Why is domain warming important for new domains?

Domain warming is crucial for new domains because it helps establish a positive sender reputation with mailbox providers. Without a gradual increase in sending volume and positive engagement signals, a new domain lacks history and is often treated with suspicion, leading to emails landing in the spam folder by default. This process teaches ISPs that your domain is a legitimate sender.

Can a new domain immediately send high volumes of email?

No, a new domain should never immediately send high volumes of email. A sudden spike in sending from a domain with no history is a major red flag for spam filters and will almost certainly result in emails being blocked or routed to spam. A structured domain warming plan is essential to gradually build trust and deliverability.

How long does it take for a new domain to build reputation?

The time it takes to build a solid domain reputation varies, but it typically ranges from a few weeks to several months. It depends on factors like sending volume, consistency, engagement rates, and the specific mailbox providers you are sending to. Patience and adherence to best practices are key for this process.

What role does DMARC play for new domains?

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is critical for new domains. It provides an additional layer of trust and security beyond SPF and DKIM. Implementing DMARC, even with a policy of p=none , signals to mailbox providers that you are a legitimate sender actively managing your email security, which helps build much-needed reputation for a new domain.

My email content is good, why are emails still going to spam?

Even with excellent email content, emails from new domains can land in spam due to a lack of sender reputation. While content quality is important, it cannot compensate for a domain that has not yet established trust with mailbox providers. The primary focus for new domains should be on domain warming, proper authentication, and consistent positive engagement signals.

Why do emails from new domains go to spam with low sending volumes? - Sender reputation - Email deliverability - Knowledge base

It can be incredibly frustrating: you've set up a brand-new domain, carefully crafted your email templates, and are sending a minimal volume, yet your emails consistently land in the spam folder across major inbox providers like Gmail, Yahoo, and

Outlook. Even with passing SPF and DKIM, and seemingly good IP reputation from pooled services, the spam folder seems to be the default destination. This scenario is far more common than you might think and stems from a fundamental challenge in email deliverability: establishing trust for a domain with no prior sending history.

The issue isn't typically with your content quality or current low volume, but rather the absence of an established sender reputation for your new domain. Inbox providers (IBPs) are cautious by nature. When a domain begins sending emails with no historical data to evaluate its legitimacy, the default action is often to classify those emails as suspicious, even if they appear benign. This guide will explore the core reasons behind this behavior and outline effective strategies to ensure your emails reach the inbox.

The challenge of unestablished domain reputation

When you use a new domain for email sending, it begins with a neutral, or even slightly negative, reputation. Unlike an IP address that might have an existing reputation from a shared pool, your specific sending domain has no history with mailbox providers. This lack of history means there's no trust built, and IBPs are hesitant to deliver emails from an unknown sender directly to the inbox.

Even with low sending volumes, this problem persists. IBPs need a consistent stream of positive sending data, such as high engagement rates and low complaint rates, to build confidence in your domain. Sending only a few emails per day, while seemingly safe, does not provide enough data points for IBPs to quickly assess your sending patterns and intent. This leads to a prolonged period where emails are often routed to the spam or junk folder.

Understanding domain reputation

Your domain's reputation is distinct from your IP's. Even if you're using a pooled IP from a reputable email service provider like

Salesforce.com Marketing Cloud, the domain's individual sending history and subscriber engagement heavily influence deliverability. A new domain lacks this critical history, making it prone to spam filtering. IBPs look at various factors such as engagement, bounce rate, and spam complaints to determine your domain's trust score.

You can get an in-depth understanding of your email domain reputation to further grasp how this system works.

This challenge is particularly evident for domains that are only a month or two old. Inbox providers view such domains with suspicion because they could potentially be used for spam campaigns. The default position of

Gmail and other major providers is to err on the side of caution when a domain has no established trust.

Importance of structured domain warming

The most effective way to overcome the new domain spam issue is through a process called domain warming (also known as sender reputation warming). This involves gradually increasing your email sending volume over a period, starting with very small batches to highly engaged recipients. This consistent, positive sending behavior signals to mailbox providers that your domain is legitimate and trustworthy.

A sudden surge in email volume from a new domain immediately triggers spam filters. Mailbox providers see this as suspicious behavior, often associated with spammers. This is a primary reason why emails from new dedicated IPs and domains land in spam.

Without domain warming

Immediate spam classification: Even legitimate emails are flagged as untrustworthy by ISPs due to the domain's lack of history.
Slow or no reputation building: Mailbox providers don't receive enough consistent positive signals to trust the new domain.
Risk of IP blacklisting (blocklisting): Sudden, un-warmed sending can negatively impact the associated IP's reputation, even if it's pooled.

With domain warming

Gradual inbox placement: Emails start reaching the inbox as trust is steadily built with recipients and ISPs.
Positive sender reputation: Consistent sending to engaged users builds a strong, reliable domain reputation.
Reduced spam flagging: As your domain's credibility grows, the likelihood of being flagged as spam decreases significantly.

