Warming up a new sending domain

A brand-new domain (or a domain that has never sent much mail) has no sending reputation. If you immediately send a large volume, providers treat it as suspicious. Warming up means increasing volume gradually so mailbox providers learn to trust you.

A sensible warm-up approach:

• Start small. In the first days, send modest volumes to your most engaged, reliable recipients (people who will open and reply).
• Increase gradually. Roughly double the volume every few days rather than jumping straight to thousands.
• Prioritise engagement. Opens, clicks and replies build positive reputation; spam complaints and bounces damage it, so send only to people who expect your mail.
• Stay consistent. Regular, steady sending is better than sporadic large bursts.

Before you begin, make sure SPF, DKIM and DMARC are all in place - warming up an unauthenticated domain will not work. Keep bounce rates low by cleaning your list, and monitor your DMARC reports and blacklist status throughout.

For serious volume (newsletters to thousands), use a dedicated email platform or SMTP relay that supports warm-up and provides deliverability analytics. This process typically takes a few weeks to reach full volume. Need advice tailored to your sending plans? Our team is happy to help - support@dirhamaday.ae.