Gmail sending limits in G Suite
To keep our systems healthy and your accounts safe, G Suite limits the amount of mail one user can send. Limits restrict the number of messages sent per day and the number of recipients per message.
If your users exceed a G Suite 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 from 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 Individual addresses count in every mail sent; 5 emails sent to 10 addresses count as 50 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 Individual addresses count once a day; 5 emails sent to 10 addresses count as 10 unique recipients* |
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.
Unlock a user’s suspended account
G Suite administrators can check the Users section of the Google Admin console to find details on which limits were reached and when access will be restored. In some cases, an administrator can take action to restore access. For instructions, see Reset a Gmail suspension.
Accounts that are detected as sending spam might be permanently restricted from sending email. See Google's Spam and abuse policy.
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 the same amount in your currency). If you purchased your domain from Google, the amount required to increase your sending limits is USD 30 plus the cost of your domain.
If you want to increase your limits sooner, you can end your free trial and pay the amount now. For instructions, see Make a manual payment. It can take up to 48 hours to upgrade the limits after you submit the payment.
Important: While you're still in your trial period, your sending limits will not be increased.
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.
