Do new domains on shared IPs need warming for transactional emails?
Summary
What email marketers say13Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Sendinblue responds that when setting up transactional emails, especially from a new domain or shared IP, it's important to monitor deliverability closely. They suggest ensuring proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) is in place and using a dedicated IP address if sending high volumes to maintain a good sender reputation.
Email marketer from Neil Patel explains that IP warming is a process of gradually increasing the volume of emails sent from a new IP address to build a positive reputation with ISPs. Starting with a low volume and gradually increasing it over time helps ISPs recognize the sender as legitimate and reduces the likelihood of emails being marked as spam.
Email marketer from Stackoverflow explains that the volume for warming a new domain varies but advises starting with a few hundred emails a day and gradually increasing by 50-100 emails each day or every other day, while monitoring the reputation. Focus on sending engaging and personalized content.
Email marketer from MailerQ responds that when using a shared IP address, your sending reputation will be affected by other users on that IP, meaning you have little control over the IP reputation. However the domain's reputation is independent and needs to be warmed.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that domain reputation is crucial, especially for new domains. Sending high volumes of emails from a new domain without warming it can negatively impact its reputation, leading to deliverability issues. Warming a new domain involves gradually increasing email volume and consistently sending valuable content to build trust with ISPs and recipients.
Email marketer from Gmass shares you can send emails from a new domain name, but suggests to warm up the domain. You can set your daily sending limit to between 50 and 100 emails per day. Do that for the first few days or first week, and then gradually increase it from there. That's what we'd consider "warming up" your domain, which is very important.
Email marketer from Reddit user shares that when using a new domain with a shared IP for transactional emails, domain warming is vital. Even though it's a shared IP, the domain's reputation is separate. Start with low volumes and gradually increase over several weeks while monitoring deliverability rates to ensure emails reach the inbox.
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that ideally, you don't want to send bulk messages from a domain that has been registered for less than three months. You may be able to warm that domain passively simply by the organic growth of the subscriber base.
Email marketer from Email Geeks explains that you can't warm a shared IP, but if it's a brand new domain, then domain warming may be required depending on expected volumes.
Email marketer from Email Geeks responds that high volume growth is nothing new, it's just that how to manage it best is specific to many factors unique to an organisation. Suggests using a subdomain if they have one and to check with the CRM provider if they are ok with the expected volumes.
Email marketer from Email on Acid explains that warming up a domain helps establish its credibility with ISPs. It involves starting with a small volume of emails to engaged recipients and gradually increasing the volume over time. This process allows ISPs to recognize the sender as legitimate and reduces the risk of emails being flagged as spam.
Email marketer from Email Geeks suggests warming any new configuration. How aggressive depends on what you are introducing. The warming plan likely won’t be as intense as a brand new IP warming, but you should definitely start slow and then ramp from there. Volumes, cadence, and domain history will determine how quickly you can go. She has seen issues at the big consumer mailboxes when a new domain was introduced without any introductory period.
Email marketer from Litmus shares that domain and IP reputation are both important, especially for transactional emails. Even on a shared IP, a new domain needs to establish a good reputation by warming up gradually and monitoring key metrics like bounce rates and engagement. Consistent monitoring and adjustment are crucial for long-term deliverability success.
What the experts say2Expert opinions
Expert from Spam Resource (Steve Linford) responds that if you're on shared hosting, your IP address reputation is shared with everyone else on that IP. If you start sending email from a new domain, it’s important to start slowly (warming up) because your domain will initially have no reputation.
Expert from Word to the Wise (Laura Atkins) explains that new domains have no sender reputation so should use authentication and content checks. Senders need to make sure they are authenticating their email and only sending to people who want to receive it, especially when launching a new domain. These are critical for establishing a good reputation from the beginning.
What the documentation says4Technical articles
Documentation from RFC explains that SPF records are crucial for authenticating the sender's domain and preventing email spoofing. Properly configuring SPF records helps improve email deliverability, especially for new domains or IP addresses, by verifying that the sender is authorized to send emails on behalf of the domain.
Documentation from Microsoft shares that to improve email deliverability, especially for new domains or IP addresses, it's important to warm up the IP by gradually increasing the volume of emails sent. Monitoring sender reputation and ensuring proper authentication are also crucial steps in maintaining a positive sender reputation and avoiding spam filters.
Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that new IP addresses sending email should follow recommended warming practices. Start with small volumes to engaged users, and slowly increase volumes over time. Google's guidelines emphasize building a positive sender reputation by sending wanted email and following authentication standards.
Documentation from DMARC.org explains that implementing DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) is essential for protecting your domain from email spoofing and phishing attacks. DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM to provide a policy that tells receiving mail servers what to do with messages that fail authentication checks, enhancing email deliverability and sender reputation.