Summary
Determining appropriate sending volumes for dedicated IPs involves considering several factors, as highlighted by experts and marketers. A gradual IP warm-up is essential, starting with a few hundred or thousand emails per day and gradually increasing volume over weeks. Minimum volume recommendations vary, with suggestions ranging from 5,000 emails per month to 100,000 emails per month or 10,000 emails per week, often dependent on list quality and engagement. One expert suggests 1 million emails per month for more robust segmentation. It's generally not recommended to use a dedicated IP for volumes below 5,000 emails per week. For maximum volume, 1-2 million emails per IP per day is a common recommendation, although this can stretch to 3-4 million with multiple IPs. List composition and receiver throttling also play a role in determining maximum volume. Maintaining high engagement and good list hygiene are always paramount.
Key findings
- IP Warm-up is Crucial: A gradual IP warm-up is universally recommended, starting with a small volume and slowly increasing over time.
- Minimum Volume Varies: Recommended minimum sending volumes range widely, from 5,000 to 100,000 emails per month or 10,000 per week, depending on specific circumstances.
- Maximum Volume is Limited: A common maximum sending volume is 1-2 million emails per IP per day, but this can vary.
- Engagement is Key: High engagement (opens, clicks) and good list hygiene are crucial, regardless of sending volume.
- Low Volume Alternatives: Shared IPs may be more suitable for senders with low volumes (under 5,000 emails per week).
Key considerations
- List Quality: Assess list quality and engagement levels, as these factors significantly influence deliverability.
- Consistent Sending: Maintain a consistent sending schedule to help establish a good sender reputation.
- Monitor Metrics: Continuously monitor key metrics such as bounce rates, spam complaints, open rates, and click-through rates.
- Receiver Throttling: Be aware of receiver throttling, which may limit the number of emails accepted from a single IP address.
- Dedicated IP Justification: Determine whether a dedicated IP is truly necessary based on sending volume and specific deliverability needs.
What email marketers say
11 marketer opinions
Determining the minimum and maximum sending volumes for dedicated IPs is crucial for maintaining a good sender reputation and ensuring optimal deliverability. Experts and marketers emphasize the importance of a gradual IP warm-up, starting with small volumes and gradually increasing over time. Minimum sending volumes to justify a dedicated IP vary, with suggestions ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 emails per month, or 10,000 emails per week, depending on list quality and engagement. Some sources recommend a minimum of 1 million emails per month for robust segmentation and recovery strategies. Maximum sending volumes also depend on factors like receiver throttling and list composition, with recommendations generally staying within 1-2 million emails per day per IP, potentially stretching to 3-4 million with multiple IPs. Consistency in sending frequency, monitoring engagement metrics, and maintaining list hygiene are critical for success.
Key opinions
- Gradual Warm-up: A gradual IP warm-up is essential, starting with small volumes of emails to engaged subscribers and increasing over time to establish a positive sending history.
- Minimum Volume: Minimum sending volumes vary significantly, with some suggesting 5,000 to 50,000 emails per month or 10,000 emails per week to justify a dedicated IP.
- Maximum Volume: Maximum sending volumes typically range from 1-2 million emails per day per IP, with potential to stretch to 3-4 million with multiple IPs, considering list composition and receiver throttling.
- Engagement Matters: List quality and engagement significantly impact the minimum volume needed; smaller, highly engaged lists can work with lower volumes.
- Shared IP Option: For lower sending volumes, a shared IP may be sufficient, especially if sending less than 5,000 emails per week.
Key considerations
- List Hygiene: Maintaining good list hygiene is vital for sender reputation and deliverability, regardless of sending volume.
- Consistency: Consistent sending frequency helps maintain a good sender reputation.
- Engagement Metrics: Monitoring key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and spam complaints is essential to assess deliverability.
- Receiver Throttling: Be aware of potential receiver throttling, which may limit the maximum sending volume to certain domains.
- Dedicated IP Justification: Assess whether a dedicated IP is truly necessary based on sending volume, list quality, and deliverability needs.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks recommends considering list composition for max volume. Some receivers just can’t receive that much mail from 1 IP so they throttle. But if you are only mailing to the big ones, you can send quite a bit. However throughput tends to be better with more IPs (1-2 mil per day for 1 IP, but can possibly stretch to 3-4 mil). For min, they saw a client with maybe 20-30K on a dedicated and they were a better mailer than anyone else. They also saw some clients with the same volume struggling because even a small number of complaints would throw them for a loop.
