550 5.7.367: why a Microsoft 365 forward was refused

Paste a 550 5.7.367 bounce to see why the next server would not relay it and which setting an admin changes to stop it.

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550 5.7.367: Remote server: not permitted to relayA forwarded or relayed message from Microsoft 365 was refused by the next server, usually a non-Microsoft gateway, with 'not permitted to relay'.Microsoft 365 ยท Hard bounce ยท No automatic retry
  • The fixMake SPF pass on the way in (use Enhanced Filtering for Connectors when your MX points elsewhere), add domains you control as accepted domains, and avoid long forwarding chains.
    Why

    SPF failed or soft-failed when the message entered Microsoft 365, so Microsoft sent it from its relay pool, which other servers do not treat as Microsoft and often refuse.

    Source: learn.microsoft.com (opens in a new tab), learn.microsoft.com (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 9, 2026.

Browse all 213 codes

1 of 213 codes

  • 550 5.7.367Remote server: not permitted to relayMicrosoft 365
    What it means
    A forwarded or relayed message from Microsoft 365 was refused by the next server, usually a non-Microsoft gateway, with 'not permitted to relay'.
    Why it happens
    SPF failed or soft-failed when the message entered Microsoft 365, so Microsoft sent it from its relay pool, which other servers do not treat as Microsoft and often refuse.
    The fix
    Make SPF pass on the way in (use Enhanced Filtering for Connectors when your MX points elsewhere), add domains you control as accepted domains, and avoid long forwarding chains.
    Bounce
    Hard bounce. No automatic retry

    Source: learn.microsoft.com (opens in a new tab), learn.microsoft.com (opens in a new tab). Checked Nov 9, 2026.

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By

ยท CEO & co-founder

Updated Nov 11, 2026

Shorter page: the tool first, the answer in a few lines.

550 5.7.367 means Microsoft 365 forwarded or relayed a message and the next server refused it as "not permitted to relay". The address is fine. The fix sits in the forwarding tenant's settings, and when a gateway sits in front of Microsoft 365 it is usually Enhanced Filtering for Connectors.

How to read the result

The bounce carries two codes joined by an arrow: Microsoft's, then the next server's reply, which usually just says relaying was denied. The real reason is on Microsoft's side of the arrow.

When a message fails authentication on its way into Microsoft 365, a forward of it is more likely to leave from a separate relay pool. Microsoft does not publish that pool, and it is not in Microsoft 365's SPF record, so the next server does not treat the message as Microsoft's. An admin can confirm it in the message trace, where OutboundIpPoolName reads RegularRelayOutboundPool.

How to fix 550 5.7.367

Microsoft's 5.7.367 troubleshooting article gives three fixes, each aimed at making SPF pass on the way in:

  • Your MX record points to a third-party gateway or an on-premises server. Turn on Enhanced Filtering for Connectors, so SPF is checked against the original sender.

  • The original sender's own SPF fails. That domain's admin lists every service that sends as it.

  • The sender is a domain you control. Add it as an accepted domain in Microsoft 365.

Allow-listing the relay pool on the far gateway chases a list nobody publishes, so fix the way in instead.

What to do next

If you only sent the message and never set up a forward, the recipient's mailbox probably forwards your mail, and none of these settings are yours. Tell the recipient their forward is failing, and reach them another way until their admin fixes it.

550 5.7.367: common questions

Is status code 550 5.7.367 a hard bounce?

Yes. It starts with 5, so it is permanent and your server does not retry it. Microsoft still calls the failures intermittent: whether a message leaves through the relay pool depends on how it authenticated when it entered Microsoft 365.

Why does SPF fail when mail reaches Microsoft 365 through a gateway?

Exchange Online checks SPF against the server that handed it the message. With a gateway in front of Microsoft 365, that is the gateway, not the original sender, so SPF fails or soft-fails. Enhanced Filtering for Connectors corrects that check.

Does verifying email addresses prevent a 550 5.7.367 bounce?

No. The bounce is about the forward, not the address you wrote to. Verification removes addresses that cannot take mail, which keeps list bounces out of your bounce rate, so a forwarding failure like this one stands out.

About this article

Photo of Utku Zihnioglu

Utku Zihnioglu

CEO & co-founder

Serial entrepreneur who built infrastructure companies handling billions of requests. Now leads engineering at Oneprofile, which finds the people worth talking to, researches each one, and follows up until they reply.

Drafted with AI from our product docs and code. Utku Zihnioglu answers for what it says.

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Oneprofile can verify each address before a sequence sends, and you can start free.

Free plan: 200 credits a month, 3 integrations, no card