A reply could not be sent
What each error means when sending a reply from the Distro Inbox fails, from "Google refused the send" to attachment limits, and how to fix it safely.
Symptom: you click Send reply in the Inbox and see an error instead of "Reply sent."
Replies are sent through your own Google account, so most failures come from the Google connection. Find the message you saw below.
Error messages and fixes
| Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Google refused the send. Reconnect the account in Outreach → Sending accounts, then try again. | Google rejected Distro's access to the account, usually because the connection expired or a permission was removed | Reconnect the Google account on Sending accounts, then send again |
| Google didn't confirm the send. Check the Sent folder of your Google account before trying again. | The request reached Google but no answer came back, so the reply may or may not have gone out | Look in the Sent folder in Gmail first. Only send again if it isn't there |
| Google couldn't send this reply. Nothing was sent — please try again. | Google declined this attempt. Nothing went out | Try again in a few minutes. If it keeps failing, check whether you hit Google's sending limit |
| No eligible sender identity for this mailbox. | Distro can't find a usable sending address on that Google account | Open Sending accounts, check the account's addresses, refresh or reconnect |
| Could not prepare reply. | Something went wrong before sending, often a disconnected Google account | Check the account on Sending accounts, then try again |
| Too many requests. | You sent many replies in a short time | Wait a minute and try again |
The message is a short code
Sometimes the error is a short code rather than a sentence:
- invalid_recipient: the address the reply would go to doesn't look valid. Reply from Gmail instead.
- sender_not_eligible, sender_removed or sender_unknown_sender: the Google account's sending address isn't usable right now. Check it on the Sending accounts page; What is a sending identity? explains the statuses.
Attachment errors
Files are checked when you add them and again when you send. You may see:
- "… is larger than 10 MB." Each file can be up to 10 MB.
- "Attachments exceed the combined 25 MB limit." Remove a file or send it as a link.
- "A message can have at most 10 attachments."
- "… isn't a supported file type." or "Files of type .… are not allowed." Use PDF, images, Office documents, text, CSV or ZIP.
- "The upload didn't arrive. Please try again." The upload was interrupted. Remove the file and add it again.
"Reply prepared but not sent"
If you see "Reply prepared but not sent. Sending is switched off in this environment." and a Prepared, not sent box showing From, To and Subject, sending is turned off for your account. Nothing went out. Contact Distro support.
The Send reply button is greyed out
The button only works when there is text in the reply box, and it's disabled while a previous action is still running. Type your reply and wait a moment.
Automatic replies that didn't send
If you use controlled auto-replies, open AI activity in this conversation. Statuses such as Sent to you for review, Not sent, Blocked, Failed or Google didn't confirm (not retried) show what happened and why. Replies that weren't sent are yours to answer. See Reply to a prospect from Distro.
Sending limits
Replies count toward your Google account's daily sending limit, just like campaign emails. If you reached it, Google refuses further sends until the limit resets. See Google sending limit reached.
Email us at hello@usedistro.com with what you tried and what you see. Signed in? Help & support in the app has walkthrough videos and a message form.