How to suspend/unsuspend outgoing email

Suspending or unsuspending outgoing email for a cPanel user is a common administrative task, often performed when an email account is compromised and sending spam. This action prevents the account from sending any further emails, protecting your server’s reputation and preventing blacklisting.

Here’s how to do it, with a focus on both the graphical user interface (GUI) and the command-line interface (CLI).

Method 1: Using the cPanel GUI (for a single email account)

This is the easiest and most common method for managing a single email account.

1. Log in to cPanel: Access the cPanel account for the user whose email you need to manage.
2. Go to “Email Accounts”: In the main cPanel dashboard, find the Email section and click on Email Accounts.
3. Find the email account: Locate the specific email address in the list and click the Manage button next to it.
4. Adjust the Restrictions: On the email account’s management page, scroll down to the Restrictions section. You will see several options:
   • Receiving Incoming Mail:
   • Sending Outgoing Email:
   • Logging In:
5. To Suspend Outgoing Email: Under the “Sending Outgoing Email” option, select Suspend. This will immediately block the account from sending any new emails.
6. To Unsuspend Outgoing Email: To re-enable the account, simply select Allow under the same “Sending Outgoing Email” option.
7. Click “Update Email Settings”: After making your change, click this button to apply the new restriction. You will see a success message confirming the change.

Method 2: Using the WHM GUI (for a cPanel user account)

If you have root or reseller access to WHM, you can suspend or unsuspend outgoing mail for an entire cPanel account. This will affect all email accounts under that cPanel user.

1. Log in to WHM: Access your WebHost Manager interface.
2. Navigate to “Manage Account Suspension”: In the search bar, type “Suspend” and click on Manage Account Suspension under the “Account Functions” section.
3. Select the Account: From the list of accounts, find the user whose outgoing email you want to suspend.
4. Choose the Action: You can either Suspend the account or Unsuspend it.
5. Enter a Reason (Optional): It’s a good practice to enter a reason for the suspension.
6. Click “Suspend” or “Unsuspend”: Click the appropriate button to apply the change. This will suspend all services, including outgoing email, for that cPanel user. Unsuspending the account will restore all services.

Method 3: Using the Command Line (for a cPanel user account)

For those comfortable with the command line, this method is fast and efficient. You will need SSH access to your server as the root user.

To suspend outgoing email for a cPanel user:

whmapi1 suspend_outgoing_email user=cpusername

Replace cpusername with the actual cPanel username. This command tells the Exim mail server to reject any new outgoing email sent by that user.

To unsuspend outgoing email for a cPanel user:

whmapi1 unsuspend_outgoing_email user=cpusername

Again, replace cpusername with the actual cPanel username. This command removes the suspension and allows the user to send emails again.

Using these commands is particularly useful for automated scripts or for quickly managing multiple users.