How to Avoid Getting Your Gmail Account Suspended

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 5, 2022 References

Gmail is a free, web-based email service offered by Google. It can be used to send emails day or night, connect people around the world, and help family, friends, and businesses to stay in touch. But Google does have policies that to which users must agree to abide, and violations can result in your account being suspended. It's important to know the rules before you get suspended – once your account has already been suspended, getting it reinstated can be difficult.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Understanding Your Responsibilities

1
Read the terms of service. To use Gmail, you must agree to their terms of service, and to avoid account suspension, you might abide by those terms. Know your rights and your responsibilities as a Gmail user.
2
Adhere to all Google terms of service. Your Gmail account can also grant you access to other Google products and service, such as YouTube, Google+, and Blogger, which means that not following the terms of service for any of those sites can also impact your Gmail account.
- For instance, don’t use your Gmail account to upload videos to YouTube that violate YouTube terms of service.
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3
Limit your mail recipients. Gmail sets limits on how many people you can send a single message to, so your account might be suspended if you try to exceed that. Your account may be temporarily disabled if you try to send a single message to more than 100 recipients at a time, or if you message more than 500 people.^{[1]
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- Consider Google Groups or Google Apps for Business if you need to communicate with larger groups of people.
4
Make sure you have the right email address. When you send emails, always make sure you have the recipients’ email address correct. Your Gmail account may be suspended if you send too many undeliverable messages.^{[2]
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5
Avoid sending spam. This includes not sending junk email, not forwarding chain mail, not sending unsolicited emails, and not emailing people you don’t know. If someone reports you, Google may suspend your account.
- To avoid being reported, choose a sensible, inoffensive nickname and email address.
- Other users can report you for violating terms of service, so always be respectful and considerate.
6
Limit your message sizes and watch storage. A personal Gmail account includes 15GB of free storage, or 300GB for school or work accounts.^{[3]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Following Procedures

1
Verify your account. After creating your Gmail account, be sure to verify the account either with another email, by SMS, or with a voice call. This tells Google that you are a real person wanting to use the service for legitimate reasons.^{[4]
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2
Provide your correct birthday. To have a Google account, users must be at least 13 years old.^{[5]
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Research source} Lying about your age or birthday can result in your account being suspended, if Google can verify that you have indeed lied.
3
Keep your account secure. To ensure hackers can’t access and compromise your account, never tell anyone your password, don’t write your password down, and choose a unique password that people won’t be able to guess. It’s also recommended that you change your password frequently, and don’t use the same password for multiple accounts. Also, pay attention to which devices you’re signed in on, and always be sure to log out when you are finished.
4
Login to your account regularly. Gmail accounts are automatically deleted after nine months of inactivity, so log in regularly so your account doesn’t meet this fate.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Avoiding Illegal Activities

1
Don’t use your Gmail account for illegal dealings. A surefire way to get your account deleted by Google is by using to conduct illegal activities. This can mean anything from selling illegal goods or services, sending copyrighted material, blackmailing, or sending illegal images or videos.^{[6]
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2
Don’t harass or bully by email. Actually, it’s best if you don’t do it at all, but if you use your Gmail account to send harassing or threatening messages, it’s likely that Google will suspend or terminate your account.
3
Don’t use your account for phishing, fraud, or hacking. Sending viruses, using your account to hack other computers, phishing, and using your email to commit fraud are all illegal and clear violations of the Gmail terms of agreement.^{[7]
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Community Q&A

Question

What would cause an almost immediate account suspension upon creating a new Gmail account?

Community Answer

If your age is less than 13 years (depending on your country), and you have given your real birth date for the Gmail account, it will lead to immediate account suspension.
Question

What do I do if my Google+ has been suspended, and I don't know why?

Community Answer

Make another one, or contact Google. Google may be able to tell you why your account was suspended.
Question

Why does Google continue to suspend my Gmail account?

Community Answer

Check the ToU. They might be still reprimanding your account for a reason. You could still be spamming, or you could have tried to hack.