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Ruachost Help Center

Fixing the "max defers and failures" error

If you see an error like this when you send email, your outgoing mail has been paused for a while:

Domain example.com has exceeded the max defers and failures allowed per hour

What it means

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A failure is a message that can’t be delivered at all, for example to an address that doesn’t exist. A defer is a message the receiving server refused for now and asked us to try again later.

When too many of the messages your domain sends in an hour fail or are deferred, the server pauses your outgoing mail. This protects your domain’s reputation, and everyone else’s on the server. Sending usually starts again on its own within the hour.

Common causes

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  • Old or mistyped addresses in a mailing list or contact list
  • A website form or plugin sending to invalid addresses, or sending spam after being abused by bots
  • A hacked email account or website script sending spam
  • Missing SPF or DKIM records, which make receiving servers reject or delay your mail

How to fix it

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  1. Wait for the pause to lift. Don’t keep resending; every new failure adds to the count.
  2. Find the failing messages. In cPanel, open Track Delivery under Email. Look for messages marked as failed or deferred and note the recipient addresses and error messages.
  3. Fix the cause:
    • Remove or correct bad addresses in your mailing lists.
    • Add a CAPTCHA to website forms, and update or remove any plugin sending unexpected mail.
    • If you see messages you didn’t send, change the email account’s password at once, and scan your website for malware.
    • Check that your domain has valid SPF and DKIM records. In cPanel, Email Deliverability shows any problems and can repair them. See Managing email deliverability settings.
  4. Send newsletters elsewhere. Bulk mail to large lists is the most common cause. Use a newsletter service instead of your hosting email.

If the error keeps coming back, or you think your account has been compromised, open a support ticket and we’ll investigate.

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