How to warm up a new email domain the right way
Sending a big campaign from a brand-new domain is one of the quickest ways to land in spam. New domains have no reputation, so providers are cautious. Warming up - gradually increasing volume while earning positive engagement - builds the trust you need.
Why warm-up matters
Reputation is earned, not given. When a fresh domain suddenly sends thousands of emails, that pattern looks exactly like a spammer. A gradual ramp tells providers you are a legitimate sender.
A simple warm-up schedule
- Week 1: 20-50 emails/day to your most engaged, known contacts.
- Week 2: roughly double the daily volume.
- Weeks 3-4: keep doubling while opens and replies stay healthy.
- Only scale to full volume once engagement holds up.
Prioritise recipients likely to open and reply - early positive signals matter most.
Warm up to clean addresses only
One bounce during warm-up hurts more than usual. Verify every address first with Mailcheq.
Verify an address →What to get right first
- Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) fully set up before you send anything.
- A verified list - bounces during warm-up are especially damaging.
- Consistent daily sending rather than big bursts.
Signs it is working
Watch your open rate, reply rate and any spam complaints. Steady or rising engagement means you can keep scaling; a spike in bounces or complaints means slow down. Rushed in days, warm-up backfires; done over a few weeks, it sets your domain up for the long term.
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