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Bounce Decoder: 500

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500 — SMTP Syntax Error

The 500 SMTP error means the receiving server received a malformed command. Learn what causes this and how your email provider should fix it.

🔴
Permanent Failure (Hard Bounce)
SMTP Code
500
Category
SMTP Syntax Error
Frequency
Common

💬 What This Error Means

The receiving server returned a generic syntax error, meaning the SMTP command from your mail server was malformed.

Common Causes

  • Malformed SMTP command from sending server
  • Server software bug or version mismatch
  • Encoding issue in the connection

How to Fix This

  • Contact your email service provider
  • Check if your mail server software is up to date

📋 Real-World Example Messages

These are real bounce message formats you might receive. Paste yours into the Bounce Decoder for instant analysis.

500 Syntax error, command unrecognized
500 5.5.2 Syntax error

🔗 Related Error Codes

501
Bad Parameter or Argument

📚 Official Documentation

RFC 5321 — SMTP
🔍

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