How to Fix Exchange Error 250 2.1.5 RESOLVER.FWD.Forwarded
Question details
The user needs to troubleshoot and resolve rejected emails that return the Exchange error 250 2.1.5 RESOLVER.FWD.Forwarded.
- Product
- Microsoft Exchange
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- A user or administrator is trying to send or auto-forward emails, but the messages are rejected by the server due to forwarding configuration conflicts.
- Observed behavior
- Emails fail to deliver and return a Non-Delivery Report (NDR) containing the specific error code 250 2.1.5 RESOLVER.FWD.Forwarded.
Ensure you have administrator access to the Microsoft 365 Exchange Admin Center, as resolving this issue often requires modifying server-level mail flow and remote domain configurations.
Check and Disable User Forwarding Rules in Outlook on the Web
Users often set up personal inbox forwarding rules that conflict with organizational security policies, triggering this error.
If a standard user is experiencing this error, it is typically caused by a client-side forwarding rule attempting to send mail to an unauthorized external domain.
Sign in to Outlook on the web using the credentials of the user experiencing the forwarding error.
Click the gear icon in the upper-right corner to open Settings, then navigate to the 'Mail' section.
Select 'Forwarding' from the menu. Check if external forwarding is enabled. If it violates company policy or is causing the error, disable it and save your changes.
Review Remote Domain and Mail Flow Settings in Exchange Admin Center
Administrators must verify if global mail flow rules or remote domain settings are blocking external auto-forwarding for the organization.
Run a Message Trace to Pinpoint the Failure
If forwarding settings appear correct but emails still bounce, running a message trace will identify the exact transport rule or policy dropping the message.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does Exchange error 250 2.1.5 RESOLVER.FWD.Forwarded mean?
This NDR (Non-Delivery Report) error indicates that an email was rejected by the server because of conflicts with auto-forwarding rules, typically when a user attempts to automatically forward emails to an external domain.
Why are my auto-forwarded emails suddenly bouncing?
Your organization's Exchange administrator may have recently updated mail flow rules, outbound spam filtering policies, or remote domain settings to block automatic forwarding to external addresses for security reasons.
Can standard users fix the RESOLVER.FWD.Forwarded error on their own?
If the error is caused by a personal inbox rule in Outlook on the web, a standard user can fix it by simply disabling that forwarding rule. However, if the block is enforced by server-wide remote domain settings, an Exchange administrator must adjust the configuration.
