50% of your cold email success depends on one thing: email warm up and deliverability.
Let me guess… you’ve spent hours perfecting your pitch, researching prospects, and designing follow-up sequences. But if your emails never reach the inbox, all that effort goes to waste.
The numbers don’t lie.
In 2023, email deliverability across all industries went down to just 83%.
That means for every 100 messages you sent, 17 were essentially thrown into a digital black hole, never to be seen by your prospects.
“But my emails are valuable and relevant,” you might protest.
Unfortunately, email providers don’t care about your intentions. They care about your sender reputation.
Most sales pros skip email warm-up—the vital process that builds trust with email providers.
I’ll show you how to properly prepare your accounts to dramatically improve deliverability and ensure your messages actually reach their destination.
Ready to stop sending emails into the void? Let’s start.
What is Email Warm-Up?
You know that awkward feeling when you walk into a party where you don’t know anyone? Everyone’s looking at you suspiciously, wondering if you belong there or if you’re about to cause trouble.
That’s exactly how email providers view your new email account.
Email warm-up is essentially your “social proof” at this digital party. It’s the process of gradually establishing your reputation as a legitimate sender before you start reaching out to strangers (your prospects).
I learned this lesson the hard way when I launched my first sales campaign.
Despite personalized messages, my open rates were low. My emails weren’t bad—they simply weren’t being seen.
Email warm-up is your way of becoming a regular at the club. You start by exchanging emails with friends (people you know), engaging in conversations, and demonstrating normal email behavior.
The email providers start recognizing you, nodding as you walk in, and eventually treating you like you belong.
In practical terms, this means sending a small number of emails to trusted contacts, gradually increasing your volume, generating replies, and building a pattern of healthy email activity before you start your cold outreach.It’s not complicated, but it is essential.
Skip this step, and you might as well be throwing your messages directly into the trash.
Why is GrowMeOrganic the Best Email Warm-Up Tool?
GrowMeOrganic is an all-in-one B2B prospecting and outreach platform designed to streamline your cold email campaigns.
It is your all-in-one solution that not only warms up your emails but also helps you find prospects and run your entire outreach campaign.
⚡Extensive Warming Network:- When you use GrowMeOrganic, your account connects with over 20,000 real mailboxes.
Your emails are actually communicating with real people’s accounts, not fake ones!
This is exactly what Gmail and other providers want to see from you.
⚡Smart Automation System:- I love that you can just set it and forget it. Once you connect your account, the system handles everything – sending emails with unique content, responding to messages, and even rescuing your emails from spam folders.
You’ll wake up each morning to improved deliverability without doing any work!
⚡Spam Rescue Technology:- GrowMeOrganic actively pulls your messages out of spam folders and marks them as important.
I’ve seen clients go from 50% spam placement to under 5% within weeks.
⚡Gradual Scaling:- If you’re like me, you hate paying for credits that run out. With GrowMeOrganic, you get unlimited warm-up on their Growth and Pro plans.
You can warm up multiple accounts without worrying about extra costs – I think that’s a huge advantage for your budget.
⚡Comprehensive Analytics:- Track your warm-up progress with detailed analytics showing:
- Emails sent and received
- Inbox placement rates
- Spam rates over time
- Domain reputation improvements
⚡Unlimited Credits Model:- Unlike competitors that charge per action or limit your warm-up capabilities, GrowMeOrganic offers unlimited credits on their Growth ($79/mo) and Pro plans ($159/mo)
It makes it significantly more cost-effective for teams managing multiple email accounts.
How to Warm-Up an Email Account Before a Cold Email Campaign Using GrowMeOrganic?
Running your email warm-up is surprisingly simple with GrowMeOrganic’s 14-Day FREE Trial.
Here’s how to get started in just a few minutes:
1. Access Your Dashboard
Log in to your GrowMeOrganic account and head to your dashboard. This is your command center for all email operations.
2. Go to the Senders Tab
Navigate to the Senders section within the GrowMeOrganic CRM. This is where you’ll manage all your connected email accounts.
3. Connect Your Email Account
If you haven’t already linked your email address, take a moment to connect it now. This is essential before you can begin the warm-up process.
4. Activate Warm-Up Mode
Once your email is connected, you’ll see a “Warm-up the deliverability” button appear next to your account. Click this to begin configuring your warm-up settings.
5. Configure Your Warm-Up Parameters
You’ll see an intuitive pop-up that lets you customize:
- How many warm-up emails to send daily
- How quickly to increase your daily sending volume
Our Expert Recommendation:
- Start with 45 warm-up emails per day
- Increase your daily limit by 2 emails each day
- For sales teams: Warm up all team email addresses simultaneously for best results
These settings strike the perfect balance between building your reputation quickly and maintaining a natural growth pattern that won’t trigger spam filters.
