Gmail 552 5.2.2: recipient account is over quota
552 5.2.2Recipient mailbox over quotaPermanent: retrying will not helpFrom Gmail and Google Workspace
552-5.2.2 The email account that you tried to reach is over quota. Please direct the recipient to https://support.google.com/mail/?p=OverQuotaPerm - gsmtp
What it means
Every Google account has a storage quota shared by Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. When it is full, Gmail stops accepting new mail and answers with 5.2.2 (mailbox full, per RFC 3463). The free tier is 15 GB; Workspace plans vary by edition.
This 552 response is permanent for the message, though Gmail can also send a temporary 452 4.2.2 for a mailbox that has only just filled. Either way, nothing the sender changes will help. The recipient must free space or buy more storage.
Likely causes
- Large attachments kept for years in the mailbox.
- Google Drive or Photos backups consuming the shared storage pool.
- A Workspace user on a plan with pooled storage where the organisation has used its allotment.
- An abandoned mailbox nobody is reading but which still receives newsletters.
How to fix it
- As the sender, tell the recipient by another channel and resend once they confirm space is free.
- As the mailbox owner, open Google One or the storage page, empty Trash and Spam, and search Gmail for `has:attachment larger:10M` to delete large items.
- Clean up Drive and Photos, which share the same quota.
- Workspace admins can review storage reports and assign more space or upgrade the plan.
Checks that apply
- MX Lookup Confirms the domain is hosted by Google so Google storage is indeed the constraint.
- Email Header Analyzer Confirms which recipient in a multi-recipient message bounced.
FAQ
- Will the mail arrive once the recipient frees space?
- Not this copy. The 552 rejection is final, so it must be sent again.
- Does Gmail ever delete mail from a full account?
- Google warns that accounts over quota for two years or more may have content deleted, but it does not remove mail just to make room.