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451 Could not complete sender verify callout

··168 words·1 min·
Mail

This is one of Exim’s more cryptic errors:

Mar 29 11:22:52 114075-web1 postfix/smtp[20589]: 9E0142FC589: to=<orders@somehost.com>, relay=somehost.com[11.11.11.11], delay=147966, status=deferred (host somehost.com[11.11.11.11] said: 451 Could not complete sender verify callout (in reply to RCPT TO command))

When you send e-mail to an Exim server with a sender verify callout enabled, the Exim server will connect back into your server and verify that your server accepts mail for the sender’s e-mail address. For example, if you send e-mail from orders@somehost.com, the Exim server will connect back into your server and do this:

HELO someotherhost.com
250 somehost.com
MAIL FROM: test@someotherhost.com
250 2.1.0 Ok
RCPT TO: orders@somehost.com
250 2.1.5 Ok

Exim will make sure that it gets a 250 success code before it will allow the e-mail to come into its server. Some situations that cause problems with this process are:

  • Port 25 is blocked inbound on the sender’s server
  • Something else is filtering port 25 inbound on the sender’s server
  • The sender’s server uses blacklists which delay the responses to Exim’s commands