Email sending limits
To keep systems healthy and accounts safe, Google limits the number of email messages users can send per day and the number of recipients per message.
If your users exceed an email sending limit, they’ll see an error message, such as:
- You have reached a limit for sending email.
- You reached a Gmail sending limit.
- You exceeded the maximum recipients.
After reaching one of these limits, a user can't send new messages for up to 24 hours. However, they can still access their G Suite account and receive incoming email. The user can also access their other Google services. After this suspension period, sending limits are automatically reset and the user can resume sending mail.
Sending limits
Sending limits can change without notice. Limits per day are applied over a rolling 24-hour period, not a set time of day.
Note: Sending limits are different if your organization uses the SMTP relay service to route outgoing mail through Google. See instead sending limits for the SMTP relay service.
| Limit type | Limit |
|---|---|
| Messages per day Daily sending limit* |
2,000 (500 for trial accounts) |
| Messages auto-forwarded Messages automatically forwarded to another account, not included in the daily sending limit |
10,000 |
| Auto-forward mail filters Account filters that automatically forward mail |
20 |
| Recipients per message Addresses in the To, Cc, and Bcc fields of a single email* |
2,000 (500 external) |
| Recipients per message sent via SMTP (by POP or IMAP users) or the Gmail API Addresses in the To, Cc, and Bcc fields of a single email. Includes email sent using smtp-relay.gmail.com or smtp.gmail.com* |
100 |
| Total recipients per day Email addresses (recipients) count each time a message is sent; 5 emails sent to 10 addresses count as 50 total recipients.* |
10,000 |
| External recipients per day Email addresses outside your primary domain, including domain aliases and alternate domains |
3,000 |
|
Unique recipients per day
|
3,000 (2,000 external, 500 external for trial accounts) |
*Applies to internal and external recipients
What also counts towards a user's limits
- Mail sent from a user's alternate address, or alias
- Mail an assistant sends on your behalf (if you delegate mail to an assistant)
- Mail sent from Gmail’s vacation responder
Gmail sending limits for mobile devices
When you use the Gmail for mobile app in Google Sync mode, the same sending limits apply as when you use Gmail in a web browser (described in the table above).
When you use the Gmail for mobile app in IMAP mode, the IMAP sending limits (described in the table above) apply.
Restore a suspended Gmail account
G Suite administrators can check the Users section of the Google Admin console to find details on which limits were reached. In some cases, an administrator can take action to restore access. For instructions, see Restore a suspended Gmail account.
Accounts that are detected as sending spam might be permanently restricted from sending email. See Google's Spam and abuse policy.
Additional sending limits for Google Groups during trials
If you are using Google Groups through a free trial account, you can only send group email to recipients inside your organization. To send group email to external recipients, you must end your trial and convert to a paid account.
Increase your limits by ending your free trial
Some limits are specific to trial accounts. At the end of your free trial period, those limits will be automatically increased when your domain is cumulatively billed for at least USD $30 (or equivalent). If you purchased your domain from Google, the amount required to increase your sending limits is USD $30 plus the cost of your domain.
Important: Sending limits are not increased during your trial period. Your account must have started a subscription and ended the trial period before sending limits can be removed. In addition, any payments made during the trial period do not apply to the USD $30 (or equivalent) charge to remove trial-like limits.
If you want to increase your limits sooner, you can end your free trial by completing the following steps:
- Add new users to reach the maximum account user limit (normally 10 for new accounts in trial, although it can vary under certain conditions).
- Set up a billing account.
- Select the option to start the paid service.
- Make a payment to lift the trial limits.
It can take up to 48 hours to upgrade the limits after you submit the payment.
Recommendations for sending bulk email
Here are some ways to avoid exceeding limits when sending a large amount of mail, such as for a marketing campaign:
- Stagger mass communications over 2 days—Send messages to one group of recipients, wait 24 hours, and then send to another group.
- Send mail to a group address—Send mail to many email addresses using a single group address. For example, contact all users in your organization by adding everyone in the domain to an email list. For more details, see Groups and Group policies and limits.
- Use a Marketplace solution—Many third-party developers offer apps for sending bulk mailings. For ideas, go to the G Suite Marketplace.
Note: Google does not offer technical support for Marketplace apps. Marketplace solutions are created by third-party developers for a general audience. - Build an App Engine solution—Developers can increase mail limits by building a customized application. See App Engine for mail.
- Use a local mail server—If you have a local mail server, use it to send mail directly to recipients to avoid sending limits. This local server should also be added to your SPF record to stop the messages from being marked as spam.
- Review bulk sending guidelines and best practices—Some email recipients might report bulk messages as spam. Therefore, you need to ensure that all recipients are willing to receive the emails. You can also check email settings for any incorrectly configured forwarding rules or filters. For details, see our bulk sending guidelines and best practices.