Domain warming is not a one-size-fits-all process. It requires patience and careful monitoring of engagement metrics. Starting with your most active and engaged subscribers helps demonstrate positive interaction signals to mailbox providers. This strategic approach is crucial for any new domain to gain the trust needed for consistent inbox delivery. Read more on how domain warming affects email deliverability on SmartBug Media's blog.

Crucial authentication for new senders

While you've confirmed that SPF and DKIM are passing, which is a great start, a missing piece of the authentication puzzle can still trip up new domains: DMARC. DMARC builds upon SPF and DKIM, providing instructions to receiving email servers on how to handle emails that fail authentication and offering reporting on email streams. This added layer of security and transparency is increasingly vital for establishing domain trust.

For a new domain, implementing DMARC, even with a policy of p=none, signals to inbox providers that you take email security seriously, which is especially important when you're starting with no reputation. This is especially true for emails sent with low volume from new domains despite authentication.

Example DMARC record (p=none)DNS

v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:reports@yourdomain.com; ruf=mailto:forensic@yourdomain.com; sp=none;

The absence of DMARC can leave mailbox providers guessing about your domain's legitimacy, which for a new domain often defaults to spam. Conversely, having a correctly configured DMARC record provides clear instructions and contributes positively to your domain's trustworthiness. Understanding a simple guide to DMARC, SPF, and DKIM is vital.

The pitfall of insufficient authentication

Relying solely on SPF and DKIM for a new domain without DMARC can leave a significant gap in your email security posture. Mailbox providers, especially

Google.com and

Yahoo.com, increasingly prioritize DMARC for incoming mail. Without it, your new domain lacks the strong, definitive signal of authenticity that these providers seek, increasing the likelihood of emails being marked as spam or junk. This is why invite emails end up in spam even with good domain reputation. You should also ensure you are complying with Outlook's new sender requirements.

Beyond initial setup, ongoing practices

Even after establishing proper authentication and beginning the warming process, your deliverability is continuously influenced by recipient engagement. Low open rates, high unsubscribe rates, and especially spam complaints, signal negative intent to mailbox providers. For a new domain, even a few negative signals can severely hamper its ability to reach the inbox.

Maintaining a clean and engaged email list is paramount. Avoid sending to inactive or old addresses, as these can become spam traps, which are designed to catch spammers and will immediately damage your reputation. Regularly pruning your list based on engagement metrics will help you avoid these pitfalls and keep your domain off a blocklist (or blacklist).

Factor	Impact on new domain	Impact on established domain
Domain age	Zero history, high suspicion. Emails often junked by default.	Established trust, easier inbox placement with good practices.
Sending volume	Low volume limits reputation building. Sudden spikes trigger spam filters.	Consistent volume helps maintain reputation. Spikes are tolerated if justified.
Engagement	Crucial from day one. Low engagement heavily impacts new domain trust.	Key for ongoing health. Declining engagement can hurt reputation.
Authentication	SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are absolute necessities to prove legitimacy.	Foundational for deliverability, failures lead to immediate filtering.

Utilizing tools like Google Postmaster Tools and other postmaster feedback loops is essential for monitoring your domain's health. These tools provide valuable insights into your spam rate, IP reputation, domain reputation, and authentication errors, allowing you to proactively address issues. Even if your emails pass SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, they can still land in spam without positive feedback from these tools. This is why emails sometimes end up in the spam folder.

Views from the trenches

Best practices

Always implement a structured domain warming schedule before sending significant volumes.

Ensure all email authentication protocols including DMARC are correctly configured.

Focus on sending highly engaging content to your most active subscribers first.

Monitor your domain's reputation using postmaster tools and adjust strategy as needed.

Clean your email lists regularly to remove inactive addresses and avoid spam traps.

Common pitfalls

Sending large email volumes from a brand-new domain immediately after registration.

Assuming that low sending volume alone will ensure inbox placement for a new domain.

Neglecting to implement DMARC, even with SPF and DKIM passing.

Focusing only on IP reputation while overlooking the critical importance of domain reputation.

Sending emails to unengaged or old lists, which can trigger spam filters.

Expert tips

It is harder to launch a new email domain than it is to rehabilitate an old one.

Your email content (template) is almost never the reason emails go to spam.

Sending mail to people who did not ask for it will damage your sender reputation.

Brand new domains start with no reputation, which is often treated as bad reputation.

The current reality for new domains is that they are highly scrutinized by inbox providers.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks says a brand new domain will inherently have a bad reputation.

2019-04-03 - Email Geeks

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks says a testing pattern with low volume means reputation won't change quickly.

2019-04-03 - Email Geeks

A path to inbox success

For new domains, reaching the inbox with low sending volumes is a challenge rooted in the absence of an established sender reputation. Mailbox providers, including

Google and

Yahoo, are increasingly vigilant, and a fresh domain simply lacks the trust signals needed to bypass their sophisticated spam filters. It's not about the IP reputation from pooled services alone, but the domain's individual standing.

The solution lies in a strategic, patient approach that prioritizes building trust. This involves meticulously warming up your domain, ensuring comprehensive email authentication (including DMARC), and consistently sending engaging content to an active subscriber list. By focusing on these core principles, you can transform your new domain from a spam magnet into a reliable sender, ensuring your important emails reach their intended recipients.