How to Avoid the Spam Trap By Warming Up Your Domain
So, you’ve got yourself a shiny new domain. Whether it’s for a fresh business venture or a rebrand. Exciting times! But here’s the thing: the email gods (aka anti-spam algorithms) don’t trust you yet. In fact, they’re highly suspicious.
Why? Because bad actors ruin everything. Spammers and scammers constantly spin up new domains to send dodgy emails, so mailbox providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.) have spent years fine-tuning their defences. That means a brand-new domain is automatically treated with a raised eyebrow.
But don’t worry. With the right approach, you can build a solid reputation, earn their trust, and ensure your emails actually land in inboxes instead of the spam folder.
Why New Domains Are Viewed With Suspicion
If you suddenly meet someone who’s overly friendly and asks for your credit card details within the first five minutes, you’d be wary, right? Email providers think the same way. Their job is to:
- Block malicious emails – Cybercriminals regularly register new domains to send phishing or fraudulent emails. The best way to stop them? Distrust all new domains until they prove themselves.
- Cut down on junk – Back in the wild west days of email, people bought dodgy mailing lists and blasted out irrelevant (or outright fraudulent) messages. Mailbox providers learned from this and got very good at identifying sketchy senders.
And in mid-2024, things got even tougher. Email providers tightened their rules, making it harder than ever for new domains to send emails without proper warm-up.
The Right Way to Warm Up Your Domain
Building a strong reputation takes time, but if you follow these steps, you’ll get there without setting off alarm bells.
1. Get Your DNS in Order
Before you even think about sending an email, make sure your domain has the correct DNS records in place:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework) – Tells email providers which mail servers are allowed to send emails on your behalf.
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) – Adds a digital signature to prove your emails are legitimate.
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) – Instructs providers on what to do with unauthenticated emails (and gives you reports on what’s happening).
If these aren’t configured properly, expect your emails to be either rejected or flagged as spam.
2. Start Small
A brand-new domain sending thousands of emails in its first week? That screams “spam operation.” Start with a trickle—think dozens of emails per day, not thousands.
The goal is to build a reputation gradually. Email providers want to see:
- Low bounce rates – Make sure you’re emailing real, active addresses.
- Good engagement – Emails should be opened, read, and ideally replied to.
- No spam complaints – If people report your emails as spam, your reputation tanks fast.
3. Engage a Real Audience
There are tools that simulate engagement (see our tools page for some options), but nothing beats actual human interaction. Your first emails should go to:
- Existing customers – They already know you, making them more likely to engage.
- Internal users – Staff can interact with your emails to build initial trust.
- Warm contacts – People who want to hear from you.
4. Increase Volume Gradually
Once your initial emails are being delivered successfully, slowly ramp up the numbers. Think of it like weightlifting—you wouldn’t start with 100kg on day one.
A rough guide:
- Week 1: 50-100 emails per day
- Week 2: 200-500 emails per day
- Week 3: 1,000+ emails per day
- Week 4+: Continue scaling, but keep monitoring engagement
If your engagement drops or spam complaints rise, pause and adjust before continuing.
Industries That Have It Toughest
Some industries naturally struggle more with email reputation—recruitment being one of the worst.
Why? Because recruiters love cold outreach. The problem is, cold emails look a lot like spam:
✅ High volume
✅ Sent to people who weren’t expecting them
✅ Low engagement rates
To balance this out, recruiters (and other cold email senders) need to mix in warm engagement. Emails to people who already know and trust them. Otherwise, it’s a fast track to the spam folder.
Final Thoughts
Bringing a new domain online isn’t as simple as just setting up an email account and hitting “Send.” You need patience, the right setup, and a proper warm-up plan.
Get your DNS right, start with a small engaged audience, gradually increase volume, and keep an eye on engagement. Do it right, and your emails will land in inboxes where they belong.
Or… ignore this advice, blast out 10,000 emails on day one, and enjoy your new life in the spam folder. Your call. 😉
