Is there a maximum monthly email send volume for a dedicated IP?

While there's no strict upper limit, exceeding around 500,000 to 1 million emails per month on a single dedicated IP can make it challenging to maintain consistent delivery and reputation, especially for marketing emails. At these volumes, you might consider adding additional dedicated IPs to distribute your sending load and manage your sender reputation more effectively. We explore this further in our article, What is the maximum number of emails I can send from a dedicated IP address? .

Is IP warming necessary for a new dedicated IP?

Yes, it is crucial. A new dedicated IP starts without any sending history or reputation. ISPs are cautious about mail from unknown IPs. The IP warming process involves gradually increasing your email volume over several weeks, allowing ISPs to build trust in your sending practices. Skipping this step can lead to immediate deliverability problems, including being blocked or having emails routed to spam.

When should I stick with a shared IP instead of a dedicated IP?

If your volume is consistently below 100,000 emails per month or your sending is highly irregular, a shared IP is often a better choice. Shared IPs benefit from the combined sending volume and reputation of many users, which can provide more stable deliverability for lower-volume senders. You avoid the need for IP warming and the direct responsibility of maintaining a dedicated IP's reputation. Our article Is a dedicated IP address suitable for a small email database offers more guidance.

What is the recommended minimum monthly email send volume for a dedicated IP? - Technical - Email deliverability - Knowledge base

When considering a dedicated IP address for your email sending, one of the most common questions is, "What's the right minimum monthly volume?" There's no single, universally agreed-upon number, as the optimal volume can vary significantly based on several factors. However, the consensus among deliverability experts and major email service providers (ESPs) generally points towards a substantial monthly send volume.

The primary reason a minimum volume is crucial for a dedicated IP is the need to establish and maintain a positive sender reputation. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and mailbox providers (like

Gmail and

Outlook) rely on consistent sending patterns and positive engagement metrics to trust an IP address. Without sufficient volume, your dedicated IP might struggle to build the necessary reputation, potentially leading to deliverability issues, including emails landing in spam folders.

Understanding the numbers

Most email service providers suggest a baseline. For instance, Salesforce Marketing Cloud recommends a minimum of 100,000 emails per month to keep a dedicated IP warm. Anything less can lead to suboptimal delivery. Other platforms like Postmark suggest at least 300,000 messages monthly to properly establish an IP's reputation.

The variability in these recommendations highlights that a dedicated IP isn't just about hitting a raw number. It's about how consistently you send that volume. If your sending volume is too low, or if it fluctuates wildly, ISPs may view your IP as dormant or suspicious, making it harder to get your emails into the inbox. This is particularly true for marketing emails, which are more susceptible to filtering than transactional emails. For more insight on this topic, consider reading our article on what email volume justifies using a dedicated IP address.

To give you a clearer picture, here's a summary of various provider recommendations for monthly email send volumes for dedicated IPs:

Provider/Source	Recommended Monthly Volume	Notes
Salesforce Marketing Cloud	100,000 - 250,000	Recommended for dedicated IP, not required below 250k.
Postmark	300,000+	Ideal volume to establish IP reputation.
SMTP2GO	100,000+	Accounts on plans allowing this volume get a dedicated IP.
Mailjet	90,000 (3,000 daily)	Minimum daily threshold for ISP reputation.
Mailgun	100,000+	Recommended for consistent senders.
SendGrid	250,000+	Recommend two dedicated IPs for this volume.

As you can see, the typical recommended threshold falls within the range of 100,000 to 300,000 emails per month. If your volume is below this, a shared IP might be a better fit, as it allows your emails to leverage the collective reputation of many senders. For more on this, you can look into whether a dedicated IP is suitable for low-volume email senders.

Consistency over sheer volume

While volume is important, consistency and sending cadence are arguably more critical than raw numbers. ISPs prefer to see a predictable, stable sending pattern. Sending 100,000 emails once a month might not perform as well as sending 25,000 emails weekly, even though the monthly volume is the same. This is because consistent daily or weekly volume helps maintain a positive IP reputation over time.

This concept is known as IP warming. When you start with a new dedicated IP, it has no sending history, so ISPs are cautious. You need to gradually increase your sending volume over time, allowing ISPs to observe your sending behavior and build trust. Failing to warm up your IP properly or maintaining inconsistent sending can lead to deliverability issues, even if you eventually hit a high monthly volume. Learn more about email sending volume limits and IP warming best practices.

Best practices for IP warming

Start small: Begin with a low volume, perhaps a few thousand emails per day.
Gradual increase: Slowly increase your sending volume by a small percentage (e.g., 10-15%) each day.
Consistent sends: Aim for daily sending during the warming period, even if it's a small batch.
Engaged recipients: Send to your most active and engaged subscribers first to generate positive engagement signals.
Monitor performance: Closely watch your deliverability rates, bounce rates, and spam complaint rates.

For transactional emails, which typically have higher engagement rates and are often critical for business operations, a lower monthly volume (e.g., 50,000 emails) might be sufficient if the sending is very consistent. However, for marketing or promotional emails, which usually have lower engagement, the higher end of the recommended volume range (100,000-300,000+) is generally advisable. More on this topic can be found in our detailed guide on email sending speed and minimum volume for dedicated IPs.

