The Importance of Warming Up a New From Email Domain and IP for Email Marketing

When you begin sending marketing emails from a brand-new “From Domain” or dedicated IP address, it’s essential to build a positive sending reputation through a process known as warming up. Without this gradual introduction to inbox providers (like Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.), your emails risk being filtered as spam—or blocked altogether.

In this knowledge base post, we’ll explain why warming up matters, how it works, and what FireDrum does behind the scenes to protect your deliverability.

Why Warming Up a Domain and IP Is Critical

Email providers monitor the reputation of every domain and IP address sending to their users. When they see a new sender suddenly pushing out a large volume of emails, it can trigger spam filters. Warming up helps avoid that by establishing a trustworthy pattern over time.

Key benefits of warming up:

• Builds a good reputation with inbox providers
• Reduces the chance of being flagged as spam or junk
• Improves open rates and inbox placement
• Avoids getting the domain or IP blacklisted

How FireDrum Helps You Warm Up Automatically

FireDrum has a built-in warm-up process that automatically increases your sending speed each day. On Day 0, only a small number of emails go out per hour. Each day, the hourly limit increases until your account reaches full speed.

Here’s a breakdown of the automated warm-up schedule:

This means if you schedule a campaign with thousands of recipients from a new sending domain or IP, the campaign may take several hours—or even days—to fully deliver, depending on volume and your warm-up stage.

Tips to Maximize Your Warm-Up Success

• Start with your best list: Send to your most engaged recipients first (people who regularly open and click).
• Avoid large, cold lists during warm-up. Poor engagement signals can hurt your reputation.
• Monitor metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates daily.
• Avoid spammy content or misleading subject lines during this period.
• Keep frequency steady: Send consistently during warm-up, rather than in sporadic bursts.

When Is the Warm-Up Complete?

FireDrum reaches full deliverability within 10 days, depending on volume and engagement. Once warmed up, your campaigns will go out at regular speed—but it’s still important to follow email best practices to keep your domain and IP in good standing.

Questions?

If you’re unsure whether your sending domain or IP needs warming up, or you want help preparing your first campaign, our support team is here to help.

Contact us at support@firedrum.com or through your FireDrum dashboard.