[FAQ]

Hey,

I’m the email marketing manager for a startup in Austin, and we’re scaling up our email program and moving to a dedicated IP address. Our deliverability consultant told us we need to properly “warm up” our new setup to build a good sender reputation.

I keep hearing two different terms used: “IP warming” and “domain warming.” Are these the same thing, or are they two separate processes I need to manage? I’m trying to get a clear definition of each and understand how they relate to one another before we start sending.

Any clarification would be super helpful. Thanks!

[Jeff Bullas]

A very important distinction to understand for anyone serious about email deliverability.

Short Answer: IP warming is the process of building a good sender reputation for a new, dedicated IP address. Domain warming is the process of building a good sender reputation for your sending domain name. While they are often done at the same time, they are two separate reputations that email providers track.

Think of it this way: your IP address is the post office your mail comes from, and your domain is the return address on the envelope; internet service providers check the reputation of both.

IP warming is the process of gradually increasing the volume of emails sent from a new, dedicated IP address over a period of weeks. A new, or “cold,” IP has no sending history, so inbox providers like Gmail are naturally suspicious of it. By starting with a low volume of text-based emails sent to your most engaged subscribers and then slowly ramping up, you are demonstrating good sending behaviour and proving that you are a legitimate sender, not a spammer. This process is only necessary for senders using a dedicated IP.

Domain warming is a similar process, but it’s focused on the reputation of your sending domain, such as @yourbrand.com. Every email provider keeps a reputation score for your specific domain, and this reputation follows you even if you change email platforms or IP addresses. The process of building this reputation involves sending consistent, high-engagement emails over time. This is something every sender needs to be mindful of, whether they are on a dedicated IP or a shared one.

If you are starting with both a new dedicated IP and a new domain, you are essentially warming them up at the same time with the same structured sending plan. However, if you have an established, warm domain but move to a new dedicated IP, you must still go through the IP warming process. They are separate but interconnected reputations that are critical to getting your text and image content into the inbox.

Cheers,
Jeff

[Author]

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