Why 30 Days (Not 7, Not 14)
Email security companies like Barracuda, Proofpoint, and Mimecast flag domains under 30 days old as suspicious. This isn't just Gmail - it's enterprise email security.
Skip warmup = Instant spam folder
The Daily Ramp Schedule
| Day | Emails/Domain | Total (10 domains) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | 2 | 20 | Engagement emails only |
| 4-7 | 5 | 50 | Start mixing cold emails |
| 8-14 | 10 | 100 | Monitor bounce rates |
| 15-21 | 15 | 150 | Check spam placement |
| 22-30 | 20 | 200 | Full capacity reached |
What Happens During Warmup
Week 1: Building Foundation
- Send only to engaged contacts who will reply
- Every reply signals legitimacy to email providers
- No cold emails yet
Week 2: Testing Waters
- Mix in 20% cold emails
- Monitor for bounces and spam complaints
- Adjust if issues arise
Week 3: Building Trust
- Increase to 50% cold emails
- Check deliverability across major providers
- Domain reputation should be "neutral" or better
Week 4: Full Operation
- Reach target volume
- Ongoing monitoring
- Ready for sustained sending
Red Flags During Warmup
Stop and investigate if you see:
| Warning Sign | Threshold | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Bounce rate | >3% | Pause, verify emails |
| Spam complaints | >0.1% | Review email content |
| No replies | 0 in 7 days | Check inbox placement |
| Blacklisting | Any | Pause domain immediately |
Why Rushing Warmup Fails
"But I need leads NOW!"
We get it. But rushing warmup doesn't speed up results - it eliminates them:
- Day 1 blast = Domain flagged by security systems
- High volume, new domain = Classic spam pattern detected
- No warmup history = No reputation buffer for mistakes
The math: 30 days of warmup vs. 6+ months rebuilding a burned domain.
Key Takeaway
The 30-day schedule exists because email security companies have been trained on billions of spam patterns. New domains + high volume = spam. There's no shortcut.