Warmup Golive

---
name: email-infra-warmup-golive
description: "Warm up mailboxes and take domains live safely. Use for warmup timelines and settings, the age-before-link gate, going-live deliverability settings, ramp schedules, the hard launch gate (which runs the dns-auth-audit playbook across every sending domain and blocks on a failure), and cold-email compliance basics. Triggers on warmup, warm up mailbox, go live, launch checklist, ready to launch, pre-launch check, ramp schedule, age domain, 21 days, CAN-SPAM, GDPR. Do NOT use for connecting inboxes (use the instantly-setup or provisioning sub-skills) or campaign routing (use the campaign-building sub-skill)."
---

# Warmup & Go-Live · [Sales Ops → GTM]

> **Reads:** `{SKILL_BASE}/resources/reference.md` §1, §2, §5 · gt-list-building (list verification) · **Runs:** `{SKILL_BASE}/playbooks/dns-auth-audit` · **Related:** domain-research, provisioning, campaign-building.

> **Launch gate, first step.** Before anything else on this page, run the DNS audit across every
> sending domain and require a clean exit:
> ```bash
> cd {SKILL_BASE}/playbooks/dns-auth-audit/scripts
> uv run execute.py --file domains.txt --csv <client>_launch.csv   # exit 0 = clear, 2 = blocked
> ```
> All four auth records — MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC — must be PASS. A WARN on any of them (a
> `p=quarantine` DMARC, a missing DKIM key) blocks too. The exit code is designed as a gate,
> so this can sit in front of go-live rather than beside it.

Take provisioned domains (the provisioning sub-skill) from cold to live. Warm long enough, age before you link, and clear the gate before the first send. Numbers in `{SKILL_BASE}/resources/reference.md` §1, §5.

---

## Part 1, Warmup

- **Minimum 21 days / 3 weeks** before any cold send (hard floor). **4 weeks on a cautious build.**
- **Never disable warmup** once campaigns are running.
- Warmup runs on every mailbox from day one of provisioning.

**Warmup volume = cold limit × the warm-to-cold ratio** (`reference.md` §1): Google **1.5:1**, Outlook **3:1**. During the first 21 days cold is effectively 0–1, so warmup carries the load.

> **Auto-warmup platforms.** Instantly and Smartlead manage warmup volume automatically, you set the behavior, not an absolute daily number. On EmailBison you set the warmup number explicitly (derive it from the ratio). Either way, keep warmup copy **neutral** so the warmup score reflects reputation, not campaign content.

**Monitor during warmup:** warmup/health score trending up (target ≥ 97 for Active, `reference.md` §2), sent *and* received both increasing, no red/disabled warmup. A red or disabled warmup is almost always a DNS/bounce problem → see the provisioning sub-skill (troubleshooting).

---

## Part 2, Age-before-link gate

Warmup length is not the only clock. **Link/campaign only from domains > 30 days old AND past warmup** (`reference.md` §5). A fresh domain reads as suspect regardless of warmup score, and linking from one is a known blocklist trigger.

Don't buy pre-aged domains to skip this (owner's call, the domain-research sub-skill), age our own.

---

## Part 3, Going live (settings)

When a domain clears the gate, take it live conservatively.

**Deliverability settings (every platform):**
- **First email plain text**: no HTML, no images (incl. signature images), no links. Until you're consistently landing in the inbox, email #1 stays plain.
- **Open tracking OFF**: tracking pixels hurt placement (and we don't use open rate as a metric anyway).
- **No links / no tracking domain** by default (the provisioning sub-skill).
- **ESP routing:** set the routing rule from the **dashboard matrix** (the campaign-building sub-skill), **not** from ESP-matching-as-a-rule.
- **Limit emails per company:** 2–3/day workspace-wide; extra-low concurrency into SEG orgs (the campaign-building sub-skill, Part 3).

**Ramp (per mailbox/day, `reference.md` §5):**

| Week | Google | Microsoft |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10–15 | 5 |
| 2–3 | 15–20 | 5 |
| 4+ | 20 | 5 |

**First campaign:** start with **50–100 leads**, random delays between sends, monitor **2–3 days**, then scale. **Scale by adding mailboxes, not by pushing limits higher.** Increase volume ≤ 20%/week; never add volume *and* change copy at once.

---

## Part 4, The HARD LAUNCH GATE (nothing sends until all pass)

If any line is unchecked, do not launch.

```
INFRA
[ ] Every mailbox warmed >= 21 days (4 weeks on a cautious build)
[ ] Warmup/health scores healthy (≥ 97 target); no red/disabled warmup
[ ] Domain > 30 days old (age-before-link gate)
[ ] MX/SPF/DKIM/DMARC verified green (the provisioning sub-skill)
[ ] Destination is masking / real landing page, NOT a bare redirect (GT runs no client redirects - confirm)
[ ] Blacklist pre-check clean on domains < 60 days (Spamhaus DBL / URIBL)

LIST & COPY
[ ] List 100% verified (re-verified if > 30 days), gt-list-building
[ ] First email plain text: no HTML / images / links
[ ] Signature clean: no links, images, or spam words (not promotional)
[ ] Spintax / variance present
[ ] Compliant: unsubscribe path + physical address (see reference/compliance)

ROUTING
[ ] Routing rule set from the dashboard matrix (the campaign-building sub-skill), NOT ESP-matching
[ ] SEG leads isolated onto dedicated domains
[ ] Open tracking OFF; limit-per-company set; low concurrency into SEG orgs

FIRST SEND
[ ] 50–100 leads only; correct timezone for the segment; send interval verified (🔒 the system sets it)
[ ] Monitored 2–3 days before scaling
[ ] Scale plan = add mailboxes, not raise limits; ≤ 20%/week
```

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## Part 5, Compliance quick-reference

Cold B2B email is legal with the basics in place (full detail can live alongside the reference):
- **CAN-SPAM (US):** accurate From/Reply-To, non-deceptive subject, valid physical postal address, clear opt-out honored promptly. No prior consent required.
- **GDPR (EU/UK):** legitimate-interest basis, relevant to the professional role, easy opt-out, lawful data source, privacy notice. Germany is restrictive (consent generally required).
- **One-click unsubscribe** headers for bulk senders to Gmail/Yahoo.

Compliant footer pattern: *"You're receiving this because of your role as [Role] at [Company]. To opt out, reply 'unsubscribe'. Privacy policy: [link]."*

---

*Created by [Growth Today](https://www.growthtoday.co), the AI-native GTM engineering firm. Maintained by [Brigitta Ruha](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigittaruha/). More open Claude Skills for go-to-market teams: https://www.growthtoday.co/claude-skills*