# Error: Email address is not verified (Amazon SES)

Source: https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/error-ses-email-address-not-verified/
Updated: 2026-10-19 · By Duane Garner

Amazon SES refused the email because the sender, or in the sandbox the recipient, is not a verified identity in the region you selected.

This article is for sites using the **Amazon SES** mailer where a send fails with "Email address is not verified".

 

> **The error as you see it:** `MessageRejected: Email address is not verified. The following identities failed the check in region US-EAST-1: wordpress@example.com`
>  
> Shown by the **Amazon SES** mailer, in the failed-send banner, in **Tools → Debug Events** and in the **Email Log**.

 

## What this error means

 

Amazon SES only sends mail from addresses or domains you have proved you own. Each proof is called a *verified identity*, and it belongs to one AWS region. This error means SES checked the addresses in the message against the verified identities in the region set in the plugin and found at least one missing. The message lists exactly which address failed. While your account is still in the SES *sandbox*, every **recipient** must be verified too.

 

## Common causes

 
- **The From Email's domain or address is not verified** in SES.
- **The identity is verified in a different region.** Identities do not carry over between regions; verifying in `eu-west-1` does nothing for `us-east-1`.
- **Your account is in the sandbox**, and the recipient address is not verified.
- **Another plugin changed the From address** to something like `wordpress@yoursite`, which is not verified.
- **Verification is still pending**, because the DNS records or the confirmation email were not completed.

 

## How to fix

 
1. Note the failing address and region
  Open **CRM-NG SMTP → Tools → Debug Events** and read the newest **Email Sending Errors** entry. It names the region and the address.
2. Open SES in the right region
  Sign in to `https://console.aws.amazon.com/ses/`. Use the region picker at the top right to select the region shown in the plugin's **Region** field.
3. Check identities
  Go to **Configuration → Identities**. Look for the domain of your From Email (best) or the exact address. Its status must be *Verified*.
4. Verify what is missing
  Choose **Create identity**. For a domain, add the DKIM records SES gives you to your DNS and wait for the status to change. For a single address, open the confirmation email SES sends and follow the link.
5. Leave the sandbox
  If the failing address is a recipient, open **Account dashboard** in the same region. If it shows the sandbox, choose **Request production access** and describe how your site sends mail. Until approved, you can only send to verified addresses.
6. Match the plugin settings
  In **CRM-NG SMTP → Settings → General**, make sure **Region** is the region where your identity is verified, set **From Email** to an address on the verified domain, tick **Force From Email**, and press **Save Settings**.
7. Send a test
  Go to **CRM-NG SMTP → Tools → Email Test**. In the sandbox, send to a verified address. Press **Send Email**.

 

## Verify it worked

 

The test page shows "Test email sent successfully! Check your inbox to confirm delivery." In the SES console, the region's sending statistics show the message.

 

## Notes

 
- Verifying the whole domain is better than single addresses: it covers every address on the domain and sets up DKIM signing, which helps delivery.
- Production access is granted per region. If you change **Region**, check the sandbox status there too.

 

## Related

 
- [Amazon SES](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/mailer-amazon-ses/)
- [Error: MessageRejected (Amazon SES)](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/error-ses-message-rejected/)
- [Adding DNS records: SPF, DKIM and DMARC](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/dns-records/)
- [Troubleshooting email delivery](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/troubleshooting/)