Shared vs. dedicated IP

Choosing between a shared and a dedicated IP address is a strategic decision that depends on your specific sending needs and capabilities. A dedicated IP gives you complete control over your sender reputation, meaning your deliverability isn't affected by other senders' practices. However, this also means you bear full responsibility for maintaining that reputation through consistent, high-quality sending.

On the other hand, a shared IP pools your sending with many other users. This can be beneficial for lower-volume or inconsistent senders because the collective volume helps maintain a decent reputation. However, you're also exposed to the risk of other users' poor sending practices negatively impacting your deliverability. For more on this, check out our article on minimum and maximum sending volumes for dedicated IPs.

Shared IP advantages

Cost-effective: Often included with ESP plans, no extra fees.
Immediate reputation: Benefits from the collective good reputation of other senders.
Lower volume friendly: Ideal for senders with low or inconsistent volumes.

Shared IP disadvantages

Shared reputation risk: Poor practices by others can negatively impact your deliverability.
Less control: Limited ability to mitigate issues caused by other senders.
Blocklist exposure: Higher chance of hitting a shared blocklist due to others.

Dedicated IP advantages

Full reputation control: Your sending practices directly determine your deliverability.
Predictable performance: Consistent sending leads to stable deliverability.
Enhanced monitoring: Easier to diagnose and fix deliverability issues specific to your sending.

Dedicated IP disadvantages

Requires volume: Needs consistent high volume to maintain reputation.
Warming period: New IPs require a warm-up phase to build trust.
Higher cost: Often an additional expense from your ESP.

Ultimately, if you consistently send more than 100,000 emails per month and can maintain a predictable sending schedule, a dedicated IP is likely beneficial. It provides greater control and allows you to build a strong, independent sender reputation. However, for volumes below this threshold or for highly inconsistent sending patterns, a shared IP might offer better deliverability without the overhead of IP warming and reputation management.

Other influencing factors

Beyond the sheer number of emails, the type of emails you send also plays a significant role. Transactional emails, like password resets or order confirmations, typically have very high engagement rates because recipients expect them. This positive engagement helps build a strong reputation quickly. Marketing emails, conversely, tend to have lower engagement and higher complaint rates, making it harder to maintain a good reputation, especially on a new IP. This distinction can influence whether a lower volume on a dedicated IP is viable.

Your existing sender reputation also matters. If you're migrating from a highly reputable shared IP or have a strong domain reputation, establishing a dedicated IP might be smoother. If your domain has a history of deliverability issues, like frequent being on a blacklist or high spam complaint rates, moving to a dedicated IP won't magically solve these problems. In fact, it might expose them more directly, as you won't have the shielding effect of a shared IP's collective reputation. It's crucial to address underlying deliverability issues before making the switch, as we discuss in our article on how to recover domain reputation.

Finally, the financial investment for a dedicated IP also needs to be considered. While some ESPs include it at higher plan tiers, it's often an additional monthly cost. For businesses with tight budgets and lower volumes, this cost might not justify the perceived benefits, especially if a shared IP can still achieve good deliverability with proper sending practices. Knowing whether a dedicated IP is needed for 150K-200K emails per month can help with this decision.

Views from the trenches

Best practices

Maintain consistent sending volumes to build a reliable IP reputation with ISPs.

Segment your audience and send to your most engaged recipients first to boost positive signals.

Monitor your sender reputation regularly to identify and address issues promptly.

Ensure proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) for all your sending domains.

Common pitfalls

Switching to a dedicated IP with insufficient or inconsistent monthly email volume.

Neglecting the IP warming process for a new dedicated IP, leading to poor deliverability.

Ignoring high bounce or complaint rates, which can quickly damage your IP's reputation.

Failing to separate transactional emails from marketing emails on different IPs if volumes are high.

Expert tips

Consider a dedicated IP if your monthly volume exceeds 100,000 emails consistently.

For transactional emails, even lower consistent volumes can sustain a dedicated IP.

Always prioritize sending quality over quantity to protect your IP's health.

A gradual increase in volume is key when warming up a new dedicated IP address.

Expert view

Expert from Email Geeks says the recommended minimums for dedicated IPs are increasing due to the shrinking pool of available IPv4 addresses, requiring more strategic allocation.

Jan 10, 2019 - Email Geeks

Marketer view

Marketer from Email Geeks says the decision for a dedicated IP depends on various factors, including the type of sending activity, like marketing versus operational emails.

Jan 10, 2019 - Email Geeks

Final thoughts on your dedicated IP

The recommended minimum monthly email send volume for a dedicated IP generally falls between 100,000 and 300,000 emails. However, this isn't a hard and fast rule. The success of a dedicated IP hinges more on the consistency and predictability of your sending patterns, the quality of your email list, and the level of engagement your emails receive. A well-managed dedicated IP offers unparalleled control over your sender reputation, leading to improved deliverability and inbox placement.

If you are sending consistently high volumes, or your business relies heavily on the timely delivery of critical emails, a dedicated IP is likely the right choice. Always prioritize good sending practices, proper email authentication, and continuous monitoring of your IP and domain reputation to ensure optimal email deliverability. Remember, building and maintaining a strong sender reputation is a continuous effort.