421 4.7.28

421 4.7.28 SPF Domain Rate Limit

Domain Reputation

Gmail slowed mail because the SPF domain is authorising IPs that are sending spam.

Overly broad SPF records (e.g., “include:*”) can expose your domain to abuse. Gmail rate limits all IPs in the record when abuse is detected.

Severity

WARNING

Provider

Gmail

Reference

Mitigation Portal

Last Reviewed

2025-06-01

How to Fix 421 4.7.28

Follow these steps to resolve this Gmail SMTP error and restore normal delivery.

  • Remove unused IP ranges and vendors from the SPF record.
  • Flatten nested SPF includes so you can audit each address space.
  • Create dedicated SPF records per business unit or use case.
  • Coordinate with partners to ensure their traffic meets Google standards.

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