How to Warm Up a Dedicated IP Address (Step-by-Step, 2026)
2026-01-18 · 7 min read
IP warmup gradually increases email volume from a new sending IP so mailbox providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) learn it is a legitimate sender. Skip it and a brand-new IP that suddenly blasts thousands of emails gets throttled or sent to spam.
Why warmup matters
Providers judge senders on reputation, and a fresh IP has none. Warmup builds a positive history by ramping volume over ~30 days while keeping bounce and complaint rates low.
A typical warmup schedule
| Stage | Day | Daily volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | ~50 |
| 2 | 6 | ~1,000 |
| 3 | 14 | ~5,000 |
| 4 | 30 | full volume |
Common mistakes
Sending to cold or unvalidated lists during warmup, ramping too fast, and ignoring engagement. Warm up against an engaged audience and validate lists first.
Automate it
Relayly's warmup engine ramps your dedicated IP automatically and is volume-gated — a stage advances only once you have actually sent enough engaged volume, not just waited the days.