A message bounced or was deferred

Open the message in Archive & audit and read the Delivery tab: a 5.x.x code is a final rejection by the recipient’s server, a 4.x.x code is a temporary deferral that PXCMail keeps retrying for 24 hours, and “Blocked by policy” or “Warned” means your own rule acted, not the recipient.

Before you start

Any console role; Support can read delivery results. Compliance, Admin or Owner to release held mail.
The sender’s non-delivery report, if any; the Delivery tab quotes the same code and text.
Your DNS status under Console → Domains & connection; alignment failures look like recipient problems at first.

Steps

Console → Archive & audit → search by sender, recipient or date → open the message → Delivery tab. Each hop shows the receiving server, the response code and its text.
5.1.x (bad address): the mailbox does not exist. Correct the address at its source and resend; repeated hard bounces count toward your bounce rate.
5.7.x (policy rejection by the recipient): their filter refused the message. Open Console → Reports → DMARC and confirm SPF, DKIM and DMARC pass for the sending domain; if they do, ask the recipient’s IT to allow-list your domain.
4.x.x (deferral): the recipient server is busy, greylisting or rate-limiting. PXCMail retries for 24 hours and the status updates on its own. A deferral because the recipient cannot negotiate TLS is converted to locked delivery automatically, and the recipient gets a notification instead.
“Blocked by policy”, “Held” or “Warned”: your rule acted. The Decision tab shows the finding and rule; release or reject held mail under Console → Quarantine & holds.

Verify

The message status changes to “Delivered”, “Locked · delivered” or, for a rejected address, stays at the final bounce with the reason recorded. For a held message, the Quarantine & holds queue no longer lists it and the audit log shows who released it.

Troubleshooting

Every message to one domain bounces with 5.7.1. Cause: that domain requires DMARC alignment and a system of yours sends without DKIM, or your DMARC policy is set to reject while a legitimate source still fails. Fix: check Reports → DMARC for the failing source; see DMARC dashboard and enforcement.
A message shows “deferred” for hours. Cause: greylisting on the recipient side; a retry succeeds. Fix: wait; after 24 hours it becomes a bounce and the sender is told.
Bounces from many different domains at once. Cause: your sending reputation or a listing on a block list. Fix: check Console → Home for a pause banner and read sending was paused.
No bounce, but the recipient has nothing. Cause: delivered and filed as spam, or sent as locked delivery with the notification in junk. Fix: the Delivery tab shows which; resend the notification or ask the recipient to check junk.

Example

Harbor Title, a 14-person title and escrow company on Microsoft 365, had escrow officer Maria’s closing package to a small credit union sit at “deferred”. The Delivery tab showed a 4.7.x code with the text “TLS required”: the credit union’s mail server could not negotiate a modern TLS connection, and PXCMail requires one. After the retry window the message was converted to locked delivery and the loan officer received a notification, entered the code and downloaded the package. The audit record shows the deferral, the conversion and the open.

FAQ

Does PXCMail ever generate the bounce itself?

Yes, for policy. A warn rule returns the message to the sender with guidance; a block rule rejects it with the reason. Both are labelled as policy in the Delivery tab.

How long are deferred messages retried?

24 hours. After that the sender receives a non-delivery report and the Delivery tab shows the final response.

Do bounces count against my reputation?

Hard bounces to non-existent addresses do. Deferrals and policy actions do not. Keep patient and client lists current.

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