HOSTDOG enforces email sending limits on all shared hosting plans to prevent spam, protect the server's IP reputation, and ensure consistent deliverability for every customer. This page explains the limits, what happens when you reach them, and alternatives for high-volume sending.
Sending limits by plan
| Hosting Plan | Sending Limit | Applies To |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Shared Hosting | 100 emails per hour | Per hosting account |
| Business Shared Hosting | 1,000 emails per hour | Per hosting account |
What counts toward the limit
- Every outgoing email from any address on your hosting account
- Each recipient in the To, CC, and BCC fields counts as a separate email
- Emails sent via webmail, SMTP (email client), or scripts on your hosting (e.g., PHP
mail(), WordPress contact forms) - Autoresponder replies and forwarder-triggered messages
Incoming emails do not count toward your sending limit.
What happens when you reach the limit
When you hit the hourly sending limit:
- Additional outgoing emails are queued or rejected until the next hour begins
- Your email client may show an error such as "Rate limit exceeded" or "Too many messages"
- Incoming email is not affected — you can still receive messages normally
- The limit resets automatically at the start of the next clock hour
How to stay within limits
- Space out emails — avoid sending large batches all at once. Spread them over multiple hours.
- Use BCC wisely — a single email with 50 BCC recipients counts as 50 emails.
- Review website forms — if your WordPress site sends notification emails for every form submission, contact form spam can quickly consume your limit. Use a CAPTCHA to reduce spam submissions.
- Check for compromised accounts — if you suddenly hit limits without sending many emails yourself, your email account or website may be sending spam. Check your sent folder and contact support if you see unauthorized messages.
Need higher limits?
If you consistently need to send more email than your current limit allows:
- Upgrade to Business Shared Hosting — increases the limit from 100 to 1,000 emails per hour
- Use a dedicated email marketing service — for newsletters, promotional campaigns, or transactional email (e.g., order confirmations), a service like Mailchimp, Brevo, or Amazon SES is purpose-built for high-volume sending with built-in deliverability tools
- Consider a VPS or Dedicated Server — for custom sending requirements, a HOSTDOG Cloud VPS or Dedicated Server offers more flexibility
Frequently asked questions
VPS and dedicated servers have different configurations depending on your plan. Contact support for details on the sending limits for your specific server. In general, managed VPS and dedicated plans offer higher limits than shared hosting.
Sending limits on shared hosting are fixed per plan to protect all customers on the same server. The only way to get a higher limit on shared hosting is to upgrade from Personal to Business. For truly high-volume needs, a VPS or a dedicated email marketing service is the appropriate solution.
The limit resets at the beginning of each clock hour (e.g., 14:00, 15:00). It is not a rolling 60-minute window. If you sent 100 emails at 14:50, the counter resets at 15:00.
Sending limits exist to prevent spam, protect the shared server's IP reputation, and ensure reliable email delivery for all customers on the server. Without limits, a single account sending bulk email could get the server's IP blacklisted, affecting everyone else's email deliverability.