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How to Fix Qmail Delivery Error: Recipient Mailbox Is Over Quota
Question details
The sender receives a permanent delivery failure notification indicating that the recipient's mailbox has exceeded its storage quota.
- Product
- Email / Qmail
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Sending an email to a recipient whose email storage has reached its maximum capacity, causing the server to reject incoming messages.
- Observed behavior
- A permanent qmail delivery failure bounce-back message is generated, stating that the user is over quota and rejecting the new message.
Determine whether you are the sender or the recipient. Senders cannot fix this issue directly and must contact the recipient through another method, while recipients need to log into their email account to manage storage.
Clear Mailbox Space and Empty Trash
Free up storage by deleting old emails, removing large attachments, and emptying the deleted items folder.
If you are the recipient, your mailbox has reached its storage limit. You must delete existing emails before your server will accept new ones.
Access your webmail interface or open your email client (such as Outlook, Thunderbird, or Apple Mail) where the affected account is configured.
Sort your inbox or sent folder by 'Size'. Select and delete emails containing large attachments that you no longer need.
Deleted emails often remain in the 'Trash' or 'Deleted Items' folder and still count against your quota. Right-click these folders and select 'Empty Folder' to permanently free up space.
Increase the Mailbox Storage Quota
Email administrators can resolve this issue by increasing the user's storage limit through the admin center.
Contact Recipient via Alternative Methods
Senders experiencing this bounce-back must wait for the recipient to fix the issue and should notify them through a different channel.
Prevent Mailbox Quota Issues with WPS Office
Large email attachments are a primary cause of mailbox over-quota errors. With WPS Office, you can create, edit, and share documents via secure cloud links instead of attaching bulky files, ensuring you never run out of email storage.
- 1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS website to download and install the free office suite.
- 2. Create or Open a Document: Launch WPS Office to open your existing Microsoft Office files or create a new document.
- 3. Share via Link: Click the 'Share' button in the top right corner to generate a cloud link. Paste this link into your email instead of attaching the file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a permanent qmail delivery failure mean?
It means your email was completely rejected by the recipient's mail server and will not be delivered. The server will not attempt to resend it, so you must send the email again once the underlying issue is resolved.
Will my email be delivered automatically once the recipient frees up space?
No. Because this is a permanent delivery error, the original message was discarded by the receiving server. You will need to manually resend the email after the recipient has made space in their mailbox.
How can I prevent my mailbox from going over quota?
Regularly empty your Trash and Junk folders, sort your inbox by size to delete emails with large attachments, and consider archiving older emails to a local drive. Sharing files via cloud links instead of attachments also helps save space.
