How many IP addresses should be used for an email marketing campaign of 50k emails?
Michael Ko
Co-founder & CEO, Suped
Published 12 Jul 2025
Updated 19 Aug 2025
5 min read
When planning an email marketing campaign, especially one targeting a substantial audience like 50,000 recipients, one of the first questions that comes to mind is often related to infrastructure. Specifically, how many IP addresses do I need to ensure these emails land in the inbox, not the spam folder? It's a common area of confusion, and I've heard some surprisingly high numbers thrown around, leading many to believe they need an excessive number of IPs for even modest volumes.
The reality is that for a campaign of 50,000 emails, using hundreds of IP addresses is highly excessive and often a sign of misunderstanding, or worse, an attempt at spamming. Most legitimate email senders can handle this volume with far fewer, often just one, depending on the type of IP address and their sending practices. The key lies not in the sheer number of IPs, but in understanding how email deliverability systems operate and building a strong sender reputation.
Shared vs. dedicated IP addresses
When it comes to IP addresses for email sending, you generally have two main choices: shared or dedicated. Each has distinct implications for your email deliverability, especially for a campaign size like 50,000 emails.
Shared IP addresses
Cost-effective: Ideal for lower volumes, as you share the cost of the IP with other senders.
Managed reputation: Your ESP (Email Service Provider) is responsible for maintaining the IP's reputation.
Automatic warming: No need for manual IP warming as the IP is already established.
For a campaign of 50,000 emails, a shared IP address is often the most appropriate and effective choice. Most ESPs have well-maintained shared IP pools with established reputations, making them suitable for moderate sending volumes without the need for extensive warm-up or dedicated management.
Dedicated IP addresses
Full control: Your sending reputation is solely based on your email practices.
Higher volume suitability: Recommended for senders dispatching significant email volumes, often 100,000 emails per month or more, as highlighted by Twilio SendGrid.
IP warming required: New dedicated IPs need a gradual ramp-up to build trust with ISPs.
While a dedicated IP gives you full control, it also puts all the responsibility for your sender reputation squarely on your shoulders. This path is generally only recommended for high-volume senders, typically those sending at least 50,000 emails per week or 100,000 per month. For a 50k campaign, if it's a one-off or infrequent, a dedicated IP might be overkill.
Ultimately, the choice between shared and dedicated IPs for 50,000 emails depends on your overall sending strategy, frequency, and willingness to manage your own sender reputation. Most businesses find shared IPs more than adequate for this volume.
Understanding volume and reputation
The number of emails you send from an IP address directly impacts its reputation. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) track sending patterns, complaint rates, and engagement metrics associated with each IP. Sending 50,000 emails is a moderate volume, but how you send them is far more important than the exact IP count.
For example, if you send 50,000 emails to a highly engaged list, you're likely to maintain a good reputation. However, sending the same volume to an unsegmented, unengaged, or low-quality list can quickly lead to high bounce rates, spam complaints, and placement on a blacklist (or blocklist), regardless of how many IPs you use. You can conduct a deliverability test to monitor this.
The concept of using many (e.g., hundreds) of IPs for a relatively small volume like 50,000 emails is often referred to as "snowshoe spamming." This tactic attempts to distribute spam across numerous IP addresses to evade detection, but it's typically quickly identified and penalized by modern spam filters. This approach severely harms your overall sender reputation.
The importance of IP warming
If you do opt for a dedicated IP address (which, again, is generally not needed for just 50,000 emails unless you plan for significant future growth), IP warming is a critical step. IP warming is the process of gradually increasing the volume of emails sent from a new IP address over a period of days or weeks. This establishes a positive sending reputation with ISPs.
Skipping or rushing IP warming can lead to deliverability issues, as ISPs may view a sudden surge of mail from an unknown IP with suspicion, flagging it as potential spam. Even if you're sending to a clean list, a cold IP can trigger filters.
Most industry guidelines suggest a dedicated IP isn't necessary unless you consistently send volumes like 150,000 to 200,000 emails per day, or 100,000 emails per month. For 50,000 emails, a well-managed shared IP pool from a reputable ESP is typically more than sufficient and requires no warming on your part.
Strategizing for 50k email campaigns
For an email marketing campaign of 50,000 emails, your primary focus should be on email list quality and sending practices, not the number of IP addresses. A single, well-reputed IP (either shared or a properly warmed dedicated IP if your overall volume justifies it) is ample.
If your sending volume is consistently around 50,000 emails per month or more, you might start considering a dedicated IP. However, always prioritize list hygiene, engagement, and content quality. These factors have a much greater impact on inbox placement than simply adding more IP addresses.
Best practices for 50k campaigns
Clean your list regularly: Remove inactive subscribers and hard bounces.
Segment your audience: Send targeted emails to engaged groups.
Monitor deliverability metrics: Keep an eye on open rates, click-through rates, and complaint rates.
Authenticate your emails: Ensure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are properly configured.
Final thoughts on IP strategy
For an email marketing campaign of 50,000 emails, the number of IP addresses needed is almost certainly one, whether it's a shared IP managed by your ESP or a dedicated IP for higher, consistent volumes. The idea of using hundreds of IPs for this volume is not only unnecessary but also detrimental to your sender reputation.
Focus your efforts on maintaining a healthy, engaged email list and adhering to best practices. This approach will yield far better deliverability results than obsessing over an inflated number of IP addresses.
Views from the trenches
Best practices
For 50k emails, a single, well-reputed shared IP is generally sufficient and recommended.
If using a dedicated IP, ensure proper IP warming by gradually increasing sending volume.
Segment your list and send relevant content to maintain high engagement.
Common pitfalls
Using too many IP addresses for low volumes can be seen as snowshoe spamming.
Sending to unengaged or low-quality lists, which harms your IP reputation.
Failing to warm up a new dedicated IP address before sending large volumes.
Expert tips
The threshold for needing a dedicated IP is typically around 100k emails per month or more, not 50k.
Focus on content quality and list engagement, as these are primary drivers of deliverability.
Separate transactional and marketing email streams if using multiple IPs, to protect reputation.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that sending 50k emails per campaign is a tiny volume, and using 500 IP addresses for it suggests a misunderstanding or a spamming tactic.
November 18, 2020 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that 500 IPs for 50k messages is effectively the definition of snowshoe spamming.
