Why are emails to Orange.fr failing and what can I do about it?
Matthew Whittaker
Co-founder & CTO, Suped
Published 5 Jul 2025
Updated 15 Aug 2025
6 min read
Sending emails to Orange.fr recipients can sometimes be a challenge, resulting in delivery failures and frustrating bounce messages. This is a common pain point for many email senders, whether you are a small business communicating with customers or a large enterprise managing extensive email campaigns. The reasons behind these failures are often multifaceted, ranging from temporary server issues on Orange's side to specific technical configurations or reputation problems with your sending domain.
I often see discussions about these issues in email communities, highlighting how widespread they are. It is not always immediately clear why emails are failing, as bounce messages can be cryptic, like the frequent 421 mwinf5c12 ME Service refuse. Veuillez essayer plus tard. Service refused, please try later. OFR_108; [108] error. This particular message indicates a temporary service refusal by Orange, urging senders to try again later.
Understanding the root causes is the first step toward resolution. It could be due to a temporary outage or a more persistent problem with your email sending practices. My goal here is to help demystify these issues and provide actionable strategies to improve your email deliverability to Orange.fr addresses.
Understanding common reasons
One of the most common reasons for emails failing to Orange.fr (and Wanadoo.fr) is often related to their internal systems. Orange, like other large Internet Service Providers (ISPs), experiences periods of high load or system incidents that can temporarily block or delay incoming mail. During these times, you might see bounce messages like the OFR_108 error, which signals that their mail servers are refusing service at that moment.
It is important to differentiate between a temporary refusal and a permanent rejection. Temporary errors usually mean you should retry sending the email after a short delay. Many email sending platforms automatically handle these retries. However, if the issues persist, it indicates a deeper problem beyond a simple server hiccup.
Other factors that can lead to Orange.fr email failures include issues with sender authentication, poor sender reputation, or content that triggers their spam filters. These are areas within your control that require attention to ensure consistent delivery.
Common Orange.fr error codes
OFR_108: "Service refused, please try later." This is a common temporary error, often indicating a server overload or an incident on Orange's platform. You can learn more about this by reading about unclassified soft bounces from Orange.fr.
SMTP Greeting Failed: This can happen when Orange's mail server does not properly respond to the initial connection attempt. It might be linked to network issues or specific throttling policies. Additional details are available in the article on troubleshooting Orange.fr bounces.
550 5.2.0 Invalid Recipient: This indicates that the recipient email address does not exist or is invalid. It is crucial to maintain a clean email list to avoid these errors and protect your sender reputation.
Technical aspects and authentication
Email authentication is paramount for successful delivery to Orange.fr. This includes properly configured SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) records. Orange heavily relies on these protocols to verify the legitimacy of incoming emails and protect its users from spam and phishing.
If your authentication records are misconfigured or missing, Orange's mail servers are likely to reject your emails outright or flag them as suspicious, leading to delivery failures. It is essential to ensure that your SPF record includes all authorized sending IP addresses and domains, that your DKIM signatures are valid, and that your DMARC policy is correctly implemented and aligned.
Incorrect DNS settings can also contribute to problems. For example, if your MX (Mail Exchange) records are not pointing to the correct mail servers, or if there are issues with your reverse DNS (PTR) records, Orange's systems may view your emails with suspicion. You can refer to Orange's own guidelines on their Postmaster page for specific technical recommendations.
Leaving out legitimate sending sources or including too many include mechanisms can lead to SPF failures or PermError issues. Orange (and other ISPs) will reject emails that do not pass SPF validation. This can be complex, so having a good understanding of DMARC, SPF, and DKIM is important.
Correct SPF record
Ensure your SPF record is accurately configured, listing all IP addresses and domains that are authorized to send email on behalf of your domain. Use a ~all (softfail) mechanism at the end if you want to allow a grace period for new senders. An -all (hardfail) policy is recommended once all legitimate sending sources are accounted for.
Reputation and content issues
Your sender reputation plays a crucial role in whether your emails reach the Orange.fr inbox or end up in spam. Orange (like other ISPs, e.g., Microsoft and Yahoo) maintains its own internal blocklists (also known as blacklists) and spam filtering systems that evaluate the trustworthiness of your sending IP address and domain.
Factors that can negatively impact your reputation include: high bounce rates, low engagement (few opens/clicks), frequent spam complaints, sending to spam traps, and being listed on public or private blocklists (blacklists). If your domain or IP address lands on a blocklist, Orange is far more likely to reject your emails. Regular blocklist monitoring is crucial to identify and address these issues promptly.
