Knowledge Base:  
You are here: Knowledge Base >
550 Mail Relay Error
Last Updated 8/13/2007
Sometimes you may receive outbound email bounced back that has an error message along the lines of "550 Relay Denied" — the key word being "relay" as part of the error.  This means that one of the ISPs involved in your outbound email has detected the attempt to send mail through their system but not using their email server.

For a more extensive article (in much more detail), see this Microsoft reference page.

Many ISPs (Internet Service Providers) in an effort to reduce the amount of spam being sent through their network will block this type of transmission.  In essence, they block any outbound email that does not use their email server.  The main reason being that they want to be able to control the data sent through their network and that can only be done if the mail goes through their resources.

This error response normally only occurs when using an email client, such as MS Outlook or Macintosh Mail (or any other standalone program used for accessing your mail).  Web mail (using your Internet browser for mail access) is not normally subject to these errors.

The easiest solution for this situation is to change your mail settings so that you use your local ISP's outbound mail server (also called an SMTP server) and continue to use our inbound (POP3) email server to retrieve your incoming mail.

For instructions on how to use your local ISP for outbound mail, contact them.

Was this article helpful?

Comments:
 

Related Articles
 > W09 Improved Language Functionality
 > W09 AddThis™ Integration
 > W09 Optimized Search Refinement
 > W09 Custom RSS Feeds
 > W09 MyRewards/Loyalty Program
 > W09 Improved Administrative Interface
 > Product Accessories
 > Bulk Updates
 > Volusion on Twitter