Encountering a “550 No Such User Here” error when sending an email indicates that the recipient’s mail server cannot locate the specified email address. This issue can have various causes, requiring a distinct troubleshooting approach.
Common Causes of the “550 No Such User Here” Error
- Incorrect Email Address: The recipient’s email address may be misspelled or formatted incorrectly. Even minor errors can prevent successful delivery.
- Non-Existent Email Account: The recipient’s email account might have been deleted or never existed.
- Misconfigured Mail Exchange (MX) Records: If the domain’s MX records are not correctly pointing to the intended mail server, emails may not reach the correct destination.
- Email Routing Issues: Improper email routing settings can cause the server to misdirect emails, leading to delivery failures.
- File Permission Errors: Incorrect file permissions on the mail server can prevent the server from accessing necessary files, resulting in delivery errors.
Steps to Resolve the Error
- Verify the Recipient’s Email Address:
- Ensure the email address is correctly spelled and formatted.
- Confirm with the recipient that the email account is active.
- Check MX Records:
- Use DNS lookup tools to verify that the domain’s MX records point to the correct mail server.
- If discrepancies are found, update the MX records accordingly.
- Review Email Routing Settings:
- In cPanel, navigate to Email Routing and ensure it’s set appropriately:
- Local Mail Exchanger: If the server hosts the recipient’s email.
- Remote Mail Exchanger: If an external server handles the email.
- Inspect File Permissions:
- For cPanel users, incorrect file permissions can cause this error.
- On VPS or Dedicated Servers, run the following command to reset permissions:
fixperms username
Replace “username” with the actual cPanel username.
- Contact the Recipient’s Email Administrator:
- If the issue persists, the recipient’s mail server may have configuration issues.
- Reach out to the recipient or their email administrator for assistance.
Preventive Measures
- Maintain Updated Email Lists: Regularly update your contact lists to remove invalid or inactive email addresses.
- Configure DNS Settings Correctly: Ensure that DNS and MX records are accurately set to point to the correct mail servers.
- Monitor Server Permissions: Regularly check and maintain correct file permissions on your mail server to prevent access issues.
Identifying and addressing the underlying causes can effectively resolve the “550 No Such User Here” error and improve email deliverability.
