What warm-up does
Inbox providers judge senders by history. A new domain has none. Warm-up builds a positive history by sending small, gradually increasing volumes of email that get opened and replied to.
Step 1: Set up the domain properly
- register a domain close to your brand
- add SPF, DKIM and DMARC records
- set up a simple website on it, or redirect it to your main site
- create inboxes with real names (maria@, not sales1@)
Step 2: Let it age a little
Brand-new domains are viewed with more suspicion. Even a short wait while you set things up helps.
Step 3: Start small
Begin with a handful of emails a day per inbox and increase slowly over two to four weeks. Warm-up tools automate sending between a network of real inboxes that open, reply and mark emails as important.
Step 4: Mix in real email
Send genuine emails from the inbox too: to colleagues, partners, newsletters you reply to. Real two-way conversations are the best signal.
Step 5: Start campaigns gently
When you launch cold campaigns, keep warm-up running and ramp campaign volume slowly. Watch bounces and replies closely in the first weeks.
Signs something is wrong
- emails landing in spam in seed tests
- rising bounce rate
- sudden drop in opens or replies
Slow down, check authentication and list quality, and fix the cause before sending more.
Keep it healthy
Warm-up isn't one-off. Many senders keep a small amount of warm-up running permanently and rotate inboxes so no single inbox carries too much volume.
Related: deliverability basics