The content of your emails also plays a significant role. Emails containing suspicious links, unusual formatting, excessive images, or language commonly associated with spam can trigger Orange's spam filters, even if your authentication is perfect. It is vital to create high-quality, relevant content that genuinely interests your recipients.
Factor
Impact on Orange.fr delivery
Action to take
Spam complaints
Directly harms your sender reputation, leading to lower inbox placement and potential blocklisting (blacklisting).
Implement easy unsubscribe options and monitor feedback loops. Regularly clean your email list.
Sending volume spikes
Can trigger throttling or temporary blocks, especially if your sending IP is new or has a low reputation. This is why Orange.fr throttles legitimate emails.
Warm up new IPs gradually. Distribute large sending volumes over time.
Email content
Spammy keywords, broken links, or misleading subject lines increase the likelihood of being marked as spam.
Optimize subject lines and content. Avoid spam triggers. Ensure clean HTML and text versions.
Actionable steps to resolve delivery issues
If you are consistently experiencing email delivery issues with Orange.fr, it is time to take a systematic approach to troubleshooting. Start by checking your email authentication records, including SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Ensure they are correctly configured and aligned with your sending practices. A simple misconfiguration can lead to significant delivery problems.
Next, examine your sender reputation. Check if your IP address or domain is listed on any public blocklists (blacklists). While Orange uses its own internal lists, being on public ones often signals broader reputation issues. If you are blocklisted, follow the delisting procedures for each relevant list. You can read our in-depth guide to email blocklists to understand this more fully.
Review your email content for anything that might trigger spam filters. Avoid excessive use of capitalization, exclamation points, and suspicious phrases. Make sure your links are legitimate and that your email list is clean and actively engaged. Removing inactive or invalid email addresses can significantly improve your deliverability rates and reduce bounces.
Best practices for Orange.fr deliverability
Authenticate rigorously: Ensure your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are correctly set up and aligned. This is the foundation of good email deliverability.
Monitor your reputation: Regularly check if your sending IPs or domains are on any blocklists (blacklists). Use tools to track your sender score and monitor engagement metrics.
Clean your lists: Remove inactive subscribers and invalid email addresses to reduce bounce rates and avoid spam traps. A clean list signals good sending practices.
Warm up new IPs: If you are using new sending IPs, gradually increase your sending volume to Orange.fr recipients to build a positive reputation.
Optimize content: Ensure your email content is high-quality, relevant, and free of spammy characteristics. Personalize where possible to boost engagement.
Key takeaways
Addressing email delivery failures to Orange.fr requires a combination of technical diligence, reputation management, and content optimization. While temporary outages can occur, persistent issues usually point to areas within your control that need improvement.
By ensuring proper authentication, maintaining a strong sender reputation, and crafting engaging content, you can significantly improve your chances of reaching the inboxes of Orange.fr users. Proactive monitoring and adherence to best practices are key to long-term email deliverability success.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
Always maintain robust SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurations for optimal email authentication.
Regularly monitor your sending IP and domain reputation to detect any blocklisting (blacklisting) issues early.
Segment your email lists and personalize content to increase engagement and reduce spam complaints.
Implement a clear unsubscribe process and honor unsubscribe requests promptly.
Gradually ramp up sending volumes for new IP addresses to build a positive sending history.
Common pitfalls
Ignoring bounce messages and continuing to send to invalid or problematic addresses.
Not regularly cleaning email lists, which can lead to high bounce rates and spam trap hits.
Using generic or spammy subject lines and content that triggers ISP filters.
Failing to monitor public or private blocklists (blacklists) for your sending infrastructure.
Neglecting to align your sending practices with Orange's specific postmaster guidelines.
Expert tips
Consider engaging with the Orange Postmaster team directly if you encounter persistent delivery issues.
Monitor your DMARC reports closely for insights into how Orange.fr is authenticating and treating your emails.
Ensure your email platform is configured to respect ISP throttling limits to avoid being temporarily blocked.
Diversify your sending infrastructure if you have very high volumes to mitigate single points of failure.
Stay updated on Orange's email delivery policies, as they can evolve over time.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says there was an incident on Orange's platform, causing emails to be undeliverable temporarily.
2020-09-17 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks says they also observed issues, with varying responses, indicating the problem was not fully resolved.
