The sandbox protects AWS and its other customers from new accounts that start sending spam. It is easy to hit when you first test SES and easy to forget once you are out.
The limits
| In the sandbox | |
|---|---|
| Recipients | Only addresses and domains you have verified |
| Volume | 200 messages in 24 hours |
| Speed | 1 message per second |
Every verified identity is a recipient you control, which makes the sandbox fine for testing and useless for real customers.
Leaving the sandbox
You ask for production access from the SES console, once per region. The request form asks for:
- the type of mail you send, marketing or transactional,
- your website URL,
- additional contact addresses,
- your agreement that you only send to people who explicitly asked for your mail, and that you have a process for handling bounce and complaint notifications.
Mean the last point. Know how you will receive those events and what you will do with them before you ask. AWS says its Support team responds to the request within 96 hours.
After approval
Your account moves to production sending limits, and you can ask AWS for more from the console. From then on the bounce rate and complaint rate decide whether you keep access. Access is per region, so each region you use needs its own request.
Common questions
How long does a production access request take?
AWS says its Support team gives an initial response within 96 hours. Request access well before a launch rather than the day before.
Can I be put back in the sandbox?
AWS can restrict an account that damages its reputation, and the restrictions can include losing production access. See SES account review.