Summary
Warming up email sending after a break is crucial for maintaining a positive sender reputation and avoiding spam filters. Experts and marketers recommend gradually increasing email volume, starting with engaged users, ensuring proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), monitoring deliverability metrics, and addressing content/list quality. Resources like Google Postmaster Tools provide valuable insights into sender reputation.
Key findings
- Gradual Volume Increase: Increase sending volume gradually to re-establish sender reputation.
- Engaged Users First: Prioritize sending emails to your most engaged subscribers initially.
- Proper Authentication: Ensure your email is properly authenticated using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
- Monitor Metrics: Closely monitor deliverability metrics such as bounce rates and spam complaints.
- Google Postmaster Tools: Utilize Google Postmaster Tools (GPT) for insights into your sending reputation and potential issues.
- Address list and content quality: Ensure your sending list is of high quality and that your email content is of sufficient quality
Key considerations
- List Segmentation: Segment your email list to target specific groups with relevant content and identify engaged users.
- Content Quality: Ensure your email content is valuable, relevant, and avoids spam triggers.
- ESP Limits: Be mindful of sending limits imposed by your Email Service Provider (ESP).
- Consistency: Maintain consistent sending patterns once the warm-up is complete.
- Inactivity Impact: Acknowledge and address the negative impact of inactivity on sender reputation.
- Testing: Test your email sending configuration and content before and during the warm-up process.
- IP type: If your sending on a new IP then the warm-up process should be followed very carefully
What email marketers say
11 marketer opinions
Warming up email sending after a break involves gradually increasing the volume of emails sent to re-establish a positive sender reputation with ISPs and avoid spam filters. This includes identifying and sending to your most engaged users first, ensuring proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), monitoring deliverability metrics (bounce rates, spam complaints), and reviewing Google Postmaster Tools for any changes in reputation or errors. It's also crucial to determine any underlying issues causing changes in inbox placement by testing production content and plain templates.
Key opinions
- Gradual Increase: Gradually increase the volume of emails sent over time.
- Engaged Users: Start by sending to your most engaged users (those who regularly open emails or click links).
- Authentication: Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is in place.
- Monitoring: Monitor deliverability metrics such as bounce rates and spam complaints.
- Content Review: Review content to ensure it adheres to best practices and doesn't trigger spam filters.
- Google Postmaster Tools: Regularly check Google Postmaster Tools (GPT) for insights into your sender reputation.
Key considerations
- Content Quality: Ensure content is valuable and relevant to recipients.
- List Segmentation: Segment your email list and target specific groups with tailored content.
- ESP Limits: Be aware of email sending limits set by your Email Service Provider (ESP).
- Inactivity Impact: Acknowledge that periods of inactivity can negatively impact sender reputation.
- Testing: Perform inbox placement tests using seed lists and third-party tools.
- Deliverability Change: Test production content and plain templates to identify deliverability changes.
Marketer view
Email marketer from ActiveCampaign Blog shares that warming up an IP includes maintaining consistent sending volume, authenticating your emails (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and monitoring bounce rates and spam complaints.
11 Jan 2023 - ActiveCampaign Blog
Marketer view
Email marketer from EmailDeliverability.com advises warming up a new IP slowly over several weeks, starting with low volumes and sending to engaged users. Monitor your reputation closely.
2 Jan 2025 - EmailDeliverability.com
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
After a period of email sending inactivity, experts emphasize the importance of IP warming to maintain a positive sender reputation and avoid spam filters. A gradual ramp-up, sending initially to smaller, more engaged segments, is crucial.
Key opinions
- IP Warming is Essential: IP warming is essential after periods of inactivity.
- Gradual Ramp-Up: A gradual ramp-up of sending volume is crucial for re-establishing a positive reputation.
- Engaged Segments: Start by sending to smaller, more engaged segments of your email list.
- Monitor Metrics: Monitoring key email delivery metrics is important to avoid spam filters.
Key considerations
- List Segmentation: Proper list segmentation is necessary for identifying engaged recipients.
- Reputation Impact: Understand that inactivity affects sender reputation and requires a strategic recovery.
- Ramp-Up Speed: Determine an appropriate pace for gradually increasing email volume based on engagement.
Expert view
Expert from SpamResource explains that after a period of inactivity, IP warming is essential. Start with your most engaged recipients and monitor key metrics to avoid filters.
23 Jul 2024 - SpamResource
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise shares that a gradual ramp-up when starting a new email program or resuming after a break helps establish a positive sending reputation. Send to smaller, more engaged segments first.
21 Aug 2024 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
3 technical articles
Official documentation from Google, Microsoft, and SparkPost emphasizes the importance of a gradual warm-up process when starting email sending on new IPs or after a break to maintain a good sender reputation. This involves starting with low volumes, increasing steadily, and focusing on sending to engaged subscribers initially.
Key findings
- Gradual Increase: Gradually increase email volume to avoid negative impact on sender reputation.
- Low Volume Start: Begin with sending small amounts of mail.
- Monitor Reputation: Monitor your IP's reputation throughout the warm-up process.
- Engaged Subscribers First: Prioritize sending to your most engaged subscribers during the warm-up.
Key considerations
- Segmentation: Segment your lists to identify and target engaged subscribers effectively.
- IP Type: Understand that new or newly dedicated IPs particularly require a warm-up period.
- Engagement Metrics: Use engagement metrics to inform your warm-up strategy and volume increases.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools Help explains that if you start sending a high volume of emails suddenly, it can impact your sender reputation. They recommend gradually increasing the volume of email you send.
19 Jun 2021 - Google Postmaster Tools Help
Technical article
Documentation from Microsoft explains that newly dedicated IPs require a warm-up period. Start with sending small amounts of mail and gradually increase to your intended volume, while also monitoring the IP's reputation.
18 Oct 2022 - Microsoft Documentation
Are IP warming services effective for improving email deliverability?
Do I need an IP warm-up when moving to a new ESP with shared IPs?
How do I warm up a new IP address for transactional emails?
How do I warm up a new subdomain for low volume B2B email sends?
How do I warm up new IP addresses for email sending?
How to re-warm a low volume email domain after high spam complaints due to an errant send?
