Summary
The ideal number of emails you can send from one IP address per day varies significantly based on numerous factors. There isn't a universally fixed limit because deliverability is influenced by variables such as recipient engagement, the type of content (transactional versus marketing), and your overall sender reputation. While a single IP can technically handle large volumes, performance and inbox placement are paramount.
Key findings
- Variability: The optimal sending volume is highly variable and depends on many factors, including recipient mailbox distribution and content type.
- Throughput: While an IP might handle millions of messages daily, the actual rate at which mail is delivered (throughput) is a critical consideration for timely delivery.
- General Range: Some sources suggest that a single IP address can handle 1 to 2 million messages per day under optimal conditions for general delivery (as stated by GreenArrow Email).
- Dedicated IP Thresholds: A dedicated IP is generally recommended for senders exceeding certain volumes, often cited around 50,000 to 150,000 emails per month, before needing to consider additional IPs.
Key considerations
- Sender Reputation: Maintaining a strong sender reputation is more important than raw volume. A poor reputation can lead to blocklisting (or blacklisting) regardless of how few emails you send. Learn more about optimal email volume and influencing factors.
- Delivery Speed: The total daily volume needs to be balanced against the desired delivery window. Pushing too much mail too quickly can overload receiving mail servers.
- Proactive Scaling: It is advisable to proactively add more IPs as your volume approaches potential limits, rather than waiting for deliverability issues to arise. Consider the recommended daily sending limits.
- Infrastructure: Your sending infrastructure and email service provider (ESP) capabilities play a significant role in how much volume a single IP can effectively handle.
What email marketers say
Email marketers often consider the practical implications of daily sending volume from a single IP address, especially concerning the limits set by various email service providers and the need for dedicated IP addresses. Their insights frequently highlight balancing volume with deliverability and understanding the specific constraints of different platforms. The consensus is that while high volumes are possible, careful management and strategy are crucial to avoid deliverability issues.
Key opinions
- ESP Limits: Many email service providers have specific daily sending limits per user or per plan, such as Gmail's 500-2,000 emails per day (depending on the plan) or Mailfence's 50 emails per day (GrowthList). These limits are often for a single email address, not necessarily a single IP, but influence overall sending strategy.
- Dedicated IP Threshold: Marketers often find that a dedicated IP becomes beneficial when sending around 150,000 to 200,000 emails per day, or approximately 1 million emails per month, for improved deliverability and control over their sender reputation.
- Volume vs. Throughput: The total daily volume is important, but marketers also emphasize the speed at which emails are sent (throughput) to avoid overwhelming recipient servers.
- High Volume Considerations: Sending more than 2 million messages per day on a single IP can start to cause throughput issues, indicating a need for additional IP addresses or a more robust sending strategy.
Key considerations
- Scaling IPs: For email marketing campaigns, knowing when to add more IPs is crucial for maintaining deliverability as volume grows. For specific guidance, see how many IP addresses are needed for an email marketing campaign.
- Dedicated IP Justification: Understanding what volume justifies a dedicated IP is key for marketers aiming for better control over their sending reputation. More details can be found in what email volume justifies a dedicated IP address.
- Email Types: Transactional emails might have different optimal sending patterns and volume tolerances compared to marketing or bulk emails due to recipient expectations and engagement.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks notes that achieving a dedicated IP can be challenging with some ESPs. They describe a case where a client successfully obtained one with Mailchimp by sending around 1 million emails per month, which was at the threshold for Mailchimp's dedicated IP offerings. This dedicated IP significantly improved deliverability for that excellent sender.
Marketer view
An email marketer from Quora suggests that for optimal deliverability, it's generally recommended to keep within the range of 50 to 150 emails per email address per day. To scale beyond this, they advise using multiple email addresses or IPs.
What the experts say
Experts in email deliverability emphasize that there is no single, fixed answer to how many emails can be sent from one IP address daily. They point out that various technical and contextual factors, such as recipient mailbox distribution, the nature of the email content, and the sender's reputation, play a critical role. Moreover, experts highlight the importance of throughput and the practical window for mail delivery, often advising a proactive approach to IP scaling.
Key opinions
- No Single Answer: Experts agree there isn't one correct answer, as it depends on numerous factors like mailbox distribution, sender volume, content type, and reputation metrics.
