Email Warmup & Deliverability Guide

When you create a new email address and start sending bulk emails right away, Gmail, Outlook, and other email providers get suspicious. They have never seen your email address before and don't know if you are a real business or a spammer. This guide helps you build a good sending reputation so your emails land in the inbox.

Note: Building a good email reputation takes 4 to 6 weeks. Don't rush it. The patience you invest in the beginning will pay off with much better results once you scale up.

Part 1 — Warm Up Your Email First

Think of it like a new phone number. If you call 500 strangers on Day 1, everyone blocks you. But if you start with a few trusted contacts and slowly expand, people recognise you as legitimate.

Never send hundreds of emails on your very first day.

Recommended Warmup Schedule

Period Daily Volume Who to Send To Week 1 20 – 50 emails People who know you — existing clients, colleagues, contacts expecting your email Week 2 100 – 200 emails Contacts who are likely to open your emails Week 3 Up to 500 emails Only if Week 2 performed well — see healthy metrics below Week 4 1,000 – 2,000 emails Broader audience as reputation grows Week 5+ Scale gradually Based on performance and list size

What Does a Healthy Warmup Look Like?

Check your AgentRoof CRM dashboard after every send. You want to see:

More than 20% of people opening your emails Spam complaint rate below 0.1% — less than 1 complaint per 1,000 emails sent Bounce rate below 2% — very few emails being rejected

If people are marking your emails as spam, slow down and fix your content before sending more.

Part 2 — Start With Plain Text Emails

When your email address is brand new, plain text emails are your best friend. No images, no fancy colours, no big banners — just simple text like you would write to a friend or colleague.

Why plain text works better initially:

Spam filters trust plain text more than heavily designed emails It looks personal rather than like a mass blast Less chance of rendering issues on different email apps

Once you have been sending for 3 to 4 weeks and your open rates are healthy, you can gradually start using designed templates with images and branding.

Part 3 — Your Contact List Is Everything

This is the most important factor in whether your emails reach the inbox. A small clean list outperforms a large dirty one every single time.

Only email people who gave you their contact details. If someone didn't share their email with you directly, don't email them. Purchased lists or scraped lists will get your domain blacklisted very quickly.

Remove wrong or old email addresses. If an email bounces (gets rejected), remove that contact immediately. Too many bounces signal to providers that you are not maintaining your list.

Remove people who never open your emails. If someone hasn't opened any of your last several emails over a couple of months, stop emailing them. Sending to people who ignore you signals to Gmail that your emails are unwanted.

Respect unsubscribes immediately. If someone asks to be removed, remove them before your next send. AgentRoof CRM handles unsubscribe links automatically — make sure you are using them.

Part 4 — Writing Emails That Don't Land in Spam

Subject Line Tips

Be honest and clear — the subject should describe what's inside Don't write in ALL CAPS Avoid trigger words: Free, Winner, Guaranteed, Act Now, Limited Time, Earn Money, No Risk, Click Here Don't use excessive exclamation marks like !!!

❌ Avoid This ✅ Use This Instead AMAZING OFFER JUST FOR YOU!!! Following up on your property inquiry FREE leads — ACT NOW, Limited Time!!! 3 new listings in your area this week GUARANTEED results — Click here NOW Hi Rahul, your market report is ready

Email Body Tips

Write like a normal human being — short, clear, and to the point Don't use link shorteners like bit.ly — use your actual website link Make sure every link you include actually works Don't use very small or invisible text anywhere in the email Include your company name and contact details at the bottom of every email

What to Avoid

Don't attach files to bulk emails — attachments get flagged as spam Don't send an email that is just one big image with barely any text — write actual sentences Don't copy-paste content directly from Word documents — it brings hidden formatting that triggers spam filters

Part 5 — How You Send Matters Too

Send on a regular schedule. Sending 2,000 emails one day, then nothing for two weeks, then 2,000 again looks suspicious. Try to send consistently — for example, every Tuesday morning rather than randomly.

Send relevant content. If you have a list of people interested in rentals and another interested in buying, send them different emails. People engage more with relevant content, and high engagement helps your reputation.

Check your results after every campaign. In AgentRoof CRM, look at who opened your email, who clicked, who bounced, and who unsubscribed. These numbers tell you whether you are on the right track.

Part 6 — My Emails Are Going to Spam — What Do I Do?

Go through this checklist one by one:

Are you sending too many emails too fast? Slow down and follow the warmup schedule. Is your contact list clean? Remove bounced and unengaged contacts. Does your subject line sound spammy? Rewrite it using the tips in Part 4. Are you emailing people who never asked to hear from you? Stop and clean your list. Are you getting a lot of spam complaints? Your content or your list is the problem.

If the problem continues, contact AgentRoof support and we will help you investigate.

Quick Reference Summary

What to Do Why It Matters Start with 20–50 emails per day Builds trust with email providers gradually Begin with plain text emails More trusted by spam filters initially Only email people who know you Keeps spam complaints low Clean your list regularly Keeps bounce rate low Write honest, simple subject lines Gets emails opened, not flagged Send on a consistent schedule Looks like a legitimate sender Check your stats after every send Catch problems before they get serious