Additional Features Offered By GrowMeOrganic
GrowMeOrganic offers a complete B2B prospecting and outreach ecosystem beyond their email warm up tool. Here’s what else you get:
- LinkedIn Prospecting – Extract unlimited contacts from LinkedIn with personalized connection requests.
- Email Finder – Discover verified email addresses using just names and company domains.
- B2B Database – Access 575M+ professional contacts across 15M+ companies worldwide.
- Cold Email Campaigns – Send personalized sequences with automated follow-ups and tracking.
- Google My Business Extractor – Pull contact info from local businesses on Google Maps.
- Website Scraper – Automatically gather contact details from company websites.
- CRM System – Organize prospects and track engagement with built-in lead scoring.
- API/Webhook Integration – Connect with your existing marketing tools and workflows.
I think you’ll love how these tools work together seamlessly—you can find prospects, get their contact info, warm up your email, and launch campaigns all in one platform!
What Does a Manual Email Warmup Process Look Like?
Warming up your email account manually might seem tedious, but it’s the most reliable method to establish sender reputation before launching cold email campaigns. Here’s what the process looks like:
Step 1: Set Up Email Properly
First things first, we need to get your technical foundation in order.
Setting up your SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) records might sound technical, but they’re essentially your email’s ID badge.
Add a professional signature with your contact details too—it’s like wearing a suit to a business meeting rather than showing up in pajamas.
Step 2: Remove Spam Words
You know those emails that immediately make you think “this is definitely spam”? . We want to avoid writing like that.
During warm up, avoid clear of words like “free,” “discount,” and “limited time.” Also, watch those exclamation points! Email providers are surprisingly sensitive to these triggers during the early stages of an account’s life.
Step 3: Email Trusted Contacts
Now we’re getting to the actual warm-up.
Start by reaching out to your inner circle—friends, colleagues, and even your personal email accounts. Send about 5-10 emails daily and ask them to interact with your messages. This builds those initial positive signals that show email providers you’re a legitimate sender.
Step 4: Build Real Conversations
Here’s where many people go wrong—they send one-way messages and call it a day. Instead, engage in actual conversations. Reply to responses, ask follow-up questions, and create those natural email threads that mimic normal business communication. These back-and-forth exchanges are important for your sender reputation.
Step 5: Increase Volume Gradually
Patience pays off here. Follow this weekly progression:
- Week 1: Keep it light with 5-10 emails daily
- Week 2: Step it up to 15-20 emails daily
- Week 3: Move to 30-40 emails daily
- Week 4: Now you’re ready for 50+ emails daily
This gradual scaling prevents those red flags that come with sudden volume spikes. It’s like easing into a new workout routine rather than trying to lift your maximum weight on day one.
Step 6: Monitor Your Results
Throughout this process, keep an eye on how you’re performing.
Are your emails landing in the primary inbox? What are your open rates looking like? Create test accounts with Gmail, Outlook, and other providers to verify your deliverability. This feedback loop helps you adjust your approach if needed.
Step 7: Subscribe to Newsletters
This step is often overlooked, but it’s quite effective.
Join several industry newsletters using your sending account. This creates natural incoming mail and gives you opportunities to engage with content relevant to your business. It’s another signal that you’re a real person using email normally.
Step 8: Test Before Campaigns
Before you launch your full campaign, run a final check.
Send test emails to various accounts and confirm they’re consistently reaching the primary inbox. This verification step can save you from wasting your carefully crafted messages in spam folders. By following this methodical approach over 3-4 weeks, you’ll build a solid reputation that sets you up for successful cold outreach.
It requires some patience, but the improved deliverability is absolutely worth the investment.
Why Should You Warm Up Your Email Accounts?
Let’s be honest—email warm up isn’t exactly the most exciting part of launching your outreach campaign. But skipping this crucial step is like building a house without a foundation.
Here’s why taking the time to warm up your email accounts properly is absolutely worth it.
Avoid Spam Folders
A new email account is a stranger in a small town. Nobody knows you yet, and people are naturally suspicious.
Email providers like Gmail and Outlook view new accounts the same way—with caution. Without proper warm up, your messages are likely to be flagged as spam, regardless of their quality or relevance.
Build Sender Reputation
Your sender reputation is like your credit score in the email world.
Email providers are constantly monitoring how you send emails and how recipients interact with them. Are people opening your messages? Replying to them? Marking them as important? These positive signals gradually build trust with email providers and improve your standing.
Increase Deliverability Rates
The difference between warmed-up and cold accounts is striking when it comes to deliverability.
