Guide
552 5.3.4 “Your message exceeded Google’s message size limits”
Google’s mail servers refused the message: it is larger than Gmail accepts, and the bounce comes back to the sender. Resend it without the attachment, with a link: up to 5 GB here, without an account.
What the error says
| The code | 552 5.3.4, returned by Google’s mail servers |
|---|---|
| Other wording | “The size of your message (… bytes) exceeded Google’s message size limits of … bytes.” |
| To send from Gmail (personal account) | 25 MB, attachments together; at work, set by the administrator |
Sources: Google Workspace help, Gmail help, Microsoft Learn — October 2026.
How to send bigger
A TransferThing link
Drop the file here, resend the message with the link instead of the attachment. Up to 5 GB, without an account for you or the recipient.
A Google Drive link
From Gmail, past 25 MB, Gmail puts one in the e-mail itself. The file uses your Google storage and stays until you delete it.
Lighter attachments
Fewer files per message. A .zip barely shrinks videos, photos or PDFs, and attachments are about a third heavier once sent.
A free account to follow your transfers.
See what was downloaded, and find your links again.
Frequently asked questions
What does error 552 5.3.4 mean?
Google’s mail servers refused the message because it exceeds Gmail’s message size limits; Google lists this code among Gmail’s SMTP errors.
I wrote to a Gmail address from another mailbox: why this error?
The limit applies to the message Gmail receives, whoever sends it: the bounce comes back to you with Google’s code. Resend with a link instead of the attachment.
Why is a message under 25 MB refused?
The size counts every attachment together, and e-mail encoding makes attachments about a third heavier once sent.
How do I send the file anyway?
Drop it on TransferThing and resend the message with the link: up to 5 GB, without an account.
Does the recipient need an account?
Not for a TransferThing link: they download in their browser, without an account.
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