Summary
The overwhelming consensus from email marketers, experts, and official documentation is that new domains on shared IPs *do* need warming for transactional emails. While you can't warm a shared IP directly, the domain's reputation is separate and needs to be built. This involves gradually increasing email volume to engaged users, monitoring deliverability metrics, ensuring proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and sending high-quality content. Starting with a small volume (e.g., 50-100 emails/day) and increasing gradually is recommended. Focus should be on building a positive sender reputation with ISPs by consistently sending wanted email.
Key findings
- Domain Warming is Essential: New domains, regardless of using a shared IP, require a warming process to establish a positive sender reputation and avoid deliverability issues.
- Shared IP vs. Domain Reputation: A shared IP means you share the IP's reputation with other users, making the domain's individual reputation even more critical.
- Authentication is Mandatory: Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC is crucial for authenticating your email, preventing spoofing, and signaling legitimacy to ISPs.
- Gradual Volume Increase Works: Slowly increasing email volume over time allows ISPs to recognize you as a legitimate sender and helps avoid spam filters.
Key considerations
- Monitor Deliverability: Closely track your deliverability rates (bounce rates, spam complaints, etc.) to identify and address any problems early on.
- Engage Your Audience: Focus on sending wanted, high-quality, and engaging content to build trust with recipients and improve your sender reputation.
- Subdomain Option: If available, consider using a subdomain of an existing, reputable domain to help improve initial deliverability.
- CRM Limitations: Check with your CRM provider about limitations of the shared IP as they might suggest using a dedicated IP instead depending on your volume.
What email marketers say
13 marketer opinions
The consensus among email marketers and documentation suggests that while you cannot warm a shared IP, warming a new domain is crucial for transactional emails, even when using a shared IP. Domain reputation is independent of IP reputation and needs to be built gradually to avoid deliverability issues. Experts recommend starting with low email volumes and slowly increasing them over time, while also monitoring deliverability metrics. Ensuring proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is vital for establishing a good sender reputation and avoiding spam filters.
Key opinions
- Domain Warming Required: New domains, even on shared IPs, require warming for transactional emails due to the need to establish domain reputation.
- IP vs Domain Reputation: While shared IPs have a shared reputation that cannot be directly warmed by a single user, a domain's reputation is independent and requires its own warming process.
- Importance of Authentication: Proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for establishing trust with ISPs and improving deliverability, especially for new domains.
- Gradual Volume Increase: Gradually increasing email volume is a key aspect of domain warming, starting with low volumes and slowly increasing over time to build a positive sender reputation.
Key considerations
- Monitoring Deliverability: Closely monitor deliverability rates and engagement metrics during the warming process to identify and address any potential issues.
- Content Quality: Focus on sending engaging and personalized content to build trust with recipients and improve sender reputation.
- Shared IP Limitations: Be aware that using a shared IP means your sending reputation can be affected by other users on the same IP, highlighting the importance of domain reputation.
- Volume Thresholds: Establish a daily sending limit to between 50 and 100 emails per day. Do that for the first few days or first week, and then gradually increase it from there.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Sendinblue responds that when setting up transactional emails, especially from a new domain or shared IP, it's important to monitor deliverability closely. They suggest ensuring proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is in place and using a dedicated IP address if sending high volumes to maintain a good sender reputation.
1 Dec 2022 - Sendinblue
Marketer view
Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that IP warming is a process of gradually increasing the volume of emails sent from a new IP address to build a positive reputation with ISPs. Starting with a low volume and gradually increasing it over time helps ISPs recognize the sender as legitimate and reduces the likelihood of emails being marked as spam.
15 Jun 2024 - Neil Patel
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
Experts emphasize that new domains on shared IPs require warming due to the lack of an established domain reputation. Since shared hosting means a shared IP reputation, the domain's reputation becomes the critical factor. Proper authentication and engaging content are essential for establishing a good reputation from the start and ensuring emails reach their intended recipients.
Key opinions
- New Domain, No Reputation: New domains inherently lack a sender reputation, necessitating a warming process.
- Shared IP Impact: On shared hosting, the IP address reputation is shared, making domain reputation the primary focus for deliverability.
- Authentication Importance: Authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is critical for building a positive sender reputation and trust with receiving mail servers.
Key considerations
- Content is Key: Send relevant, engaging content that users actually want to receive to boost your reputation.
- Start Slowly: Gradually increase sending volume to avoid being flagged as spam by ISPs.
- Monitoring Needed: Closely monitor email deliverability metrics to catch and address any issues promptly.
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource (Steve Linford) responds that if you're on shared hosting, your IP address reputation is shared with everyone else on that IP. If you start sending email from a new domain, it’s important to start slowly (warming up) because your domain will initially have no reputation.
12 May 2022 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise (Laura Atkins) explains that new domains have no sender reputation so should use authentication and content checks. Senders need to make sure they are authenticating their email and only sending to people who want to receive it, especially when launching a new domain. These are critical for establishing a good reputation from the beginning.
9 Feb 2022 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Official documentation from Google, Microsoft, RFC, and DMARC.org consistently emphasizes the importance of warming up new IP addresses and domains, particularly for improving email deliverability. They highlight the need to start with small email volumes to engaged users, gradually increasing the volumes over time to build a positive sender reputation. Proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC) is deemed crucial for verifying the sender's identity, preventing email spoofing, and ensuring emails reach the intended recipients.
Key findings
- Warming is Key: New IP addresses and domains require a gradual warm-up process to establish a positive sender reputation.
- Authentication Standards: Adhering to authentication standards (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is essential for verifying sender identity and preventing email spoofing.
- Volume Control: Starting with small email volumes to engaged users and slowly increasing the volume over time is critical for building sender reputation.
- Positive Reputation: Building a positive sender reputation ensures that emails are not marked as spam and improves overall deliverability.
Key considerations
- Engaged Users: Initially target highly engaged users during the warm-up phase to establish positive sending patterns.
- Monitoring: Continuously monitor sender reputation to detect and address any issues promptly.
- Security: Implement DMARC to protect your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks.
- Configuration: Ensure proper configuration of SPF records to authorize sending email on behalf of the domain.
Technical article
Documentation from RFC explains that SPF records are crucial for authenticating the sender's domain and preventing email spoofing. Properly configuring SPF records helps improve email deliverability, especially for new domains or IP addresses, by verifying that the sender is authorized to send emails on behalf of the domain.
1 May 2022 - RFC
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft shares that to improve email deliverability, especially for new domains or IP addresses, it's important to warm up the IP by gradually increasing the volume of emails sent. Monitoring sender reputation and ensuring proper authentication are also crucial steps in maintaining a positive sender reputation and avoiding spam filters.
9 Sep 2022 - Microsoft
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