing their storage.
Recipient-side factors
Full inbox: The user has too many emails, particularly those with large attachments, consuming their storage limit.
Google Drive usage: Stored files and backups in Google Drive contribute to the overall storage quota.
Infrequent cleanup: Users not regularly deleting old emails or managing their cloud storage can quickly hit limits.
Sender-side considerations
List hygiene: While not directly causing the quota issue, sending to inactive or unengaged users increases the likelihood of hitting full mailboxes. Poor list hygiene can lead to an increase in these types of soft bounces, which might indicate a deeper problem with your subscriber engagement. Discover how to improve email deliverability effectively.
Email content size: Although less common for over quota, extremely large emails could contribute to a recipient's mailbox filling faster.
An unusual spike in these errors, as observed by some senders, can sometimes be a sign of increased mailbox inactivity among your subscribers or a temporary systemic issue on Google's end, though the latter is less frequent. Keeping an eye on trends in your bounce data is crucial for early detection.
Impact on deliverability and sender reputation
A common concern for senders is how these bounces affect their sender reputation. Fortunately, a 452 4.2.2 over quota error is generally considered a minor issue by mailbox providers like Gmail. It's a temporary deferral, not an outright rejection indicating spam or malicious activity.
While isolated incidents won't hurt your standing, a significant and sustained increase in these errors across many recipients could signal that a large portion of your list is inactive or unengaged. This indirect link to list quality means it's still worth addressing. Understanding how overquota bounces affect sender reputation is essential for long-term deliverability success.
Strategies for handling over quota bounces
The key to handling the '452 4.2.2' error is to differentiate between temporary and persistent issues. Since it's a soft bounce, most sending systems will automatically retry delivery over a period. If the recipient clears space, the email will eventually be delivered. However, if the mailbox remains full after several retries, you should consider a more proactive approach.
Implementing a temporary suppression strategy for these soft bounces is a best practice. This means pausing sending to these specific addresses for a few days, then retrying. If the emails continue to bounce with the same error after multiple attempts, it may be time to consider suppressing them from your active mailing list. This helps keep your list clean and avoids wasted sending efforts. For more detailed guidance, explore how email marketers handle Gmail addresses with overquota inboxes.
Action
Description
When to apply
Temporary suppression
Pause sending to the address for a set period (e.g., 3-7 days) to allow the recipient to clear their mailbox.
Initial occurrence of 452 4.2.2 soft bounce.
Retry delivery
After the temporary suppression period, attempt to resend the email to see if the issue has been resolved.
After temporary suppression or if the email system automatically retries.
Permanent suppression
Remove the email address from your active mailing list if the over quota errors persist after multiple retries.
After several failed retries or if the soft bounce escalates to a hard bounce. This helps avoid Gmail bounce error '550-5.7.1'.
Proactive list hygiene, including regularly removing unengaged subscribers and monitoring bounce rates, is the best defense against a high volume of over quota (or blocklist) bounces. Tools like Suped can provide valuable insights into your email performance and help identify such trends early.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Implement a temporary suppression for addresses generating '452 4.2.2' errors.
Retry delivery to soft-bounced addresses after a short cool-down period, like 3 days.
Permanently suppress addresses that repeatedly generate '452 4.2.2' errors after several retries.
Maintain excellent list hygiene to minimize sending to inactive or full mailboxes.
Monitor your bounce rates closely for unusual spikes in 'over quota' errors.
Common pitfalls
Not distinguishing between soft and hard bounces, leading to premature suppression.
Ignoring a high volume of 'over quota' errors, potentially masking underlying list quality issues.
Continuing to send emails to persistently full mailboxes, wasting sending resources.
Failing to implement a retry mechanism for temporary bounce codes.
Assuming all soft bounces will resolve themselves without any intervention.
Expert tips
This specific error (452 4.2.2) rarely affects sender reputation directly.
An increase in these errors can sometimes indicate a rise in subscriber inactivity or poor engagement.
Automate your suppression rules to handle these cases efficiently.
Focus on content size and audience engagement to prevent mailboxes from filling up faster.
A system that automatically retries soft bounces is usually sufficient.
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says the '452 4.2.2' error means the recipient's mailbox is full or they have hit their Google storage quota.
September 5, 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says there is nothing specific you need to do on your end regarding the content of your mail, as the issue is with the recipient's storage.
September 5, 2023 - Email Geeks
Wrapping up
The Gmail error '452 4.2.2 The email account that you tried to reach is over quota' is a manageable soft bounce. It's a clear signal that the recipient's inbox is full, a problem residing on their end, not necessarily an indictment of your sending practices. While generally not harmful to your sender reputation, a consistent rise in these errors can point to underlying issues with list hygiene and engagement.
By understanding the nature of this error and implementing sensible strategies like temporary suppression and retries, you can maintain a healthy email program. Continuous monitoring of your email deliverability metrics and proactive list management are your best tools for navigating these challenges and ensuring your messages reach their intended audience.
What does the Gmail error '452 4.2.2 The email account that you tried to reach is over quota' mean, and how should I handle it? - Troubleshooting - Email deliverability - Knowledge base - Suped
Google's end, though the latter is less frequent. Keeping an eye on trends in your bounce data is crucial for early detection.
