Setup, Cold email, Checklist
Cold Email Launch Checklist: Founder, SDR Team and Agency Versions
Most cold email problems are set up before the first send. This checklist covers domains, authentication, mailboxes, warmup, the list and the first week, then what changes for a solo founder, an SDR team or an agency.
7 min read
Before the first cold email goes out you need a separate sending domain, SPF, DKIM and DMARC passing, mailboxes that have been warming for at least two weeks, a verified list, and a first-week volume ramp. The steps are the same for everyone. What changes between a founder, an SDR team and an agency is how many domains you run and who owns each one.
The checklist
1. Domains
- Buy one or more separate domains that resemble your brand. Do not cold email from your main domain.
- Make the domain look real: a simple website or a redirect to your main site.
- Keep two to three mailboxes per domain rather than many on one.
2. Authentication
- One SPF record per domain, under 10 DNS lookups.
- DKIM enabled with a 2048-bit key where your provider allows it, and signing switched on.
- A DMARC record, starting at p=none, with reports going somewhere you read.
- Send a test to a Gmail address you control and confirm dmarc=pass in the headers.
3. Mailboxes and warmup
- Create the mailboxes, add a name and a profile photo, and send a few normal emails to real people.
- Start warmup the same day. Give a brand-new domain at least two weeks before real volume.
- Keep warmup running at a lower level once campaigns start.
4. List
- Verify every address before upload and remove role addresses and known bounces.
- Keep the list small and relevant for the first campaign. Aim for people who could plausibly say yes.
- Add a plain unsubscribe line and honour it at once.
5. First send and first week
- Start with a few emails per mailbox a day and add a little each sending day. Do not jump to a mailbox's technical limit.
- Plain text or very light HTML, one link at most, and no attachments.
- Watch bounces and complaints daily. If bounces climb, pause and fix the list.
- Check authentication and blocklists weekly.
What changes for each team
| Solo founder | SDR team | Agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domains | One or two | A few, shared across reps | A separate set for each client |
| Mailboxes | Two to six | One or two per rep, on separate domains | Per client, never shared between clients |
| Owner of DNS and warmup | You | One named person, so records do not drift | A named person per client |
| Biggest risk | Skipping warmup to start sooner | Reps adding tools that break SPF | One client's bad list damaging another client's domain |
| Review rhythm | Weekly look at bounces | A weekly check across all domains | A weekly check per client, shared with the client |
Frequently asked questions
How long should I warm up before the first cold email?
Give a brand-new domain and mailbox at least two weeks of warmup before real volume, and start campaigns with a small volume that grows each sending day.
How many cold emails can a new mailbox send on day one?
Start small. Warmerly's campaign ramp opens at 3 emails per mailbox on day one and adds one for each sending day, up to a default ceiling of 15.
Should an agency share domains between clients?
No. Keep each client on their own domains and mailboxes so one client's list problems cannot damage another's reputation.
