Fix an error
Fix a Google Workspace error
Most Google Workspace errors come from one of four causes: a hard tenant limit, a DNS record that has not propagated, a permission held at the wrong level, or a licence state such as suspended or archived. Each page below names which of the four applies.
Paste the error you were shown into the list below. Each page gives the literal message, what triggers it, the fix in the admin console, and the limit or setting that caused it.
Where the cause is a hard Google limit rather than a misconfiguration, we say so plainly instead of suggesting a workaround that does not exist.
Pages in this section
- Gmail says 'message is too large'Why Gmail rejects a message as too large, the 25 MB send ceiling and 50 MB receive ceiling behind it, and the three ways to get the attachment delivered anyway.Send ceiling: 25 MB total message size, encoding included
- Google Workspace storage quota exceededWhat triggers a storage quota exceeded error in Google Workspace, which pooled and per-user limits apply, and the reclaim order that frees space fastest.Pooled storage: Business and Enterprise editions pool the per-user allowance tenant-wide
- Gmail temporary error 500What Gmail's temporary error 500 actually indicates, how to separate a browser or extension fault from a real service incident, and the checks to run in order.First check: Open Gmail in a private window with extensions disabled
- This Google Workspace account has been suspendedWhy a Google Workspace account shows as suspended, the difference between admin, billing and abuse suspensions, and what happens to the data while it lasts.Admin suspension: Reversible in the Admin console in seconds
- Google Workspace mail failing DMARCWhy Google Workspace mail fails DMARC, how SPF and DKIM alignment differ from a plain pass, and the sequence that fixes it without losing legitimate mail.Pass condition: SPF or DKIM must pass and align with the From domain
- 'You need permission' in Google DriveWhat causes the you need permission error in Google Drive, why it survives sharing the file again, and the account, link and ownership checks that resolve it.Most common: Multiple signed-in accounts; link opens under the wrong one
What this doesn't cover
- These pages cover Workspace administrator errors, not consumer Gmail account recovery.
- We do not publish workarounds that require third-party scripts holding domain-wide delegation.
- Error strings change wording between Google releases; each page records the wording we last verified.
Questions we get asked
- Why do Google Workspace errors rarely explain the cause?
- Most admin console errors report the symptom at the point of failure, not the policy that caused it. The setting responsible is often two levels up, in an organisational unit or a group policy inherited by the user.
- Can support recover data that an error says is deleted?
- Only inside the retention windows. Admin console restore covers deleted users for 20 days and Drive files for 25 days after trash deletion; past that, only a Vault retention rule set before deletion helps.
Not sure which of these you need?
Send us the shape of your estate — seat count, current platform, and the deadline you are working to — and we will tell you which of these pages applies and what it costs.