Understanding IP Warmup: Strategy and Best Practices

If you are sending emails from a new dedicated IP address or a new sending domain, you must gradually build your sender reputation. This process is called "IP Warmup." If you send a massive volume of emails immediately, inbox providers (like Gmail and Yahoo) will likely flag your emails as spam.

1. What is IP Warmup?

IP warmup is the practice of gradually increasing the volume of email sent with a new IP address or domain over a period of time. This helps establish a positive sender reputation with Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

2. When is Warmup Required?

• You have a brand new sending domain.
• You are moving to a new dedicated IP address.
• You haven't sent emails in over 30 days and are resuming sending.

3. The Golden Rule: Send to Your Most Engaged Users First

During warmup, ISPs are watching closely to see how users react to your emails. If users open and click your emails, your reputation goes up. If they ignore them or mark them as spam, your reputation goes down.

Therefore, you must only send to your most highly engaged subscribers during the warmup period.

4. Defining Your Engaged Segments

Before you start sending, create segments in Cavaco AI for your most engaged users. Good criteria include:

• Opened an email in the last 30 days.
• Clicked an email in the last 30 days.
• Made a purchase in the last 60 days.
• Signed up in the last 15 days.

5. Creating the Warmup Schedule

A typical warmup schedule spans 2-4 weeks. You start with a small volume and gradually increase it. Here is a sample schedule (adjust based on your total list size):

• Day 1: 50 emails
• Day 2: 100 emails
• Day 3: 200 emails
• Day 4: 400 emails
• Day 5: 800 emails
• Day 6: 1,500 emails
• Day 7: 3,000 emails
• Week 2: Gradually double the volume every 1-2 days.

6. Executing the Warmup

To execute the warmup, you will create scheduled campaigns in Cavaco AI, targeting specific slices of your engaged segments to match your daily volume targets. (See the guide on Executing Your IP Warmup Schedule for detailed instructions).

7. Monitoring the Results

Monitor your campaign reports closely during warmup. Look for:

• High Open Rates (20%+): This is a good sign.
• Low Bounce Rates (< 2%): Ensure your list is clean.
• Zero Spam Complaints: Any spam complaints during warmup are very damaging.

If you see poor metrics, pause the warmup, investigate the issue, and refine your segments before continuing.