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Warm up a new sending domain

Ramp up sending volume gradually so a new domain builds a trusted reputation.

Mailbox providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo and others) judge a brand-new sending domain by how it behaves over its first few weeks. Sending a large Broadcast on day one from a domain with no history looks like spam and can land your mail in the junk folder or get it blocked. Warming up means starting small, growing volume steadily, and letting positive engagement build reputation before you send at full scale.

Before you begin​

  • Confirm domain authentication is fully in place: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records published and verified (confirm the exact verification steps in your account).
  • Have a clean, permission-based subscriber list segmented so you can target your most engaged subscribers first.
  • Plan a warm-up window of roughly 4–6 weeks; new high-volume domains take longer.
  • Decide on daily/weekly volume targets and note a baseline for opens, clicks, bounces, and complaints.

Steps​

  1. Start with your most engaged subscribers — recent openers and clickers. Their positive signals build reputation fastest.
  2. Send a small first Broadcast (often a few hundred to a couple of thousand subscribers). Keep the content relevant and expected.
  3. Increase volume gradually, roughly doubling each send only if the previous send stayed healthy. Spread sends across the week rather than one large batch.
  4. Send consistently. Regular, predictable volume builds trust better than sporadic bursts.
  5. Watch your reports after every send. If bounces or complaints rise or opens drop, pause the ramp and hold volume until metrics recover.
  6. Keep lists clean throughout — honor unsubscribes immediately and let account-wide suppression remove known bad addresses.

Result​

By the end of the warm-up window your domain sends at full target volume with low bounce and complaint rates and stable engagement, meaning mailbox providers now trust it and deliver to the inbox.

Canonical terms: Author, Edition, Folder (Project Folder), Broadcast. See the Glossary.