MX18 Standard IP Warmup Plan
When starting with dedicated IPs on MX18, inbox providers (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, etc.) expect traffic to build gradually.
A sudden spike in email volume from a new IP can trigger throttling, deferrals, or even blocklisting.
This warmup plan provides two reference tracks depending on the nature of your email traffic:
- Conservative (Marketing / Mixed Traffic) → Safer ramp-up with a focus on engagement metrics.
- Aggressive (Transactional / OTP) → Faster ramp-up suitable for OTPs, alerts, and triggered system emails which usually spreads out in a whole day (24 hours) and not go in one time blasts.
General Guidelines
- Send to engaged recipients first (last 30–60 days).
- Authenticate domains with SPF, DKIM, DMARC before starting.
- Maintain consistent growth (no sudden spikes).
- Split across multiple IPs if volume exceeds 50k/day.
- Never start with cold or purchased lists.
- Avoid full campaigns until IP reputation stabilizes.
Dual-Track Warmup Volume Schedule (Per IP)
| Day | Conservative Plan (Marketing / Mixed) | Aggressive Plan (OTP / Transactional) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 – 500 | 1,000 – 3,000 | Start with engaged users only |
| 2 | 500 – 1,000 | 3,000 – 5,000 | Monitor bounce & complaint rates |
| 3 | 1,000 – 2,000 | 5,000 – 10,000 | OTP traffic is usually well-accepted |
| 4 | 2,000 – 4,000 | 10,000 – 20,000 | Expand slowly for marketing lists |
| 5 | 4,000 – 8,000 | 20,000 – 50,000 | Check Gmail/Yahoo Postmaster |
| 6 | 8,000 – 12,000 | 50,000 – 100,000 | Keep complaint <0.1% |
| 7 | 12,000 – 20,000 | 100,000 – 200,000 | Transactional IPs can scale faster |
| 8–14 | +20–30% daily growth | 200,000 – 500,000 | Split across multiple IPs if needed |
| 15–30 | 50,000 – 500,000/day | 500,000 – 2,000,000/day | Ramp-up steadily |
| 30–60 | 500,000 – 2,000,000/day | 2,000,000 – 4,000,000/day | Use IP pools for balance |
| 60–90 | 2,000,000 – 5,000,000/day | 4,000,000 – 5,000,000/day | Full scale; OTP IPs can reach earlier |
Note: If you observe throttling, blocks, or deferrals, pause growth for 2–3 days until reputation stabilizes.
Monitoring Checklist
- Bounce Monitoring → Watch SMTP 421/451 (deferrals) and hard bounces.
- Feedback Loops → Track spam complaints (Outlook, Yahoo).
- Engagement Metrics → Opens, clicks, unsubscribes.
- Reputation Dashboards → Gmail Postmaster, Yahoo Sender Hub, Microsoft SNDS.
Pro Tips
- Transactional/OTP: Faster warmup works since recipients expect OTPs and interact immediately → low complaint rate.
- Marketing: Stick to conservative ramp-up, as bulk campaigns attract higher complaint risk.
- For >1M/day, configure multiple IP pools + domain segmentation for stability.
- Keep list hygiene strong → remove hard bounces, inactive users, and spam traps regularly.
Need help?
Need to discuss custom warmup plans or facing delays?
- Email our deliverability team at support@mx18.com
- We’ll review your account and assist with adjustments where needed