# Cold Email Launch Checklist: Founder, SDR Team and Agency Versions

URL: https://warmerly.com/blog/cold-email-launch-checklist-founder-sdr-agency
Published: 2026-10-14
Reading time: 7 minutes
Tags: Setup, Cold email, Checklist

> A checklist to launch cold email safely: domains, DNS, mailboxes, warmup, list checks and the first send, for founders, SDR teams and agencies.

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.

> **How this was checked**: Volume numbers are Warmerly's published guideline and the ramp our campaign engine uses: it starts at 3 emails per mailbox on day one and adds one a day up to a ceiling of 15 by default, counting only sending days. Treat them as a cautious starting point. No statistics are used.

## 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

**The same checklist, three set-ups**
|  | 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 |

**Do the checks**
- [Free deliverability checker](https://warmerly.com/deliverability-checker)
- [Free SPF checker](https://warmerly.com/spf-checker)
- [Free DMARC checker](https://warmerly.com/dmarc-checker)
- [Cold email setup guide](https://warmerly.com/blog/cold-email-setup-guide)
- [Cold email for agencies](https://warmerly.com/use-cases/cold-email-agencies)

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Source: https://warmerly.com/blog/cold-email-launch-checklist-founder-sdr-agency
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