How do I warm up a new domain/IP for cold email?
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Warming up a domain takes 4-8 weeks of disciplined, gradual sending. Here's the schedule that actually works.
Before you start: Authentication must be in place first. SPF, DKIM, and DMARC need to be configured and verified before any warmup emails go out. Sending without auth doesn't just hurt your warmup, it can get you blocklisted before you've even started.
Week 1: Send 10-20 emails per day, exclusively to people who will engage (teammates, partners, people who expect your email). Your goal is 100% opens and replies, not outreach volume.
Weeks 2-3: Ramp to 30-75 emails per day. You can start mixing in real prospects, but keep the list quality extremely high. One spam complaint per 100 sends at this stage will set your warmup back significantly.
Week 4: 100-200 per day if engagement signals are good. Check Google Postmaster Tools weekly for spam rate and domain reputation signals. Green is good. Yellow means slow down.
Weeks 5-8: Scale toward your target volume. Double only when engagement rates stay healthy. If open rates drop or complaint rates tick up, hold volume for a week before continuing the ramp.
The key thing people get wrong: they treat warmup as a technical hurdle to rush through. It's actually a signal to mailbox providers that you're a real, engaged sender. Rushing it defeats the purpose. A domain that takes 8 weeks to warm properly will outperform one rushed in 2 weeks for months afterward.
Now if your domain is already active and has been sending, check its current sender reputation and watch for signs of blocklisting before adding cold outreach volume. Our free blocklist checker and SPF checker are good starting points.
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