IP warming: who actually needs it, and what most shops need instead
Most shops on Klaviyo send from shared IPs and never warm one of their own. Plenty still need to warm something, and it's usually a domain.
- 065IP Warming
- Gradually increasing email send volumes to establish a good sender reputation with ISPs when using a new IP address.
- Applies to
- A new dedicated IP, which most shops never have
- Often confused with
- Warming a new sending domain, or ramping up for peak
- Starts with
- Your most engaged subscribers, in small sends
- Takes
- Weeks, not days
Warming, ramping and domain warming are three different jobs
| Job | When you need it | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| IP warming | You've moved to a dedicated IP | Klaviyo shifts your mail onto it a little at a time |
| Domain warming | A sending domain that's never sent mail | Small sends to engaged segments, widening as results hold |
| Ramping | Moving platforms, or building up to peak | Raising volume in steps instead of one leap |
Klaviyo uses the words the same way, and the difference matters. If Black Friday's coming, the third row is probably yours.
How a warm-up runs without burning the list
- Get SPF, DKIM and DMARC live and passing before the first send
- Start with recent clickers and new subscribers, the people most likely to open
- Widen the audience in steps, only while bounces and complaints stay flat
- Change volume or audience in a given week, never both
- Hold winback and re-engagement flows back until the warm-up's done
That last one surprises people. It's in Klaviyo's own warming guidance, and it makes sense, because those flows go to the people least likely to open. Google's sender guidelines say the same in one line: start low, with engaged users, and increase slowly.
Our post on warming a new sending domain has the stage by stage version.
Related terms
FAQs
When does a shop actually need a dedicated IP?
When you send high volumes on a steady rhythm, every week of the year, and want a reputation nobody else can touch. That's how Klaviyo describes the case for one. Below that, it's a liability. Quiet weeks let it cool, and every busy season turns into a fresh warm-up.
How long does IP warming take?
Weeks, not days. Klaviyo's guidance for a dedicated IP talks about a month or more. The calendar matters less than the results, though. If bounces or complaints move, you hold the stage you're on until they settle, and the warm-up takes as long as it takes.
Should we warm up our list before Black Friday?
You should ramp. Your domain isn't new, but jumping from your normal volume to the whole list in one weekend looks like a stranger arriving. Build volume through the autumn, engaged segments first, so the peak send is a step, not a leap. Never start a brand new domain in the run-up.
Rather we explained it on your own account?
Bring your Klaviyo account to a growth consultation. We'll walk through what this means for your numbers, in plain English, and what we'd fix first.
Half an hour with Theo, our founder.
We're all about relationships built on trust, mutual respect and a shared vision for success. If that sounds like your vibe, let's make some waves together 🌊
