Overview

Warming is the process of gradually increasing email volume from a new domain and IP to build a positive sender reputation. It’s essential for ensuring strong deliverability and avoiding spam filters when starting with Heymarket or switching providers.

Sending to highly engaged segments helps prevent low-performing messages from damaging your overall deliverability. If you are using a brand-new domain that has never been used for sending email, these initial sends are especially important to ensure your deliverability and long-term reputation. To protect your reputation, start small and send only to your most engaged subscribers first.

We recommend beginning with a list of fewer than 1,000 contacts, then increasing volume once you’ve established positive engagement. Your initial sends will be automatically spread over time, and you’ll be able to monitor progress directly within Heymarket. Before increasing your sending volume, make sure you are achieving at least a 20% open rate.

Warming helps email providers recognize your domain and IPs as legitimate senders. The process involves:

• Sending to your most engaged contacts first
• Gradually increasing send volume over time 
• Monitoring engagement (opens, clicks, bounces, complaints) to avoid poor deliverability

Important: Warming primarily builds domain reputation, since new IPs + Domains (your domain) start with no history. However, using a sending domain with an existing reputation can help accelerate trust with inbox providers.

When Warming Is Needed

Follow warming guidelines if you are (any of the following):

• New to Heymarket email features and/or switching from another provider
• Inactive (no sending) on your domain for 45+ days 
• Missing recent engagement data
  
   

Guided Warming

Heymarket provides guided warming to make the process seamless and reduce deliverability risks. Here’s how it works:

• If you plan to send to e.g. 1,000 engaged contacts, Heymarket will automatically spread the sends over several days. We will send the email at the same time and you have the ability to skip weekends if you wish.
• Engagement metrics (open rate, complaints, bounces) are monitored continuously.
• As positive engagement is established, your send volume gradually increases until you reach your target.
  
   

This guided warming applies across emails you send in Heymarket — including lists, automations, and campaigns. Once you reach your desired send volume and maintain at least a 20% open rate, you’ll be able to safely expand to larger audiences. You can find guidance on the limits per send based on your warming plan in the admin section under the email tab.

If your next campaign targets a larger list (e.g. 2,000 contacts), Heymarket will again pace your sends and notify you that warming is in progress. You’ll see clear indicators such as banners and progress percentages (e.g., “10% through warming”) so you always know where you stand.

Guided warming continues automatically as you send with Heymarket or add new sending domains. Recommendations adjust depending on your stage of warming, ensuring that your emails consistently reach the right inboxes.

You can find guidance on the limits per send based on your warming plan in the admin section under the email tab.

Once you complete the warming process, a success message will confirm your daily sending limit to maintain a healthy reputation.

Warming Schedule

Here is an example of a warming schedule  The schedule can be found in the admin section for your team. Each teams warming schedule may vary.

Best Practices

• Start small: Begin with your most active contacts
• Avoid unengaged contacts: Remove addresses that haven’t opened past emails
• Monitor metrics: Watch for spikes in bounces, complaints, or unsubscribes — Heymarket will also alert you if engagement drops
• Segment smartly: Prioritize high open/click audiences
• Send consistently: Avoid long gaps between sends during warm-up
  
   

Quick Start: Email Warming Checklist

1. Authenticate your domain → Make sure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are set up.
2. Start small → Send <1,000 emails to your most engaged contacts first.
3. Aim for engagement → Maintain at least a 20% open rate before increasing volume.
4. Ramp gradually → Double volume slowly while monitoring results.
5. Stay consistent → Send regularly, avoid long gaps, and remove unengaged contacts.
6. Use subdomains  → You could use subdomains to avoid impacting your main domain score
   
    

Recommended to use Subdomains to not impact your core domain