# Fix "550 5.7.1 [ESA] Sender Blocked"
Source: https://docs.webgee.com/en/email/understanding-and-resolving-the-550-5-7-1-esa-sender-blocked-error



`550 5.7.1 [ESA] Sender Blocked` means WebGee has **permanently blocked outbound
mail** from your account. Applies to shared, reseller and cPanel hosting.

It is not a first response. The block follows repeated temporary blocks that did
not stop the traffic causing them — spam, bulk sending, high complaint rates, or
large volumes of mail to invalid recipients.

<Callout type="warn">
  Assume the account is compromised until you have established otherwise. Almost
  every account that reaches a permanent block is sending mail its owner did not
  send, usually through a stolen mailbox password or a vulnerable script.
</Callout>

## 1. Find out what was sent [#1-find-out-what-was-sent]

1. Log in to cPanel.
2. Open **Track Delivery**.
3. Review recent outbound messages.

Look for mail you do not recognise, unfamiliar recipient addresses, and large
runs of failures — a long list of rejections to invalid addresses is the
signature of a spam run using a purchased list.

Note **which mailbox** the traffic came from. That is what needs securing.

## 2. Secure the account [#2-secure-the-account]

Change the password on the affected mailbox immediately, and on any other
mailbox that shares it. Use a long, unique password containing upper and lower
case letters, numbers and symbols, generated rather than invented.

Then close the way in:

* **If a mailbox password leaked**, changing it is enough — but change every
  place that password was reused.
* **If a script was exploited**, the password change will not help. Update
  WordPress core, themes and plugins, and scan the account for malware. See
  [Cleaning a compromised website](/en/security-ssl).
* **Check for mail-sending cron jobs** you did not create.

## 3. Request removal [#3-request-removal]

Contact WebGee support and ask for the block to be lifted. Tell them what you
found and what you changed — a request that only asks for unblocking, with no
account of the cause, will be slower.

<Callout type="warn">
  Do not ask for the block to be removed before securing the account. If the
  traffic resumes, the account is blocked again, and repeated cycles put the
  hosting account itself at risk.
</Callout>

## Preventing a repeat [#preventing-a-repeat]

* Use a unique password per mailbox.
* Keep applications patched.
* Send application mail through
  [SMTP with authentication](/en/email/why-am-i-not-able-to-send-mail-via-my-php-script-or-application),
  so every outbound message is attributable to a mailbox.
* Move campaigns to a marketing service — see
  [Email sending limits](/en/email/email-sending-limits).

## Related [#related]

* [Email sending limits](/en/email/email-sending-limits)
* [Read email headers](/en/email/how-to-obtain-email-headers-a-step-by-step-guide)