If you've run into an error while sending emails, your email provider may be enforcing rate limits — caps on how many emails you can send in a given period. These are set by providers like Gmail, Outlook, and others to prevent spam, and they apply to all sending activity tied to your account, not just activity through our platform.
The good news: If you're encountering this regularly Bonzo can set you up on our own email server, which removes these provider restrictions entirely and gives you much higher sending capacity. Reach out to our support team to get started.
What happens when you hit a limit?
If you hit a per-minute sending limit, Bonzo will automatically retry the message after a few minutes. If it still doesn't go through, you'll see an error like "Rate limit has been exceeded."
When that happens, the next step depends on which limit you hit:
- Per-minute limit — Wait a short while and try resending later in the day.
- Daily limit — You'll need to wait until your limit resets. Gmail and Google Workspace reset on a rolling 24-hour window; most other providers reset at midnight.
Again, if you're running into this regularly, Bonzo can set you up on our own email server, which removes these provider restrictions entirely and gives you much higher sending capacity. Reach out to our support team to get started.
Limits by Provider
| Provider | Daily Sending Limit | Sending Speed | Recipients Per Email |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail (Free) | 500 emails/day (sent directly in Gmail), 100/day sent through Bonzo | 20 emails/minute | 500 combined (To, Cc, Bcc) |
| Google Workspace | 2,000 emails/day | 30 emails/minute | 500 per email |
| Outlook.com (Free) | 300 emails/day | 30 emails/minute | 100 per email |
| Microsoft 365 | 10,000 recipients/day | 30 emails/minute | 500 per email |
A few things worth knowing for each provider:
Gmail (Free) — Gmail has two separate limits: 500 recipients/day when sending directly from gmail.com, and only 100/day when sending through a connected app like Bonzo. Since Bonzo connects via your Gmail account, the 100/day limit is what applies to your Bonzo emails. Gmail may also start slowing down delivery before you hit that cap if it detects a high volume of sends in a short window.
Google Workspace — Business Google accounts allow up to 2,000 emails/day per user, and that limit covers both emails sent from Gmail directly and emails sent through connected tools like Bonzo — they share the same pool. If multiple team members are hitting limits, each person's account is counted separately.
Outlook.com (Free) — Personal Outlook accounts have some of the stricter limits among free providers. Emails sent through Bonzo count toward your daily total just like emails you send manually from Outlook.
Microsoft 365 — Business Microsoft accounts have much higher limits, but all third-party app activity — including Bonzo — counts against your mailbox's daily quota. Organizations sending at high volume may need a dedicated relay set up through Microsoft.
Still running into issues?
Contact our support team and we'll help you find the right solution — whether that's switching to Bonzo's email server or adjusting your sending settings to stay within your provider's limits.
Limits reflect published provider information as of mid-2026 and may change.