When it comes to email communication, size does matter — especially in the digital realm! Exchange Server allows administrators to configure message size limits for user mailboxes. Here’s what you need to know:
Default Limits:
By default, when a mailbox is created in Exchange, there isn’t a specific size limit for sent and received messages. However, there are other settings within an Exchange organization that determine the maximum message size a mailbox can handle.
For instance, the default message size limit for Exchange Server 2019 is 10 MB1. But fear not! You can adjust this to meet your organization’s needs.
Setting Message Size Limits:
You have a couple of ways to configure message size limits:
Exchange Admin Center (EAC):
- Open the EAC, navigate to Recipients > Mailboxes.
- Select the mailbox you want to modify, click Edit.
- Under Mailbox Features, find Message Size Restrictions.
- Here, you can set limits for both sent and received messages. Specify the maximum size (in kilobytes) for each.
Keep in mind that if a user exceeds these limits, they’ll receive an error message.
Exchange Management Shell (EMS):
If you’re more of a command-line aficionado, you can use EMS to configure message size limits.
The EMS commands allow you to set specific limits for sent and received messages.
Scope and Precedence:
It’s essential to understand that message size limits can also be set at other levels within Exchange (e.g., on a Mailbox server).
Beyond Email Attachments:
Remember that these limits apply not only to email attachments but also to the entire message, including headers and body content.
If you’re dealing with large files, consider alternative methods like sharing links or using cloud storage services.
Fun Fact: Did you know that for Internet email accounts (like Outlook.com or Gmail), the combined file size limit is 20 megabytes (MB)? However, for Exchange accounts (business email), the default combined file size limit is 10 MB.
To delve deeper into the intricacies of message size restrictions, including different types of limits and their order of precedence, check out my YouTube Video Message size and recipient limits on Exchange Server.
Download the PowerShell cmdlets used during this video here.
Feel free to ask if you’d like more details or need assistance with anything else!