HubSpot Email Deliverability Team Resources

Get help slowly increasing volume

HubSpot offers an automated warm up as part of our dedicated IP add-on. There may be times you need to complete a manual warm up or may need to spread out a one-time large send. This tool can help you achieve this.

How to warm up at HubSpot

A new domain or IP has no history, so providers treat it cautiously. A warm-up is the process of sending increasing volumes of email slowly over time. This allows you to build up trust with various mailbox providers. 

Domain warm-up

Builds reputation for the domain or subdomain in your From address. 

  • HubSpot doesn't offer a native domain warm up tool right now, but the calculators on this page can help you complete a manual warm up.
  • A brand new subdomain of an established root domain still needs a warm up. Don't forget to warm up your subdomains too.
  • If you're rebranding, make sure you take advantage of your old domain by sending emails alerting subscribers of the future change! You can also use non-email channels for this as well.

IP warm-up

Builds reputation for the IP addresses that deliver your mail. 

  • Our shared IPs are already warm, so this is most relevant for dedicated IP users. 
  • HubSpot's dedicated IP add-on includes an automated warm up for marketing emails. 
  • Established dedicated IP customers may need to complete a manual warm up even after our automated one if they plan to dramatically increase volume.

Do you need to warm up?

SituationWarm up?Why
New sending domain, subdomain, or dedicated marketing IPYesNo reputation history exists yet.
One large one-time campaignYesA sudden spike can look suspicious, so use the campaign spreader below.
Increasing volume on an established domain or IPYesA sudden spike can look suspicious, so use the warm up tool below.
Resuming after a long pauseYesReputation fades with inactivity, so restart gradually with engaged contacts.
New transactional IP at high volumesYesEven with the high engagement of transactional mail, you may still be throttled.
New transactional IP at lower / drip volumesUsually notThe combination of low volume and high engagement typically means a warm up isn't required.

How to warm up well

  1. Authenticate first

    Make sure your from address domain is connected in HubSpot as an email sending domain. HubSpot Support can help.

  2. Clean your database

    If you've recently migrated to HubSpot, make sure past unsubscribers / unengaged contacts / hard bouncers have been suppressed. You want to put your best foot forward.

  3. Increase volume gradually

    Begin with a small first day, then grow along a curve rather than doubling every day. This is relevant for manual warm ups. If you're using HubSpot's automated warm up, we do this for you.

  4. Send every day, at a steady cadence

    Consistent volume is easier for providers to learn. Avoid long gaps between sends, and send in similar time windows.

  5. Check your signals daily

    Review bounces, spam complaints, and unsubscribes with each campaign. If you send to Gmail addresses, keep an eye on Postmaster Tools every day. 

  6. If you're unsure, ask for help!

    If the numbers slip or you feel nervous, reach out to your CSM! Your CSM can contact the Email Deliverability team. 

Pre-launch checklist

Work through this before your first warm-up send. Your progress isn’t saved, so use it as a quick readiness check.

Set up

Prepare your audience

Plan and monitor

Calculators

Pick the calculator that fits what you’re doing.

Tell us about your sending

The daily volume you’re working towards.
Enter 0 or leave blank if you’re warming a new domain or IP with no sending history.
Extend or shorten the warm-up. Shortening is only advised for advanced senders.

Watch the numbers and fix problems early

Taking action early will help protect your deliverability long term. If you're unsure on how to view these metrics, reach out to HubSpot Support for assistance. 

MetricHealthyFirst MoveNotes
Spam complaint rateBelow 0.01%Review your contacts for proper opt-in consent practices and remove any non-opted in contactsIdeally, you won't get any spam reports at all. This can be an incredibly impactful metric even at small numbers.
Hard bounce rateBelow 0.50 %Review the bounce reason - unknown user bounces mean stale/invalid contacts while policy may mean a need for allowlistingEmail validation can help prevent this issue from occurring as it will help identify invalid contacts before you send
Open RateGreater than or equal to 20%Ensure unengaged contacts have been suppressed and ensure email content is personalized and going to targeted listsA small dip can be normal, but large drops below your pre-warm up baseline are worrisome. 
Postmaster ToolsBelow 0.1%Review your contacts for proper opt-in consent practices and remove any non-opted in contactsRemember, Gmail spam reports aren't visible in HubSpot so it's important to keep an eye on Google Postmaster.
Deferrals / Soft BouncesRare / LowUse our send time optimization beta if available to slow sending & reach out to your CSM.Not all soft bounces are a sign of warm up issues. Ask HubSpot Support if you're unsure.

FAQ

I am not a HubSpot customer. Can I still use this page?

I appreciate that you want to use my calculator! This page is based on how sending works at HubSpot. Every ESP has it's nuances, and your ESP may have unique variables when it comes to sending from a dedicated IP there. So please use with caution. I bet your ESP has a really cool deliverability team and I bet they'd LOVE to help you. 

I accidentally made a mistake when sending and it hurt the performance of one campaign. What should I do?

Mistakes happen, don't panic!  Did you fix the mistake? Yes? Good- that's the hard part. How bad was bad? If you accidentally included a few unengaged contacts, just make sure you get back to best practices on your next send. If you sent to a massive non-opted in list and got a large spam report rate, be extra cautious on your next send and focus on the highly engaged contacts. If you're feeling nervous or the next send shows signs of issues despite fixing the problem, reach out to your CSM who can connect with the Email Deliverability team.

Can I speed up warm-up to meet a deadline?

This calculator is very cautious because it does not know anything about you. If you are a confident sender who typically gets strong engagement metrics and very few complaints, you may be able to go faster. If you'd like a more nuanced, personalized warm up plan then I recommend reaching out to some of the amazing deliverability consulting services out there. They can make you a more tailored plan.

What if I want / need multiple IPs?

A single IP can handle a lot of volume, especially if it's warmed properly and healthy. HubSpot only provides additional IPs for a single brand if there is enough volume to support a second IP. Giving additional IPs when there's not enough volume would hurt you. If you're going to be sending more than 8M a month, reach out to your CSM who can put in a request with our Email Deliverability team for evaluation.