Determining the exact number of IP addresses needed to send a million emails daily is not straightforward, as it depends heavily on several critical factors beyond mere volume. While some highly reputable senders can manage millions on a single dedicated IP, the consensus among email experts suggests that for a daily volume of one million emails, most senders will require multiple dedicated IP addresses, typically ranging from 2 to 4, or sometimes more for initial warming. The practical capacity of an IP is profoundly influenced by the sender's reputation, sending practices, and consistent IP warm-up. Mailbox providers' varying limitations and a sender's engagement rates also play a significant role. It's crucial for senders to prioritize reputation management over simply adding IPs, as a strong sending reputation allows for higher throughput per IP and is key to successful deliverability.
10 marketer opinions
For those sending a million emails each day, the optimal number of IP addresses is not a fixed figure, but rather a dynamic one influenced by several key factors. While some elite senders with pristine reputations have demonstrated the capacity to deliver millions of emails daily from a single IP, the more common and widely recommended approach for handling such high volumes involves utilizing multiple dedicated IP addresses, often between two and four. This strategy helps manage load and maintain a robust sender reputation. The true capacity of an IP address is profoundly shaped by the sender's reputation, adherence to best practices, and the consistent process of IP warming. Furthermore, the varying policies of mailbox providers and the sender's engagement metrics significantly impact deliverability and the effective throughput of each IP. Therefore, effective reputation management and quality sending practices are paramount, often outweighing the simple addition of more IPs.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that one IP can typically handle up to 2 million sends in a day, based on sender-side limitations.
27 Mar 2023 - Email Geeks
Marketer view
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains there is no hard limit for sends per IP, but the practical limit is often considered 2 million sends per day before adding a new IP. They have seen senders achieve over 4 million sends per day on a single IP with high sending quality.
3 Mar 2023 - Email Geeks
3 expert opinions
Mailbox providers implement limitations on connections and resources, meaning the capacity of an IP address for daily email volume is less about a hard numerical rule and more about the sender's reputation. While an empirical guideline suggests a million emails per day per IP, experts agree that this can be significantly exceeded by senders with excellent reputations, or conversely, be far lower for those with poor standing. For high-volume senders aiming for a million emails daily, the actual number of IPs required can vary widely, from a few highly optimized ones to as many as a dozen during the warm-up phase, underscoring that mailstream quality is the paramount determinant. It is critical for deliverability to resolve any underlying reputation issues rather than simply adding more IP addresses, a practice often associated with spammers.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks explains that limits on the number of connections, emails, or resources a single sender can use are implemented by Mailbox Providers to manage their available TCP sockets and other resources. They state that the 1 million emails per day per IP rule is mostly empirical and can be exceeded with good reputation, or significantly less if reputation is poor. They also emphasize that responsible senders fix underlying reputation issues rather than simply adding more IPs to circumvent limits, as adding IPs to work around limits is a characteristic of spammers.
26 Nov 2023 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Spam Resource explains that if you send a million messages a day, you will probably need to warm up a dozen IPs at once.
30 Jul 2022 - Spam Resource
4 technical articles
Achieving a daily send volume of one million emails necessitates a strategic approach to IP allocation, where the precise number of dedicated IP addresses required is not fixed but rather depends on several critical factors. While it's theoretically possible for senders with exceptional reputation and flawless practices to deliver millions from a single IP, industry experts and major email service providers widely indicate that high-volume operations, particularly those exceeding 100,000 emails daily and reaching into the millions, generally require multiple dedicated IP addresses or a managed pool. The emphasis remains firmly on building and maintaining a robust sender reputation and meticulously warming up any new IPs, as these elements are far more influential on deliverability and effective throughput than simply scaling the number of IP addresses.
Technical article
Documentation from SparkPost Blog explains that while a single dedicated IP address can handle millions of emails per day, this is only true if the sender's reputation is strong and sending practices are impeccable. For most high-volume senders, multiple IPs are used.
3 May 2025 - SparkPost Blog
Technical article
Documentation from SendGrid explains that most customers sending less than 100,000 emails per day do not benefit from a dedicated IP, implying that volumes exceeding this, such as a million emails daily, typically require dedicated IP addresses and a robust sending strategy that often involves more than one.
11 Oct 2024 - SendGrid Documentation
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