Warming best practices
A new domain or IP has no sending history. Increase volume gradually so mailbox providers can evaluate consistent traffic and recipient engagement.
Dedicated IPs warm automatically
A new dedicated IP starts in warming status. Bird tracks 29 warmup stages and updates its progress automatically. The shared pool remains the default until you choose a different default pool.
The dashboard shows warmup progress from 0 to 100%. See the IP warmup guide for details.
Keep the shared pool as the default until the dedicated IP reaches 100% warmup progress. Buying an IP does not change the default pool automatically.
Domains warm too
Mailbox providers also track domain reputation. Increase traffic from a new domain gradually, even when it uses a warmed shared IP pool.
The same applies when you move an established program to a new domain or subdomain: the old domain's reputation doesn't transfer. Plan the migration as a ramp, shifting traffic over in stages rather than cutting over in one day.
How to ramp safely
- Start with engaged recipients. Begin with people who recently opted in or regularly click, reply, or purchase. Widen the audience as the ramp progresses.
- Increase volume steadily. Avoid abrupt spikes and adjust the ramp to the size and engagement of your audience.
- Watch your bounce and complaint rates as you go. Rising bounces or complaints during a warmup mean you're widening the audience too fast or mailing people who didn't ask for it. Check the reputation metrics regularly during the ramp, and slow down if the rates climb.
- Keep a consistent cadence. Avoid long gaps followed by sudden bursts.
Next steps
- IP warmup: how the automatic warmup stages work
- Dedicated IPs and pools: purchasing IPs and default-pool rules
- Sender reputation monitoring: the metrics to watch while you ramp