IP warmup schedule overview
The target audience during automated IP warmup should be populated with high quality data as the goal is to minimize complaints and bounces. Initial campaign email lists should include subscribers that have recently opted-in, have opened/clicked within the last six months, and/or are known to be consistently brand loyal. During the initial phase of warmup, avoid sending email messages to addresses that have not had any message open events, purchases, conversions or clicks on offers within a message within the past six months. These recipients are more likely to flag the message as spam, and their addresses also have a higher risk of being spam traps.
The warmup process starts by sending the same low daily volumes for a few days at a time. The below Warmup Schedule provides an overview on the volume of messages that will be sent to the various ISPs or domains for a campaign selected for Automated IP warmup.
If your campaign list does not meet the suggested volume level at a particular ISP or domain, send the volume that is available. The schedule for the other domains will be followed. If the list does not contain the below domains in significant volume we recommend warming up your top three or four domains on your list. Any other domains with volume less than 10,000 do not require an official warmup or ramp-up.
| ISP | Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five | Day Six | Day Seven |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 12,500 | 12,500 |
| Hotmail | 7,500 | 7,500 | 7,500 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 |
| Yahoo! | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 7,500 | 7,500 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| Other | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 12,500 | 12,500 |
| Total Daily Volumes | 32,500 | 32,500 | 32,500 | 37,500 | 37,500 | 50,000 | 50,000 |
Ramp-up Recommendation
Following a successful IP warmup and establishment of initial reputation, volume on the new IP will be gradually brought up to a sender’s full volume levels. Depending on frequency and level of aggression, full ramp-up may take anywhere from two to six weeks. The “Example Recommended Ramp-up Schedule” table below provides an overview for phasing volume in over time. We have outlined the first four phases; however, the actual number of phases will be dependent on the total volume in your campaign. If the full volume level has not been met by phase four, the same percentage increase will continue until the full volume is reached.
Oracle Responsys generally increases volume in increments of 25% for each phase. With each increase, it sends email messages at the new level of volume for a minimum of two-three days before progressing to the next phase.
| (Min 2-3 days of consistent volume for each phase) | Recommended | Moderately Aggressive | Very Aggressive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 25% increase from last day of Warmup volume | 33% increase from last day of Warmup volume | 50% increase from last day of Warmup volume |
| Phase 2 | 25% increase from phase 1 volume | 33% increase from phase 1 volume | 50% increase from phase 1 volume |
| Phase 3 | 25% increase from phase 2 volume | 33% increase from phase 2 volume | 50% increase from phase 2 volume |
| Phase 4 | 25% increase from phase 3 volume | 33% increase from phase 3 volume | 50% increase from phase 3 volume |
As the campaign email list opens up and the volume increases, list quality tends to deteriorate. It is important to continually monitor the performance of each segment and avoid segments that go against best practices. If list quality is poor and an aggressive ramp-up strategy is chosen, IP reputation will be established at a lower point than desired.
Note: When you use the Automated IP warmup page to select campaigns for IP warmup, the schedule for ramping up the volume for those campaigns is set by Oracle Responsys. The automation feature sets the distribution of the message traffic to the new IP address according to the defined strategy. If you wish to change this schedule, contact Oracle Responsys support.