How many dedicated IPs are needed for sending email volume?
Summary
What email marketers say11Marketer opinions
Email marketer from Email Marketing Forum shares that when sending large volumes (millions of emails per month), spreading the volume across multiple dedicated IPs can help mitigate the impact of reputation issues on any single IP.
Email marketer from Reddit suggests that for very low-volume senders (e.g., a few thousand emails per month), using a shared IP pool from a reputable ESP is usually sufficient and more cost-effective than managing a dedicated IP.
Email marketer from StackOverflow explains that for smaller businesses with limited budgets, shared IPs provided by ESPs are often the most viable option. Ensure the ESP has a good reputation and actively manages their IP pools.
Email marketer from EmailBlog explains that IP addresses should be considered as a major part of your email marketing strategy. If you are thinking of using a third party for sending emails, that service's reputation can impact you.
Marketer from Email Geeks mentions that their clients' ESP recommends no more than 2.5 million emails per day per IP, and a minimum of 100,000 per month to keep the IP warm.
Email marketer from Mailjet shares that maintaining a good IP reputation is key for deliverability. For low volumes (less than 50,000 emails/month), shared IPs may be suitable, but higher volumes benefit from dedicated IPs to control reputation.
Email marketer from Quora explains that the number of dedicated IPs depends on sending frequency and segmentation needs. If sending highly targeted campaigns, using different IPs for various segments can isolate reputation issues.
Email marketer from EmailProvider explains that warming your IP address, and creating good habits when sending emails will affect your IP reputation. To ensure a good reputation, emails should be sent regularly and be of high quality.
Marketer from Email Geeks shares that their largest sender delivers 2.5M emails a day, 300M a month from 4 dedicated IPs without special issues, apart from French ISPs.
Email marketer from SendGrid suggests that if you're sending over 50,000 emails per month, a dedicated IP address is generally recommended. This allows for better control over sender reputation and deliverability.
Email marketer from ExpertSender shares that generally, if you're sending more than 100,000 emails per month, a dedicated IP address is advisable to ensure better control over your sender reputation.
What the experts say7Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that recommendations for clients take into account resources, dev ops, sysadmin, delivery teams and cash, and who they are. Also explains sometimes they can get a little more detail around what is happening to their mail from google if they are big enough to get google on the phone.
Expert from Spam Resource shares that it is critical to monitor your IP reputation regularly. Use tools like Google Postmaster Tools to track spam complaints and delivery issues.
Expert from Email Geeks says the short answer is: network engineering, load balancing and ensuring the recipient ISPs don’t load shed by closing connections to my client.
Expert from Email Geeks shares experience with a client successfully delivering 20M / day / IP, but worked to reduce it to 2 million per IP, justifying it with /24 space availability.
Expert from Spam Resource explains that the volume for IP warming depends on several factors like list quality and email content. They suggest starting with a small volume of emails and gradually increasing it.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that her current threshold for dedicated IPs is 1MM per day, but also mentions having a client delivering 100K / day / dedicated IP successfully.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that one of the primary reasons people switch to a dedicated IP is so that a third party's (or a shared service's) reputation doesn't impact them. They should be in control of their own sender reputation, especially with larger sending volumes.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Microsoft suggests best practices for bulk emails involves authentication protocols, subscriber lists and email content. Following these guidelines can help keep emails out of junk folders.
Documentation from RFC explains implementing proper email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) helps to improve email deliverability. This will help to establish trust with ISPs, regardless of dedicated or shared IP.
Documentation from SparkPost explains that a gradual IP warm-up is crucial, starting with small volumes and gradually increasing it. They suggest starting with a few hundred emails per day and gradually increasing to avoid spam filters.
Documentation from Google Postmaster Tools says that maintaining a positive sender reputation is crucial for email deliverability, regardless of the number of IPs used. Monitor spam rates and ensure proper authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
Documentation from Amazon SES explains that during IP warming, gradually increase sending volume based on ISP feedback. Monitor bounce and complaint rates closely. They provide guidelines for daily sending limits to establish a positive reputation.