How to: Warm Up Your Email Domain
With a new account, you should send some small campaigns to "train" email providers to trust your new subdomain.
When you begin sending from a new sending domain or a new IP, mailbox providers (like Gmail, Microsoft, Yahoo) don’t yet know the reputation of that domain or IP. This means they don’t have a history of your sending behavior, engagement levels, or complaint rate. Without that history, inbox providers are cautious — which can lead to messages going to spam, being rate-limited, or even blocked.
Warming up is the process of gradually increasing the sending volume over time so that mailbox providers can learn to trust your mail.
Warming up is the process of gradually increasing the sending volume over time so that mailbox providers can learn to trust your mail.
Why Warm-Up Is Necessary:
- Warm-up helps mailbox providers see that your mail is:
- Legitimate
- Requested and expected
- Engaged with (opens, clicks, replies)
When providers observe consistent, positive engagement and low complaint rates, they build a strong reputation for your sending domain and IP — which leads to better deliverability and inbox placement in the long term.
- Warm-up helps mailbox providers see that your mail is:
- Legitimate
- Requested and expected
- Engaged with (opens, clicks, replies)
When providers observe consistent, positive engagement and low complaint rates, they build a strong reputation for your sending domain and IP — which leads to better deliverability and inbox placement in the long term.
How to Warm Up Properly:
1. Start With Your Most Engaged Contacts
Begin by sending to recipients who:
- Recently signed up
- Have opened or clicked your emails before (if migrating from another platform)
- Are active and expect communications
- High engagement early on sends strong trust signals.
- A typical warm-up schedule starts small and ramps up smoothly, for example:
- Day Approx. Daily Volume:
1–3 500–2,000 messages/day
4–7 Double previous daily volume
Week 2 - Increase by 25–50% per day
Week 3+ - Increase as engagement stays high
The goal is controlled growth, not fast volume. If engagement drops, slow the ramp schedule.
3. Maintain Good Sending Hygiene:
- Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly configured
- Use consistent from-addresses
- Avoid sudden spikes in sending frequency or volume
- Monitor: Open rates - Bounce/blocked codes - Spam complaints
- Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are correctly configured
- Use consistent from-addresses
- Avoid sudden spikes in sending frequency or volume
- Monitor: Open rates - Bounce/blocked codes - Spam complaints
Key to Success
- During weeks 1-2 send to your most active subscribers - those who have opened/clicked in the past 30 days
- During weeks 3-4 you can expand to subscribers who have opened/clicked in the past 60 days
- During the first 6 weeks do NOT send to subscribers who have not opened or clicked in the past 90 days
Domain Warm-Up vs IP Warm-Up
| Scenario | What’s New | Why It Matters | What To Do |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Domain, Existing Warm IP | Domain has no sending history | Domain reputation is unknown | Slowly introduce volume over first few weeks |
| Existing Domain, New Dedicated IP | IP reputation is unknown | IP needs to build trust | Follow a structured IP warm-up schedule |
| New Domain + New IP | No reputation at all | Requires a combined warm-up strategy | Start with very low volume & increase slowly |