SMTP Reply Codes

SMTP 553 — Requested action not taken: mailbox name not allowed

In SMTP Reply Codes, code 553. The official source describes it as “Requested action not taken: mailbox name not allowed”. Its concrete cause depends on the operation and surrounding message.

Code553
Symbol
Source confidencehigh

Official definition

Requested action not taken: mailbox name not allowed

In plain language

In SMTP Reply Codes, code 553. The official source describes it as “Requested action not taken: mailbox name not allowed”. Its concrete cause depends on the operation and surrounding message.

Context to inspect

  • The surrounding operation, version and subsystem determine the actual cause.
  • The same numeric value can mean something different in another namespace.

Safe first checks

  1. Confirm which product, protocol or subsystem produced the code.
  2. Read the full surrounding error message and inspect relevant logs.
  3. Compare the code with the linked authoritative documentation before changing configuration.

Important context

Exact wording and enhanced status detail can vary by server; 4xx is generally transient and 5xx permanent. Bare SMTP reply codes are context-dependent; enhanced status codes may provide more detail.

Authoritative source

RFC 5321 — SMTP

Related codes