You may see an error like “550 5.7.0 local policy violation” or “550 5.7.0 email rejected per SPF policy” when trying to send an email. This means the receiving mail server has rejected your message because it violated one of its security or authentication rules.
The issue usually occurs due to an incorrectly configured email server, an incomplete or invalid SPF record, or interference from anti-spam tools like Sophos that block phishing or malware risks. This error is also common across Gmail and corporate mail systems that strictly enforce sender authentication.
This guide explains the reasons behind the error and the steps to resolve it. By understanding the exact cause of this policy violation, you can reconfigure your authentication settings and ensure your messages are successfully delivered.
What does 550 5.7.0 Local Policy Violation Mean?
The “550 5.7.0 local policy violation” error is a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) status code indicating that the recipient’s mail server has rejected the incoming message because it violates one or more of its local security or authentication policies. The diagnostic code SMTP 550 5.7 0 local policy violation is commonly returned when the sending domain or IP is not authorized to send on behalf of the specified domain, or when the message content fails compliance checks enforced by the recipient’s mail gateway.
In practical terms, this means the email did not pass certain checks, such as SPF, DKIM, or DMARC alignment, or it triggered the server’s spam or content filtering rules.
Reasons For “550 5.7.0 Email Rejected Per SPF Policy” Error
The following reasons apply to most major email systems, including Gmail, Outlook, and other corporate servers. These configurations often trigger the 550 5.7.0 local policy violation Gmail, SPF policy violation Outlook, or similar errors when authentication checks fail.
1. Invalid or Missing SPF Record
If your domain lacks a correctly formatted SPF record (for example, the TXT record in DNS is not properly defined), the receiving server cannot verify that your sending IP is authorized. This triggers the “550 5.7.0 email rejected per SPF policy” error.
Common SPF issues triggering this are incorrect syntax, missing “v=spf1” prefix, missing sending IPs, exceeding character limits, or duplicate records. That’s why it’s suggested that you ditch the idea of manually creating an SPF record and opt for a credible SPF record generator.
2. Incomplete SPF Record
Even with a valid SPF record, if you fail to list all servers or third-party services that send mail on your behalf, SPF verification will fail. This usually happens when legitimate outbound servers or marketing tools are left out of the SPF configuration, causing the receiving system to reject the message as unauthenticated.
3. Relaying or Forwarding Through Multiple Unlisted Intermediaries
When an email is forwarded or relayed through one or more servers not included in your SPF record, the “Return-Path” domain may not match the sending domain, causing alignment failure. This often triggers the “550 5.7 0 local policy violation” because the recipient’s policy rejects messages that fail SPF or DMARC alignment.
4. Exceeding the DNS Lookup Limit
There is a limit of 10 DNS lookups per SPF record. If your SPF record triggers too many includes or nested lookups, it may result in a SPF permerror or fail, causing rejection.
5. Anti-Spam or Local Policy Filters at the Recipient
Even with correct authentication, the recipient’s mail system may enforce additional local policies (such as filtering for suspicious attachments, certain IP reputations, or third-party tool interference).
For example, messages processed through strict corporate gateways may still fail and result in a “550 5.7.0 local policy violation”.
Resolving the “550 5.7.0 Local Policy Violation” Error
Fixing this policy violation issue is less about advanced troubleshooting and more about tightening your DNS configurations so the recipient server can verify your identity and trust your messages.
Below are the most effective steps to resolve the issue and restore expected email delivery.
1. Rectify Your SPF Record
The best option for identifying errors in your SPF record is to use a trusted SPF lookup tool. To do this manually, start by looking for common formatting issues such as spelling errors, unnecessary commas or spaces, uppercase letters, extra dashes, or incorrect syntax.
Ensure your SPF record begins with v=spf1 and ends with an appropriate mechanism such as ~all or -all. Once corrected, publish the updated record in your domain’s DNS settings and allow propagation time for the changes to take effect.
2. Double-Check Your MX Record
MX records directs incoming mail to the correct mail server for your domain, so if it points to the wrong location or contains inconsistencies, the recipient server will reject your emails. Access your DNS manager to confirm that your MX records match your actual mail hosting service. Remove any outdated entries and verify that the hostname resolves correctly to your intended mail server.
3. Add Third-Party Vendors’ Sending Sources
If your business uses third-party tools like CRM systems, marketing platforms, or automated notification services to send emails, your SPF record must include their IP addresses. When these sources are not listed, their messages fail SPF verification, resulting in the 550 5.7 0 local policy violation error.
Gather all authorized sending IPs or hostnames from your vendors and integrate them into your SPF record using the “include” mechanism. Review and update this list regularly whenever you add or remove an external service.
4. Verify DNS Lookup Limits
Simplify your SPF record by consolidating redundant includes, removing unused domains, and avoiding nested mechanisms. After optimizing, retest your record to confirm that it passes without exceeding lookup limits.
5. Review Local Policies and Filtering Tools
To resolve the issue of overriding local security or spam filters, contact the recipient’s mail administrator to verify if your domain or IP address was flagged. You may request temporary whitelisting while you fix authentication issues on your end.
Conclusion
The “550 5.7.0 local policy violation” error can look intimidating, but it’s often just a sign that your email authentication setup needs fine-tuning. Correcting SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configurations, reviewing MX records, and keeping third-party sending sources updated can resolve the issue quickly and prevent future rejections.
However, managing these settings manually can be complex and time-consuming. Partnering with EasyDMARC simplifies this entire process by automatically validating, monitoring, and optimizing your domain authentication. Our set of advanced tools helps ensure your emails pass every check, maintain deliverability, and protect your brand from spoofing and policy-related failures.
Create your account and start your free 14-day EasyDMARC trial to automatically monitor SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and eliminate the “diagnostic code SMTP 550 5.7 0 local policy violation” error permanently.
Frequently Asked Questions
A “550 5.7.0 local policy violation” error in Gmail or Outlook usually means your email didn’t pass the receiver’s security checks. It can happen if your SPF or DKIM records are set up wrong, or if there’s a DMARC violation on your domain. Sometimes, it’s just the mail server blocking your message because it doesn’t recognize your sending IP as trusted.
If your SPF and DKIM are fine but you still get this error, check your DMARC record and make sure the domain in your “From” address matches your return-path. Also, confirm that all the tools or platforms sending emails for you are added to your SPF record. If nothing works, check if your IP is blacklisted since that’s a common reason 550 5.7 0 local policy violation shows up.
This often happens because DNS changes don’t take effect right away. It can take a few hours for servers to update globally. The diagnostic code SMTP 550 5.7 0 local policy violation can also appear if your SPF record has too many lookups, is too long, or includes syntax errors that make the validation fail.
To avoid 550 5.7 0 local policy violation Gmail or Outlook errors, keep your DNS records clean and updated. Make sure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly aligned, and always include third-party tools that send on your behalf in your SPF record. Regularly test your authentication setup so you catch problems before your emails start bouncing.
Yes. EasyDMARC makes it easier to fix and prevent 550 5.7.0 local policy violation issues by checking your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records automatically. It highlights configuration errors, alignment problems, and missing entries so you can fix them quickly. This keeps your authentication solid and reduces the chance of rejections or delivery failures.
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