Before you send your first cold email, there's one critical step: warm up your domain. Without it, your emails are likely to go straight to spam.
This guide gives you a complete 30-day warm-up plan and explains how to automate the process.
Why You Need to Warm Up Your Domain
Cold outreach from a new domain looks suspicious to inbox providers. Warming up builds trust and reputation gradually.
Skipping this step leads to:
- Low open rates
- High bounce risk
- Spam folder placement
The 30-Day Warm-Up Plan
Week 1: Start Slow (5–10 emails/day)
- Send emails manually to trusted contacts
- Focus on real conversations
- Respond promptly to replies
Week 2: Scale to 15–25 emails/day
- Gradually include cold email templates
- Ask recipients to reply and mark as important
Week 3: Use a Warm-Up Tool
Automate engagement with platforms like:
- Mailwarm
- Lemwarm
- Instantly
These tools:
- Exchange emails in a network
- Simulate real replies, opens, and stars
Week 4: Hit 30–50 emails/day
- Keep an eye on domain reputation
- Mix manual and automated warm-ups
Tools We Recommend
- Instawarm: Great for new domains
- Mailreach: Clean reporting dashboard
- Instantly Warmup: Built into cold outreach tool
Tips:
- Don’t start your campaign until warm-up is complete
- Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC before sending
- Use different inboxes and rotate senders
Need help with authentication? Check our SPF, DKIM, DMARC Explained guide