Let’s talk about email warmup and why it’s so important for your email deliverability. Think of it like building trust with email providers – you can’t just start sending thousands of emails right away and expect them to trust you.
1. What Exactly is Email Warmup?
When you’re using a new email account (or one that hasn’t been used for a while), you need to build its reputation first. This is what we call email warmup. It’s a process that takes about 8 to 12 weeks where you gradually show email providers that you’re a trustworthy sender.
There are actually two types of warmup you should know about:
- Domain warmup: Building reputation for your email domain
- IP warmup: Building reputation for your sending IP address
2. Why Does Warmup Matter So Much?
Here’s the thing – email providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and others need to protect their users from spam. When they see a new account suddenly sending lots of emails, they get suspicious. That’s why warmup is crucial for three main reasons:
It gets your emails to the inbox instead of spam
It helps you reach higher daily sending limits (like Google’s 2000 emails per day)
It improves your email open rates because more people actually see your messages
3. How to Warm Up Your Account Properly?
Let’s go through the essential steps you need to take:
Set Up Your Authentication
First, you need three important security measures in place:
- SPF: Tells providers which servers can send emails for you
- DKIM: Adds a digital signature to your emails
- DMARC: Combines SPF and DKIM for better security
Choose the Right IP
You’ve got two options:
- Shared IP: You share with others (cheaper but riskier)
- Dedicated IP: Just for you (more control, better for reputation)
Use Your Own Domain
Don’t rely on generic email addresses. Having your own domain:
- Makes you look more professional
- Gives you better control over your reputation
- Stays with you even if you change email providers
Create Quality Content
Your emails need to look legitimate:
- Write natural subject lines
- Make your preview text count (40-130 characters)
- Keep content easy to read
- Use real links, not shortened URLs
Watch Your Language
Avoid anything that looks spammy:
- No “FREE” or “BUY NOW!!!”
- Skip the salesy language
- Keep it professional
- Use normal punctuation
Start Slow and Steady
Here’s what works:
- Begin with just 10-30 emails per day
- Space out your sends (no bulk sending)
- Increase volume slowly over weeks
- Keep it consistent
Engage and Respond
Show you’re a real sender:
- Reply to messages you receive
- Keep conversations going
- Build real engagement
- Act like a normal email user
Keep Your List Clean
List hygiene is crucial:
- Always include an unsubscribe option
- Use EmailListVerify to clean your lists
- Remove bad addresses right away
- Keep track of bounces
Remember, warmup isn’t a one-time thing. Even after your initial warmup period, you need to maintain good sending practices to keep your reputation strong. Think of it as an ongoing process rather than a one-and-done task.
Recommend: Use warmupinbox to warmup your domain.