We’ve seen properly warmed accounts achieve inbox placement rates above 90%, while cold accounts often struggle to break 50%. That means nearly twice as many prospects actually see your messages for your campaign results.
Prevent Account Restrictions
Email providers have sophisticated systems to detect unusual activity.
If you suddenly start sending dozens or hundreds of emails from a new account, you might trigger sending limits or even account suspensions. Warming up gradually helps you fly under the radar and avoid these frustrating restrictions.
Establish Natural Patterns
Email providers are looking for human-like behavior.
By creating a history of normal email usage—sending and receiving messages, engaging in conversations, subscribing to newsletters—you establish patterns that look natural rather than automated or spammy. This digital body language speaks volumes to email algorithms.
Protect Domain Reputation
Here’s something many people overlook: your email warm-up affects more than just your individual account. Your entire domain reputation is at stake.
Poor sending practices from one account can negatively impact everyone else using your company domain, creating deliverability issues across your organization.
Improve Campaign Performance
The math is simple: better deliverability leads to better campaign performance.
When more of your emails reach the inbox, you’ll see higher open rates, more clicks, and ultimately more responses. We’ve witnessed properly warmed accounts generate 2-3 times more replies than cold accounts sending identical messages.
Save Time and Resources
Consider the time you invest in researching prospects, personalized messages, and designing follow-up sequences. Without a proper warm-up, much of that effort goes to waste as emails land in spam folders, never to be seen.
A few weeks of strategic warm-up protect your investment and maximize your return. The time you invest upfront will pay dividends throughout your campaign in the form of better deliverability, stronger performance, and ultimately more conversions.
Common Mistakes to Avoid during Email Warm-up
I’ve seen even the most experienced sales professionals make these email warm-up mistakes, and I want to help you avoid them.
I’ve learned many of these lessons the hard way, and you don’t have to repeat my errors.
Rushing the Process
I get it—you’re eager to launch your campaign.
But if you try to compress your warm-up into just a few days, you’re setting yourself up for failure. I recommend you give yourself 3-4 weeks for proper reputation building. You wouldn’t expect to build trust with a new client overnight, right? Email providers work the same way.
Sending Too Many Emails Too Quickly
One of the biggest mistakes I see is when you dramatically increase your sending volume without gradual scaling.
I made this error with my first campaign and triggered every spam filter imaginable. You need to ease into higher volumes just like you’d ease into a new workout routine.
Using Spam-Triggering Language
You might not realize how sensitive email filters are to certain phrases.
I’ve watched perfectly good warm-up efforts get derailed because someone included words like “free,” “limited time,” or “act now” in their messages.
You should save these promotional phrases for later—right now, you’re building a reputation, not selling.
Neglecting Technical Setup
If you skip configuring your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, you’re starting with a major disadvantage.
I compare this to showing up at a security checkpoint without ID—you’re immediately suspicious. You need these technical foundations in place before you send your first warm up email.
Using Only One-Way Communication
Are you just sending emails without generating replies? This is a red flag to email providers.
I always tell my clients that you need to create actual conversations during warm up. You should be receiving replies to at least 30% of your warm up emails to establish healthy engagement metrics.
Inconsistent Sending Patterns
I’ve seen people send 20 emails on Monday, none on Tuesday, and 50 on Wednesday. You wouldn’t trust someone who behaved erratically, and neither do email providers. You should establish a consistent pattern that looks natural and predictable.
Ignoring Engagement Metrics
If you’re not tracking your open rates, reply rates, and inbox placement, you’re essentially flying blind. I check these metrics at least twice weekly during warm up. You need this feedback to know if you’re making progress or if you need to adjust your approach.
Sending Identical Messages
I cringe when I see people using the exact same template for all their warm up emails.
You wouldn’t send identical messages to different friends, would you? You should vary your content, subject lines, and message length to create natural communication patterns.
Including Too Many Links or Attachments
When you add multiple links or attachments in your early warm up emails, you’re practically begging to be flagged as spam.
I recommend you start with plain-text emails and gradually introduce a single link after the first week of warm up.
Starting Cold Outreach Too Soon
I’ve watched eager sales reps jump into cold outreach after just a week of minimal warm up, only to see dismal results.
You need to verify that your emails are consistently reaching the primary inbox before launching your campaign. Patience here pays massive dividends.
Using Purchased Email Lists for Warm-up
When you send to low-quality or purchased contacts during warm-up, you’re more likely to get spam complaints or low engagement.
I always tell my clients that “you should use only trusted contacts who will actually interact with your messages during this critical phase”.
Warming Up on Free Email Domains
If you’re trying to conduct professional outreach, I strongly advise against warming up accounts on free domains like gmail.com or yahoo.com.
You should invest in a proper business domain that reflects your professional identity and builds credibility with both email providers and recipients.
