GovTech
•3/26/2026

What is this “warmup” thing you talk about?

Written by John Kitsmiller

What is Warmup?

Email warmup is the process of gradually building a positive reputation for a new (or inactive) email address or domain so that your messages land in people’s inboxes instead of spam.

What it actually is:

 Email warmup means starting with very low‑volume sending and slowly increasing the number of emails over several weeks, while simulating natural engagement (opens, replies, marking as important, moving out of spam). This helps email‑service providers (like Gmail, Outlook, etc.) see your account as legitimate and “safe” rather than spammy.

Why it matters:

 Improves deliverability: more of your cold emails reach the primary inbox, not spam or junk. Helps avoid blocks: suddenly blasting 100+ emails/day from a fresh domain looks suspicious; warmup keeps you under those thresholds while reputation builds. Supports higher volume later: once warmed, you can scale sequential campaigns without tanking sender reputation.

How it’s usually done:

 

It is automated using warmup tools that connect to your mailbox, send “fake” but human‑like emails, and generate opens/replies from a network of real inboxes.

How long does it take:

 Warmup should be done for at least 14 days.

Related Posts

AI Procurement Rules for Public Sector Software: What GovTech Founders Must Have Ready in 2026
GovTech, AI, Article

AI Procurement Rules for Public Sector Software: What GovTech Founders Must Have Ready in 2026

Agencies in more than fifteen states wrote AI governance policies this summer, and each one adds a review to public sector software sales. This guide shows GovTech founders what to prepare.

GovTech Procurement Discovery Moves Into AI Assistants
GovTech, WIIFM, AI

GovTech Procurement Discovery Moves Into AI Assistants

Civic Marketplace now lets government buyers search cooperative contracts and request quotes inside AI assistants. Here is what GovTech founders should do about it.

GovTech GTM Messaging: Why Citizen Impact Beats Time Savings
GovTech, Article, Download

GovTech GTM Messaging: Why Citizen Impact Beats Time Savings

GovTech vendors compete for one shared government budget every year. This post breaks down why citizen-impact messaging beats efficiency claims, using survey data and a real citizen-reporting case study.

No pitch

Let's find out if I can help.

Thirty minutes. You tell me what you are selling, who you are selling it to, and where it is getting stuck. If I can help, I will tell you how. If I cannot, I will tell you that.

No slides
Straight answer either way
30 minutes
No slides
Straight answer either way
30 minutes
No slides
Straight answer either way
30 minutes