Gmail 550 5.7.25: sending IP has no PTR (reverse DNS) record

What the bounce means and the exact steps to stop it.

The bounce looks like this
550-5.7.25 This message was blocked because the sending IP address doesn't have a PTR record, or the forwarding DNS entry of the PTR record doesn't match the sending IP address.

What it means

This is about your mail server's IP, not your domain's TXT records: the IP has no reverse DNS name, or that name does not resolve back to the same IP. It usually hits self-hosted servers and VPSs (Postfix, cPanel, WordPress SMTP on a VPS).

How to fix it

  1. Set the PTR (reverse DNS) of the sending IP to a host name like mail.yourdomain.com – this is done at the VPS/hosting provider, not in your DNS zone.
  2. Create an A (and AAAA for IPv6) record for that host name pointing to the same IP.
  3. Use the same host name as your mail server's HELO/EHLO name.
  4. Simpler option: send through your mailbox provider or a sending service instead of the VPS directly.

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