5.4.1 No answer from host, or recipient address rejected

The mail system could not complete delivery to the recipient’s server. Microsoft’s systems often use this code to say the recipient address does not exist in their directory.

5.4.1 No answer from host, or recipient address rejected

Permanent: retrying will not help

The mail system could not complete delivery to the recipient’s server. Microsoft’s systems often use this code to say the recipient address does not exist in their directory.

Usual causes

The address does not exist at that organization (Microsoft 365 and Exchange often answer this way).
The receiving server was unreachable.

What to do

Check the address with the recipient.
If the text says “Recipient address rejected: Access denied”, the address is not valid there, so remove it.

Usually the fault of: receiving server.

Common questions.

What does 5.4.1 mean?

The mail system could not complete delivery to the recipient’s server. Microsoft’s systems often use this code to say the recipient address does not exist in their directory.

Will retrying fix 5.4.1?

No. It is a permanent failure, so retrying the same message will not help, and repeated attempts can hurt your sending reputation. Fix the cause first.

How do I fix 5.4.1?

Check the address with the recipient. If the text says “Recipient address rejected: Access denied”, the address is not valid there, so remove it.

Other codes: 5.1.1 · 5.1.2 · 5.1.3 · 5.1.6 · 5.2.1 · 5.2.2 · 5.2.3 · 5.3.4 · Decode a whole bounce message

See why every email bounced.

SendSend shows each message’s result, and the reason the receiving server gave. Free for 3,000 emails a month.

Get started free Check your domain