Conclusion
Let’s be real—taking the time to warm up your email accounts properly isn’t just some technical box to check.
It’s where everyone’s fighting for inbox attention! All those hours writing the perfect pitch mean nothing if your emails never see the light of day.
But now that you’ve learned how to gradually build trust with email providers, you’re miles ahead of competitors who blast cold emails and wonder why they land in spam. The beauty of this approach is in its simplicity. And trust me, when you see those open rates climb and responses roll in, you’ll be glad you didn’t rush this process.
Remember, this isn’t a “set it and forget it” situation.
Your sender reputation needs ongoing care, like tending a garden. But the harvest is worth it: more conversations, more opportunities, and ultimately, more business. So go ahead—put these strategies to work and watch your outreach transform from “sent to spam” to “seen and responded.” Your future self (and your sales numbers) will thank you!
Email Warm-up FAQs
Q 1. How long does it take to properly warm up an email account?
Warming up an email account typically takes 2-4 weeks for optimal results. The process is gradual – you’ll start seeing improvements in deliverability within the first week, but building a solid sender reputation requires patience. Some factors that affect timing include:
- Your sending domain’s current reputation
- Email service provider policies
- Volume of emails you plan to send
- Quality of your engagement during warm-up
It’s not a race!
A properly warmed email account will reward you with better inbox placement and fewer headaches down the road.
Q 2. Can I use automation tools for email warm-up instead of doing it manually?
Absolutely! Automation tools like GrowMeOrganic’s Email Warm-up system make the process much more efficient. Here’s why they’re helpful:
- They exchange emails between your account and a pool of real users
- These users mark your emails as important, boosting your reputation
- The system automatically rescues emails from spam folders
- You can set it and forget it instead of managing manual exchanges
- Many tools provide analytics to track your warming progress
While manual warm-up works, automation tools save significant time and often produce more consistent results.
Q 3. Do I need to warm up my email account if I’m using a well-established domain?
Yes, even with a well-established domain, new email accounts still need warming up. Here’s why:
- Email providers evaluate reputation at both the domain AND individual account levels
- A new account on a good domain still appears suspicious if it suddenly sends high volumes
- Each email account has its own sending history and engagement metrics
- Even established domains can face deliverability issues with cold accounts
Think of it like this: your domain might have a great neighborhood reputation, but your specific house (email account) still needs to introduce itself to the neighbors!
Q 4. What metrics should I monitor during the email warm-up process?
Keep an eye on these key metrics while warming up your email:
- Delivery rate: Are your emails reaching inboxes?
- Open rate: Are recipients engaging with your content?
- Reply rate: Are you generating responses?
- Spam complaints: Is anyone marking you as spam?
- Bounce rate: Are emails being rejected?
- IP/domain reputation scores: Has your sender reputation improved?
- Inbox placement: Are you landing in the primary inbox or promotions/spam?
Most email warm up tools provide dashboards for these metrics, making it easy to track your progress over time.
Q 5. Do I need to warm-up my account again if I haven’t sent emails for a few months?
Yes, you should warm-up your account again after a prolonged period of inactivity. Here’s why:
- Email providers notice sudden changes in sending patterns
- Your reputation gradually declines when inactive
- A cold restart with high volume can trigger spam filters
- The warm-up process may be shorter than the initial one
- Consider it more of a “rewarming” than starting from scratch
Even a few weeks of consistent, low-volume sending can help reestablish your sending patterns before scaling back up.
Q 6. Can I warm-up multiple email accounts simultaneously?
Yes! You can warm-up multiple email accounts at the same time. This is especially useful for teams or when using multiple sending accounts for different purposes. A few things to keep in mind:
- Use a tool like GrowMeOrganic that supports multiple account warm-up
- Each account will need its own warming schedule and strategy
- Don’t connect too many accounts from the same domain simultaneously
- Track metrics for each account separately
- Consider staggering start dates for better management
This approach is perfect if you’re scaling outreach operations or setting up accounts for multiple team members.
Q 7. What technical settings should I configure before starting the warm-up process?
- SPF records: Authenticate your sending servers
- DKIM: Add digital signatures to verify email authenticity
- DMARC: Set policies for handling authentication failures
- Custom domain: Use a professional domain rather than free email services
- Proper DNS setup: Ensure all DNS records are correctly configured
- SMTP settings: Configure your sending settings correctly
- Profile completion: Complete your email profile with photo, signature, etc.
Before starting your warm-up, make sure these technical elements are properly configured:
These technical foundations help establish trust with email providers from the start and maximize the effectiveness of your warm-up process.
About Post Author
Rohan Chaubey
Startup Growth Advisor | World Record Holder | Bestselling Author of The Growth Hacking Book Series