Sending on WordFly Shared and Dedicated IPs
Most WordFly customers send email using WordFly’s shared IP infrastructure. These IPs already have an established sending reputation. As a result, deliverability risk on shared IPs is driven primarily by send volume spikes and list quality, not IP reputation.
This article explains how to safely send campaigns of varying sizes on shared IPs and when a dedicated IP with a formal warmup is required.
Shared IP sending guidance by audience size
Fewer than 25,000 recipients
- Send using your normal campaign process
- No special throttling or warmup is required
- If list quality is uncertain, start with your most engaged segment
25,000–100,000 recipients
Sending large volumes on shared IPs can trigger mailbox-provider throttling if the volume spike is sudden. The goal in this range is send shaping, not IP warmup.
Recommended approaches:
Option 1: Two-day ramp (preferred)
- Day 1: Send to your most engaged subscribers
- Day 2: Send to the remaining audience
Option 2: Same-day staggered send
- Split your audience into two campaigns
- Space sends 4–6 hours apart
- Send the most engaged subscribers first
Important notes
- This is not a formal IP warmup
- Engagement-based segmentation reduces throttling risk
- Large, infrequent sends carry higher risk than consistent sending
More than 100,000 recipients
Campaigns over 100,000 recipients require a dedicated IP address.
Once a dedicated IP is provisioned, you must follow the official IP warmup process outlined in the Dedicated IP Warmup Guide below.
Best practices for shared IP sends
- Prioritize subscribers active within the past 30 days
- Avoid sending to subscribers inactive for 90+ days without review
- Expect longer delivery times for larger campaigns
- Maintain consistent sending patterns whenever possible
Dedicated IP Warmup Guide (Required for 100K+ Sends)
When sending email on a dedicated IP address, you must gradually build sending reputation with mailbox providers. This process is known as IP warmup.
A proper warmup typically takes 3–4 weeks and is required to protect inbox placement and long-term deliverability.
Before you begin
Before starting your warmup:
- Remove hard bounces, opt-outs, and known spam complainers
- Start with your most engaged subscribers
- Plan to send consistently throughout the warmup period
Warmup principles
- Start small and increase volume gradually
- Send daily if possible
- Monitor results after every send
- Do not expand to disengaged subscribers too quickly
Sample warmup plan
- Day 1: 200
- Day 2: 500
- Day 3: 1,000
- Day 4: 2,000
- Day 5: 5,000
- Day 6: 10,000
- Day 7: 20,000
- Day 8: 40,000
- Day 9: 100,000
- Day 10+: Continue increasing gradually as performance allows
Volume increases should only occur if delivery metrics remain healthy.
Audience expansion guidance
- Week 1–2: Subscribers active within the last 30 days
- Week 3–4: Expand to subscribers active within the last 60 days
- Avoid subscribers inactive for 90+ days during the first 4–6 weeks
What to monitor
After each send, review:
- Soft bounce rates (pause increases if over 5%)
- Signs of throttling or delayed delivery
- Engagement trends (opens and clicks)
If issues occur:
- Pause increases for the affected mailbox provider
- Resume at a lower volume after 24 hours
- Continue increasing only after stability returns
Questions?
For questions or to review your sending plan, contact WordFly Support before sending.