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I'm wondering whether it's safe to mark bounce messages containing "This is a permanent error." string from the first time?

When I get "This is a permanent error." doesn't mean "permanent error" for this message or for the user?

tripleee
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oaziz
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  • Note that there is a great variety of bounce messages out there. If you plan to track failed deliveries, you are better off interpreting the SMTP error codes, rather than cataloging human-readable messages (some servers offer them translated for the convenience of local users). Still, not all servers provide any useful information at all in the bounce messages, some for security reasons, others because they were apparently written by a summer intern in Redmond once upon a time. – tripleee Nov 02 '11 at 10:55

1 Answers1

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Depends on what the error code is. Check the message for a code, and compare it to one of these tables, which should tell you more.

http://www.unixhub.com/docs/email/SMTPcodes.html

http://www.emailaddressmanager.com/tips/codes.html

Without the actual error output, I can't give you a more specific answer.

jefflunt
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  • The Microsoft link describes SNMP error codes, not SMTP. From the evidence (Exchange, Outlook, etc), it's unlikely that Microsoft knows much about SMTP anyway. http://ask-leo.com/why_does_email_bounce.html might be worth a look instead. – tripleee Nov 02 '11 at 09:44
  • Whoops - totally my fault. Replaced the MS link with an SMTP link. Searches on the specific error code can also bear some fruit. – jefflunt Nov 02 '11 at 13:38