CloudPraxis
Thu Nov 28 2024

Resolving “Email Address Not Verified” Error in AWS SES

If you’re diving into Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) for the first time, you might encounter the “Email address is not verified” error message. This can be a bit frustrating—especially when you’re sure you’ve already verified your sending email address or domain. The underlying reason often boils down to the SES account being in “sandbox” mode. Here’s how you can resolve this issue effectively.

Understanding AWS SES Sandbox Mode

AWS SES starts new accounts in “sandbox” mode by default. This is a testing environment where you can only send emails to verified email addresses or domains. It’s designed to safeguard the system by limiting spam or harmful emails while ensuring things are set up correctly.

To send emails to unverified addresses, you need to move your account out of this restricted mode.

An SES account is in sandbox mode as a security measure to prevent misuse. The sandbox allows you to test your configuration while limiting the potential to inadvertently send emails to unverified addresses.

Steps to Verify Your Domain and Email Addresses

  1. Verify the Sending Email or Domain: You must verify each identity (either an email address or domain) from which you want to send emails. Even if your domain is verified, senders using individual email addresses may also need individual verification.

  2. Review Verification Status in SES Console: Make sure that both the sender’s domain and the email address are marked as “Verified” in the SES console.

  3. Handling the Sandbox Mode Limitation: Despite the above verifications, you can’t send emails to any unverified email address as long as your account is in sandbox mode.

Moving Out of Sandbox Mode

To lift sandbox restrictions and enable sending to addresses that aren’t verified, you’ll need to submit a request to AWS:

  1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console.
  2. Navigate to the Support Center and initiate a request through the AWS Support Dashboard.
  3. Choose “Service Limit Increase.”
  4. Complete the necessary fields, specifying the SES service and mentioning your request to move out of sandbox mode. AWS may ask for details about your use case to ensure compliance with their policies.

For more details, you can refer to Moving out of the Amazon SES sandbox.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Check SES Sending Limits: Once your account is out of the sandbox, ensure that your planned email sending volume aligns with SES sending limits. You can request a quota increase if needed.

  • Monitoring and Logging: Enable logs and monitor email sending status to diagnose issues beyond sandbox restrictions. SES integrates with Amazon CloudWatch for monitoring service metrics to help address delivery problems proactively.

By ensuring proper verification and moving your SES account out of sandbox mode, you’ll be set up to effectively use AWS SES for your email delivery requirements.