To keep systems healthy and accounts safe, Google limits the number of Gmail 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 Google Workspace 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.
Notes:
- Sending limits are different if your organization uses the SMTP relay service to route outgoing mail through Google. Instead, go to sending limits for the SMTP relay service.
- Quotas might be different if you're using Google Apps Script.
| 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 total per message (maximum of 500 external recipients) |
| 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
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, go to Restore a suspended Gmail account.
Accounts that are detected as sending spam might be permanently restricted from sending email. For details, go to Google's Spam and abuse policy.
Limits for Groups messages & trial accounts
If you're using Google Groups through a Google Workspace free trial account, you might experience the following limits:
- Your sending limits might be lower than those in the Sending limits table, above.
- You can only send group email to recipients inside your organization.
- You can't turn on auto-replies to people outside your organization, even if they are members of a group.
- You can't allow messages flagged by Google’s spam filters to be posted directly to a group.
Gmail limits aren't increased during your trial period. Some Gmail limits are automatically increased when your domain has cumulatively paid at least USD 100 (or equivalent), and at least 60 days have passed since reaching that payment threshold. If you purchased your domain from Google, the cost required to increase your limits is USD 100 plus the cost of your domain.
Convert to a paid account
To convert to a paid account, follow the steps in About your Google Workspace free trial.
Limits for Drive & trial accounts
When using Google Drive through a free Google Workspace trial account, you might experience the following limit:
You can use Drive to share Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides with recipients inside and outside your organization. If you reach the Gmail trial limit, you can continue to share with external recipients but they will no longer get the email notifications for sharing.
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, go to Groups and Group policies and limits.
- Use a Google Workspace Marketplace solution—Many third-party developers offer apps for sending bulk mailings. For ideas, go to the Google Workspace Marketplace.
Note: Google does not offer technical support for Marketplace apps. Marketplace solutions are created by third-party developers for a general audience. - Build a Google App Engine solution—Developers can increase mail limits by building a customized application. To learn more, go to Google 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, go to Prevent mail to Gmail users from being blocked or sent to spam.
