policy email_delivery ai_generated true

AWS SES sends email successfully (200 OK) but recipient never receives it in sandbox mode

ID: policy/aws-ses-sandbox-silent-drop

Also available as: JSON · Markdown
88%Fix Rate
92%Confidence
3Evidence
2023-01-01First Seen

Version Compatibility

VersionStatusIntroducedDeprecatedNotes
any active — — —

Root Cause

AWS SES sandbox mode only delivers to verified email addresses. The API returns 200 OK for all sends, but unverified recipients silently never receive the email. No error, no bounce notification. You must request production access.

generic

Workarounds

  1. 95% success Request SES production access to send to any email address 
    AWS Console -> SES -> Account dashboard -> Request production access. Takes 24-48 hours for review.
  2. 85% success Verify all test recipient emails individually during development 
    aws ses verify-email-identity --email-address [email protected]  # for each test recipient
  3. 90% success Use SES configuration sets with SNS notifications to track delivery/bounces 
    Configuration set with delivery/bounce/complaint event destinations reveals what actually happened to sent emails

Dead Ends

Common approaches that don't work:

  1. Send test emails and assume SES is working because API returns 200 92% fail

    In sandbox mode, SES returns 200 for ALL sends but only delivers to verified addresses. Check your verified identities list.

  2. Verify just the sender email and start sending to any recipient 88% fail

    Both sender AND recipient must be verified in sandbox mode. Verifying only the sender still silently drops emails to unverified recipients.