If you’re sending cold emails, newsletters, or marketing campaigns, email deliverability is crucial. A proper email Warmup helps establish credibility, ensuring your emails land in the inbox instead of spam. But should you warm up your email manually or use an automated tool?
In this blog, we’ll compare manual and automated email Warmup methods, highlighting their pros, cons, and the best approach for your needs.
What is Email Warmup?
Email Warmup is the process of gradually increasing your email sending volume to build sender reputation and improve deliverability. Email providers (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) monitor how recipients interact with your emails—if too many are ignored or marked as spam, your email reputation suffers.
By warming up an email properly, you signal to email service providers (ESPs) that your emails are legitimate and trustworthy.
Manual Email Warmup: How It Works
Manual Warmup involves real humans sending, opening, and engaging with emails to build a natural sender reputation. This method ensures authenticity and avoids detection by email service providers (ESPs). Since emails are manually replied to, forwarded, and marked as important, it mimics genuine email interactions. This approach is ideal for businesses prioritizing high deliverability, compliance, and long-term domain health.
Steps for Manual Email Warmup:
Start Small – Send a few emails (10-20 per day) to trusted contacts.
Increase Gradually – Increase volume by 10-15 emails daily over 3-4 weeks.
Engagement Matters – Ensure recipients open, reply, and mark your emails as important to build a good reputation.
Avoid Spam Triggers – No promotional content, spammy words, or mass emailing too soon.
Use a Mix of Content – Send varied emails (plain text, replies, and forwards) to make interactions look natural.
Pros of Manual Email Warmup:
More Control – You decide when and how to increase the volume.
Better Engagement – Emails sent to real contacts lead to authentic responses.
No Additional Costs – No need for paid automation tools.
Cons of Manual Email Warmup:
Time-Consuming – Takes weeks of manual effort to build email credibility.
Human Error – Missing a day or over-sending can harm your Warmup progress.
Difficult to Scale – Not feasible for businesses managing multiple email accounts.
Automated Email Warmup: How It Works
Automated Warmup tools send emails and generate engagement automatically to build sender reputation. They simulate natural conversations and interactions to improve deliverability. Automated Warmup relies on software tools to simulate email interactions. These tools send, open, and reply to emails using a network of verified accounts. The process is faster than manual Warmup and can quickly scale email activity. However, some ESPs detect automation, which may lead to restrictions if not managed carefully.
How Automated Warmup Works:
Connect Your Email to a Warmup Tool – Platforms like Mailwarm, Lemlist, and Warmbox handle the process.
Automated Sending & Replies – The tool sends gradual emails and ensures replies, helping you avoid spam filters.
Inbox Placement Monitoring – Some tools provide reports on inbox vs. spam folder placement.
AI-Based Adjustments – Smart tools adjust sending patterns based on email performance.
Pros of Automated Email Warmup:
Saves Time – Fully automated process with minimal effort.
Scalable – Easily warm up multiple email accounts at once.
Consistent & Reliable – Eliminates human errors and maintains a steady Warmup pace.
Advanced Features – Some tools offer analytics, spam score tracking, and deliverability insights.
Cons of Automated Email Warmup:
Costs Money – Most reliable tools come with a subscription fee.
Less Personal Engagement – While interactions are simulated, they aren’t real human conversations.
Possible Detection by ESPs – Some email providers might detect automation and flag the activity.
Need help improving your email deliverability? Explore the best email Warmup strategies today!
Manual vs Automated Email Warmup: Which One is Better?
Final Verdict: Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Manual Email Warmup If:
✔ You’re warming up a single or few email accounts.
✔ You want more control over the process.
✔ You prefer organic engagement from real contacts.
Choose Automated Email Warmup If:
✔ You need to warm up multiple email accounts quickly.
✔ You want a hands-off, efficient approach.
✔ You’re willing to invest in a tool for better consistency.
Conclusion
Both manual and automated email Warmup have their own advantages. If you have the time and patience, a manual Warmup ensures real engagement and full control. But if you’re managing multiple email accounts or need a faster and scalable solution, automated Warmup is the way to go.
