IP Warmup & IP Warming Schedule for Dedicated IPs

IP Warmup: How to Warm Up a Dedicated IP Without Hitting Spam

IP warmup builds trust for a new dedicated IP before you send at full volume. Mailwarm helps you build IP reputation gradually with structured ramp schedules, consistent engagement and real inbox interaction. IP warmup works alongside mailbox and domain email warmup.

Day	Daily volume	Notes
Day 1	50	Send only to your most engaged recipients.
Day 2	100	Check bounces and spam complaints before increasing.
Day 3	200	Keep content and sending times consistent.
Day 4	400	Spread volume evenly through the day.
Day 5	750	Watch Gmail and Microsoft placement closely.
Day 6–7	1,000–1,500	Hold steady if any provider defers or throttles.
Day 8–10	2,000–4,000	Start adding less-engaged segments in small slices.
Day 11–14	5,000–15,000	Increase by no more than about 50% a day.
Day 15–20	20,000–50,000	Keep complaint rates well below 0.3%.
Day 21–25	75,000–100,000	Approach regular volume for most senders.
Day 26–30	Full volume	Keep monitoring; reputation still builds after the ramp.

Day

Daily volume

Notes

Day 1

Send only to your most engaged recipients.

Day 2

100

Check bounces and spam complaints before increasing.

Day 3

200

Keep content and sending times consistent.

Day 4

400

Spread volume evenly through the day.

Day 5

750

Watch Gmail and Microsoft placement closely.

Day 6–7

1,000–1,500

Hold steady if any provider defers or throttles.

Day 8–10

2,000–4,000

Start adding less-engaged segments in small slices.

Day 11–14

5,000–15,000

Increase by no more than about 50% a day.

Day 15–20

20,000–50,000

Keep complaint rates well below 0.3%.

Day 21–25

75,000–100,000

Approach regular volume for most senders.

Day 26–30

Full volume

Keep monitoring; reputation still builds after the ramp.

IP warming vs domain warmup

IP warming builds reputation for the address your email is sent from. Domain warmup builds reputation for the domain in your From address, which mailbox providers track separately and which follows you even if you change IPs or providers.

On a shared IP you only need domain warmup and inbox warmup. On a new dedicated IP you need both: ramp the IP while the domain builds history, and the two reinforce each other.

IP warmup for SendGrid, Mailgun and Amazon SES

SendGrid

SendGrid can warm up a dedicated IP automatically by limiting how much mail it sends each hour, raising the limit the longer the IP has been warming. It applies to marketing email and needs at least one already-warm IP on your account to absorb overflow.

SendGrid documentation

Mailgun

Mailgun's automatic IP warmup moves a new dedicated IP through 15 stages, advancing a stage every 24 hours once the current limit is reached. Extra volume rolls over to shared IPs or other dedicated IPs on your domain, so you can keep sending while the IP warms.

Mailgun documentation

Amazon SES

Amazon SES warms standard dedicated IPs automatically, with the feature enabled by default and the warmup percentage rising over 45 days. Managed dedicated IPs use an adaptive warmup that tracks each mailbox provider separately based on your real sending.

Amazon SES documentation

An ESP's automatic warmup controls volume. Mailwarm adds the engagement signals and inbox placement tracking on top, and works alongside SMTP warmup for these providers.

5 positive interactions for every warm up email sent

Each interaction creates multiple positive signals that boost your sender reputation and improve deliverability.

Marked as non-spam

Your email gets marked as non-spam. If it comes directly into the spam folder, it will be put in the inbox, which is a positive signal!

Opened

Your email gets opened and read. This increases your opening rate which raises your positive activity!

Marked as important

Your email gets an important tag and, where the provider supports it, is starred or moved to the primary tab. Behavior varies by provider, and each action is a positive signal for your account.

Replied

You'll get replies according to the reply rate you've set on the platform. Replies signal engagement to mailbox providers, one of the strongest signals they weigh.

IP warming is the process of gradually increasing the email volume sent from a new dedicated IP address so mailbox providers learn to trust it. A new IP has no sending history, so a sudden burst of mail looks like spam. Starting small and ramping up over several weeks builds the reputation that keeps email in the inbox.

IP warming usually takes 2 to 4 weeks for moderate senders and 4 to 10 weeks or more for high-volume senders. The pace depends on your target daily volume, how engaged your recipients are, and how cleanly authentication is set up. Amazon SES, for example, warms standard dedicated IPs over 45 days.

To warm up an IP address, authenticate your domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, then start by sending a small volume, around 50 emails a day, to your most engaged recipients. Increase volume gradually, by no more than about half each day, while watching bounces, spam complaints and placement. Slow down if any provider starts deferring mail.

No, you don't warm up a shared IP yourself, because the provider keeps it warm with traffic from many senders. You still need to warm up your domain and each new inbox, since mailbox providers judge those separately. IP warmup only applies when you move to a dedicated IP that has no history of its own.

Skipping IP warmup is risky. A new dedicated IP that suddenly sends large volumes is likely to hit rate limits, deferrals and spam placement at Gmail and Outlook, and that early damage takes time to undo. If you can't warm up gradually, keep sending through a shared IP until your volume justifies a dedicated one.

Yes, transactional email on a new dedicated IP needs warmup too. Receipts and password resets are expected by recipients, which helps, but mailbox providers still judge a new IP by its volume and history. Ramp transactional traffic up gradually, or keep it on a warm IP while a new one builds reputation.

IP Warmup: How to Warm Up a Dedicated IP Without Hitting Spam

IP warmup schedule

IP warming vs domain warmup