Warmup volume is not one-size-fits-all. Your starting point and growth rate depend on your target volume, list quality, and how well your recipients engage. Here are guidelines for different scenarios.
Starting Volume Guidelines
Conservative Start (Recommended)
- Day 1-7: 200-500 emails per day
- Best for: New domains, uncertain list quality, risk-averse senders
Moderate Start
- Day 1-7: 500-1,000 emails per day
- Best for: Established domains on new IPs, clean lists, experienced senders
Aggressive Start (Higher Risk)
- Day 1-7: 1,000-2,000 emails per day
- Best for: Only if you have exceptional list quality and engagement history
When in Doubt, Go Slower
There is little downside to starting slower, but significant downside to starting too fast. Reputation damage from aggressive warmup can extend your timeline far beyond what patience at the start would have cost.
Volume Progression Examples
Target: 50,000 Monthly (Moderate Volume)
| Week | Daily Volume | Weekly Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 200 | 1,400 |
| 2 | 400 | 2,800 |
| 3 | 800 | 5,600 |
| 4 | 1,500 | 10,500 |
| 5 | 2,500 | 17,500 |
| 6+ | Target reached | ~12,500/week |
Target: 500,000 Monthly (High Volume)
| Week | Daily Volume | Weekly Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 | 3,500 |
| 2 | 1,000 | 7,000 |
| 3 | 2,500 | 17,500 |
| 4 | 5,000 | 35,000 |
| 5 | 10,000 | 70,000 |
| 6 | 15,000 | 105,000 |
| 7 | 20,000 | 140,000 |
| 8+ | Target reached | ~125,000/week |
Growth Rate Guidelines
Weekly Increases
- Conservative: 25-30% increase per week
- Standard: 40-50% increase per week
- Aggressive: 75-100% increase per week (only with excellent metrics)
Deciding When to Increase
Increase volume only when all metrics are healthy:
- Bounce rate under 2%
- Complaint rate under 0.1%
- No throttling or deferrals
- Good inbox placement
Adjusting Based on Metrics
Metrics Good: Increase as Planned
If all indicators are green, proceed with your scheduled increase.
Metrics Marginal: Hold Steady
If metrics are acceptable but not excellent, maintain current volume for another period before increasing.
Metrics Poor: Reduce Volume
If you see problems, reduce volume immediately. Do not wait to see if it improves. Identify and fix the issue, then cautiously resume growth.
Volume Is Not the Only Factor
The same volume with different content or recipient quality produces different results. During warmup, send your best content to your most engaged subscribers. This maximizes positive signals regardless of volume.
Provider-Specific Volume Limits
Gmail
Gmail is particularly sensitive to new senders. Consider slower volume growth for Gmail-heavy lists.
Microsoft
Microsoft may defer messages (temporary rejection for later retry). This is normal. Do not interpret deferrals as permission to retry immediately at high volume.
Smaller Providers
Smaller providers may have strict rate limits. Monitor for throttling messages and respect their limits.
Daily vs Weekly Calculation
Think in terms of daily volume during warmup:
- Spread sending throughout the day when possible
- Avoid sending all volume in one burst
- Consistent daily patterns work better than sporadic large sends