2 Nov 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Gmass suggests that you may be ready for a dedicated IP address if your email list is large and active and you’re sending out at least 5,000 emails a month. However, you may not be ready for it if your list is small or stagnant, or if your messages are likely to be marked as spam.
18 Aug 2023 - Gmass
What the experts say
4 expert opinions
Experts provide varied insights into the optimal sending volumes for dedicated IPs. A key theme is the importance of IP warm-up, balancing volume with engagement and list quality. While one expert suggests a minimum of 100k emails/month for a dedicated IP (though acknowledging lower volumes are possible with caveats), another recommends against dedicated IPs for volumes below 5,000 emails/week, suggesting shared IPs are more suitable. Regarding maximum volume, sending no more than 2 million emails per IP per day is advised to avoid delivery delays, although higher volumes are achievable at the cost of slower delivery.
Key opinions
- IP Warm-up is Key: A gradual IP warm-up, balancing volume with engagement and list quality, is critical for establishing a positive sender reputation.
- Volume Threshold for Dedicated IPs: Dedicated IPs may not be suitable for low-volume senders (below 5,000 emails/week); shared IPs might be a better option.
- Minimum Volume for Dedicated IPs: A minimum of 100k emails/month is suggested by some experts to justify a dedicated IP, though lower volumes are possible with potential deliverability issues.
- Maximum Daily Volume: Limiting sending to no more than 2 million emails per IP per day is recommended to avoid delivery delays.
Key considerations
- Engagement and List Quality: Prioritize high engagement rates (opens, clicks) and maintain a clean email list, especially during IP warm-up.
- Mail Stream Assessment: Carefully assess your mail stream volume and sending frequency to determine whether a dedicated IP is necessary.
- Deliverability Trade-offs: Consider the trade-offs between sending volume and delivery speed; higher volumes may lead to slower delivery times.
- Microsoft OLC Annoyances: Be aware that sending lower volumes from a dedicated IP can sometimes lead to issues with Microsoft's Outlook.com (OLC).
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains the key to a good IP warm-up is a balance between volume, engagement, and list quality. Gradually increasing sending volume, while maintaining high engagement rates (opens, clicks) and low complaint rates, is vital for establishing a positive reputation.
7 Oct 2024 - Spam Resource
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks says that ideally, you would send at least 100k/mo to maintain a dedicated IP, however they do 20k/month from a dedicated IP for Spam Resource stuff, which causes some Microsoft OLC annoyances.
19 Nov 2023 - Email Geeks
What the documentation says
4 technical articles
Email service providers emphasize the importance of a gradual IP warm-up process for dedicated IPs to establish a positive sending reputation with ISPs. This involves starting with a small volume of emails (a few hundred to a few thousand per day) and gradually increasing it over several weeks. Maintaining good IP reputation is crucial, which can be monitored through tools like Google Postmaster Tools and sender score. Key to this process is consistently monitoring engagement metrics (open rates, click-through rates, bounce rates, and spam complaints) and only sending to engaged users initially. Addressing issues like high bounce or spam complaint rates is also critical for maintaining deliverability.
Key findings
- Gradual IP Warm-up: A gradual IP warm-up is universally recommended, starting with a small number of emails per day and increasing over weeks.
- Importance of Reputation: Maintaining a good IP reputation is essential for email deliverability.
- Monitor Key Metrics: Monitoring engagement metrics (opens, clicks, bounces, complaints) is vital for adjusting the warm-up process and identifying potential issues.
Key considerations
- Engagement is Key: Only send to engaged users during the initial warm-up phase to build a positive reputation.
- Consistent Sending: Maintain consistent sending patterns to establish a reliable sender reputation.
- Address Issues Promptly: Proactively address any issues like high bounce rates or spam complaints to prevent negative impacts on deliverability.
- Follow Guidelines: Adhere to sender guidelines provided by email service providers like Google.
Technical article
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools explains that maintaining a good IP reputation is essential for delivering emails to Gmail users. They advise monitoring your IP reputation in Postmaster Tools and taking steps to address any issues, such as high spam complaint rates. They also emphasize the importance of following Google's sender guidelines to ensure your emails are delivered successfully.
16 Jul 2024 - Google
Technical article
Documentation from SendGrid recommends a gradual IP warm-up, suggesting starting with a few hundred emails per day and slowly increasing the volume over several weeks. They emphasize the importance of consistent sending and monitoring engagement metrics to adjust the warm-up schedule accordingly. It is important to only mail engaged users at the start.
25 Aug 2023 - SendGrid
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