# Error: Permission denied: SMTP account not activated (Brevo)

Source: https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/error-smtp-account-not-activated/
Updated: 2026-10-19 · By Duane Garner

Brevo has not switched on transactional sending for your account yet. Complete the account checks or ask Brevo to activate it.

This article is for sites using the **Brevo** mailer (or **Other SMTP** pointed at Brevo's SMTP relay) where a send fails because the SMTP account is not activated.

 

> **The error as you see it:** `Permission denied: SMTP account is not yet activated`
>  
> Shown by the **Brevo** mailer, in the failed-send banner, in **Tools → Debug Events** and in the **Email Log**.

 

## What this error means

 

Brevo handles marketing campaigns and transactional email (the one-to-one messages your site sends, such as password resets and order receipts) as separate services. A new Brevo account can sign in and even create API keys before its transactional service is switched on. Your key is accepted, but Brevo refuses to send until that service is active for your account.

 

## Common causes

 
- **The account is new** and Brevo has not finished its checks.
- **The account profile is incomplete**: company details, website or address are missing, and Brevo waits for them before activating sending.
- **Brevo suspended transactional sending** after a review, for example because of high bounce or complaint rates.
- **The key belongs to a different Brevo account** than the one you activated.

 

## How to fix

 
1. Check the dashboard
  Sign in to `https://app.brevo.com/`. Look for a banner or notice about account activation, verification or a pending review, and complete every step it shows.
2. Complete your profile
  Open the account menu at the top right and fill in the company and contact details Brevo asks for.
3. Check the transactional section
  Open the transactional email area (currently reached from the main menu as **Transactional**). If it asks you to activate, follow the prompt.
4. Contact Brevo support
  If nothing on the dashboard explains it, ask Brevo support to activate transactional (SMTP) sending. Mention the error text exactly as shown in **Tools → Debug Events**. Activation is usually done within a working day.
5. Confirm the key
  In **CRM-NG SMTP → Settings → General**, with **Brevo** selected, check that **API Key** belongs to the account you just activated. Press **Save Settings** if you change it.
6. Send a test
  Go to **CRM-NG SMTP → Tools → Email Test**, fill in **Send To** and press **Send Email**.

 

## Verify it worked

 

The test page shows "Test email sent successfully! Check your inbox to confirm delivery." The message appears in Brevo's transactional logs.

 

## Notes

 
- While you wait, the emails your site tries to send fail. The **Backup SMTP Transport** does not step in for this kind of refusal, so if the wait is long, set up another mailer temporarily on **CRM-NG SMTP → Settings → General**.
- Activation is per account. A staging site using a separate Brevo account needs its own activation.

 

## Related

 
- [Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/mailer-brevo/)
- [Error: Unauthorized: not verified or IP not authorized (Brevo)](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/error-brevo-unauthorized/)
- [Error: Unauthorized: key not found (Brevo)](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/error-unauthorized-key-not-found/)
- [Troubleshooting email delivery](https://catalystgroup.gg/docs/email-delivery/troubleshooting/)