MailFixIt

Gmail SMTP delivery response

Understand Gmail 535 5.7.80: Username or password rejected

Gmail did not accept the submitted username, token, app password, or authentication method.

Problem description

A representative response is:

535 5.7.80 Username or password rejected.
Is this temporary or permanent?

Retry only after changing the credential or authentication method; repeated identical logins will continue to fail.

What this response means

535 5.7.80 Username and Password not accepted is an SMTP authentication failure. It happens before Gmail evaluates SPF, DKIM, DMARC, or recipient delivery.

Fix it

  1. Confirm that the username is the complete Google account email address and that the application is connecting to the intended Google SMTP service.
  2. Remove cached credentials and enter a current OAuth token or other method allowed for the account.
  3. If the application uses an app password, create a new one only when the account supports it; never use the ordinary password as a workaround.
  4. Check the account for a security alert, revoked access, password change, or administrator restriction.
  5. Update or replace clients that cannot use a supported authentication method, then retry once.

Do not change domain DNS records for this error. They cannot make a rejected login valid.

Who can fix it

The account owner, application administrator, or Google Workspace administrator controls the credential and access policy.

Once SMTP authentication succeeds, investigate any separate delivery response with the appropriate Gmail guide.

Frequently asked questions

What does Gmail 535 5.7.80: Username or password rejected mean?

The SMTP authentication attempt failed because the credential is wrong, expired, revoked, or not permitted for that Google account.

Can MailFixIt prove this entire bounce from public DNS?

No. The current checker can evaluate selected public DNS configuration, but it cannot recreate recipient state, credentials, reputation, message content, or a historical provider SMTP decision.

Related email diagnostics

Gmail 550 5.7.26: This email has been blocked because the sender is unauthenticatedDiagnose Gmail 550 5.7.26 safely. Separate unauthenticated-mail, SPF hard-fail and DMARC-policy branches before changing email DNS. Gmail requirements for sending 5,000 or more messages per dayCheck Gmail bulk sender requirements for SPF, DKIM, DMARC alignment, PTR, TLS, spam rate and one-click unsubscribe using path-specific evidence.

Primary sources: Gmail SMTP errors and codes, Google email sender guidelines.