- Estimated Volume: While technically a single IP might handle 1 to 2 million messages per hour (or day depending on infrastructure), the practical daily sending limit depends on infrastructure and other considerations.
- Throughput Importance: It is critical to consider how quickly mail needs to go out (throughput) and not just the total daily volume, as sending too fast can overload receiving servers.
- Proactive Scaling: When approaching potential limits, adding more IP addresses proactively is advised to maintain deliverability and avoid issues. Refer to how many emails you can send per dedicated IP before needing another one.
- ISP Overload: Aggressively pushing very high volumes (e.g., 8-10 million in a day) might overload internet service provider (ISP) inbound mail servers, leading to delivery problems.
Key considerations
- Reputation Management: Focusing on maintaining a positive sending reputation is more effective than simply pushing high volumes. This involves proper IP warming. See Twilio SendGrid's email guide to IP warm up.
- Sending Window: While daily sending limits are often discussed, the reality is that mail often needs to be delivered within a smaller, more concentrated window, affecting effective hourly rates.
- Safe Maximum: Understanding the safe maximum daily email volume after proper IP warming is crucial to avoid blocklisting or throttling.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks states there's no single correct answer regarding daily email volume per IP. They explain that it's highly dependent on multiple factors such as recipient mailbox distribution, whether there are single or multiple senders, the content type (transactional versus marketing), and overall reputation metrics. They stress that nobody can provide a definitive answer without knowing the specific circumstances.
Expert view
An expert from Email Geeks suggests that a single IP is likely technically capable of handling 1 to 2 million messages per day. However, they also caution that various infrastructure considerations must be factored in, beyond just the raw message count, to ensure optimal performance.
What the documentation says
Official documentation and technical guides from various email service providers and industry bodies often outline specific sending limits, recommendations for IP usage, and best practices for high-volume sending. These resources typically detail how to approach daily email volume to ensure optimal deliverability and avoid issues such as throttling or being added to a blocklist (or blacklist). Adherence to these guidelines is crucial for maintaining a positive sender reputation and inbox placement.
Key findings
- Provider-Specific Limits: Major email providers (e.g., Gmail, Mailfence) impose specific daily sending limits that vary by account type or plan, influencing the effective volume from any single IP used for their services.
- Throughput Impact: Exceeding certain volume thresholds (e.g., over two million messages per day on a single IP) can lead to throughput issues, as documented by industry experts like Kickbox Blog.
- Dedicated IP Recommendations: Documentation often advises dedicated IPs for senders with monthly volumes exceeding 50,000 to 150,000 emails, to ensure better control over sender reputation and deliverability.
Key considerations
- IP Warming: Adhering to IP warming best practices is essential for establishing a good reputation for a new dedicated IP, gradually increasing volume to avoid sudden blocklists. For more information, see email sending volume limits and IP warming.
- Scaling Strategy: Documentation often implies the need for a scalable IP strategy as email volume grows, suggesting multiple IPs for higher volumes. This can be understood in the context of how many IPs are needed per million emails.
- Monitoring: Regular monitoring of deliverability metrics, such as bounce rates and blocklist status, is crucial to identify and address issues related to sending volume effectively.
Technical article
GrowthList's documentation outlines various email sending limits for different service provider plans. For standard plans, the limit is typically 250 emails per day, while professional plans allow up to 500 emails daily. Enterprise plans can send 1,000 emails per day, and ultimate plans may reach 2,000 emails daily. The documentation notes that these limits depend on the specific plan and that increasing mass sending capabilities is often possible.
Technical article
WP Mail SMTP documentation specifies that for Gmail users, the combined sending limit is up to 500 emails per day when using the free version. For those on a Google Workspace (paid) plan, this limit increases to 2,000 emails per day. This indicates how account type impacts daily volume.
Related resources
11 resources
Related pages
What is the recommended maximum email volume per IP address for deliverability?
What is the maximum daily email send volume from a single IP address?
What is the recommended daily sending limit for an IP address?
What is the ideal email volume per IP address per day?
What is the optimal email volume per IP address and what factors influence it?
What are the email sending volume limits per IP and best practices for IP warming?
What is the safe maximum daily email volume from a single dedicated IP address after warming up?
What email volume justifies using a dedicated IP address?
What happens when your ip gets blocklisted?
Why your emails fail: expert guide to improve email deliverability [2025]
