Do I need to warm up by email domain if I am using SendGrid?
- Jan 28, 2008
- 495
- 101
Even with SendGrid, you can’t just flip the switch and blast full-volume mail from a fresh domain/IP. You still need to warm it up start with small batches (50–100/day), ramp up by 2×–3× each day over a week or two, and make sure SPF/DKIM/DMARC are in place. If you grab a dedicated IP, use SendGrid’s automated IP warm-up; otherwise manual warming is essential to avoid spam traps and deliverability hits.
- Nov 25, 2017
- 11,570
- 7,545
You need to perform the appropriate DNS domain setup for this and start sending emails in a slow but increasing fashion if you want to hit the inbox.
- Dec 20, 2024
- 136
- 34
Yes, you still need to warm it up.
Even though SendGrid handles a lot of the heavy lifting, your domain’s reputation is still fresh to inbox providers. If you blast out a ton of emails right away, you risk:
(Source: Been doing email marketing for years, learned the hard way.)
Even though SendGrid handles a lot of the heavy lifting, your domain’s reputation is still fresh to inbox providers. If you blast out a ton of emails right away, you risk:
- Landing in spam (or worse, getting blocked)
- Triggering spam traps (which can hurt long-term deliverability)
- Looking like a spammer (Gmail, Outlook, etc. don’t trust new senders)
How to Warm Up Properly
- Start small – 50–100 emails/day for the first few days.
- Increase gradually – Double volume every 3–4 days if engagement is good.
- Use dedicated IPs if sending big volumes(SendGrid has auto-warmup for these).
- Set up SPF/DKIM/DMARC – Non-negotiable for inboxing.
What Happens If You Skip It?
- Temporary blocks
- Low deliverability
- Harder to fix later
(Source: Been doing email marketing for years, learned the hard way.)
Amaz0n
Senior Member
- Apr 9, 2020
- 845
- 719
No and yes.
It depends on what kind of IP Sendgrid is giving you. If it's shared and you are lucky they will give you an IP with lots of customers with only transactional mailings.
But depending how hard you abuse them, they will put you on a IP with all the other bad actors, ie. resulting in you won't get into Gmail anymore because the IP is blacklisted.
It depends on what kind of IP Sendgrid is giving you. If it's shared and you are lucky they will give you an IP with lots of customers with only transactional mailings.
But depending how hard you abuse them, they will put you on a IP with all the other bad actors, ie. resulting in you won't get into Gmail anymore because the IP is blacklisted.
- Feb 24, 2019
- 5,251
- 1,535
Yes, even with SendGrid you still need to warm up your domain gradually. ISPs monitor new domains closely, and sudden high-volume sending can hurt deliverability. Start slow, build sender reputation and scale over days for best results.
- Jan 4, 2021
- 2,179
- 790
Even if you're using Sendgrid, You should still warm up your domain. Their platforms helps, but email providers still judge your domain's reputation. starting slow helps to build trust with inbox providers and keeps your emails from going to spam.
- Feb 28, 2019
- 7,445
- 7,908
You should start small and keep track of your response rates. Inbox rate is crucial and you can't risk ending up in spam.
Fahad Bin Abdul Aziz
Registered Member
- Sep 13, 2025
- 55
- 16
Yes, you still have to warm it up.
The simple reason is you're dealing with two different reputations: SendGrid's IP reputation (which is warm) and your domain's reputation (which is brand new and cold). Inbox providers like Gmail are watching your domain. If a new domain suddenly blasts thousands of emails, it's an instant spam signal. You're not warming up SendGrid; you're warming up yourdomain.com.
The simple reason is you're dealing with two different reputations: SendGrid's IP reputation (which is warm) and your domain's reputation (which is brand new and cold). Inbox providers like Gmail are watching your domain. If a new domain suddenly blasts thousands of emails, it's an instant spam signal. You're not warming up SendGrid; you're warming up yourdomain.com.
- Feb 11, 2021
- 630
- 171
You'll still need to warm it up gradually. Even with SendGrid, starting with a new domain or IP requires a warm-up period to build a good sender reputation and avoid landing in spam. Start small (50–100 emails/day) and increase volume slowly over several days.
What really matters here is the domain reputation. SendGrid handles the IP side, but inbox providers still judge the domain itself. If it’s brand new, you’ve got to ease into sending, small batches first, watch engagement, then scale slowly. That’s how you keep deliverability solid.
Lucas Wright
Newbie
- Oct 3, 2025
- 11
- 2
You can use sendgrid's warm up automation to make the process easier.
Daisy Thomas
Newbie
- Oct 4, 2025
- 12
- 1
Skipping warm-up often causes low open rates and spam folder issues.
