Reputation Warming

When a brand begins sending email from a new IP address or domain, inbox providers like Gmail, Microsoft, Yahoo, and others have no history to evaluate. Without a positive sending reputation, even legitimate marketing emails risk being filtered to spam or blocked entirely.

Reputation Warming is the process of gradually increasing email send volume over a defined period—typically 30 to 60 days—so that Mailbox Providers (MBPs) can observe consistent, high-engagement sending behavior and build trust in the sender.

Zeta's Reputation Warming app, built inside the ZMP platform, replaces the historically manual process (spreadsheets, off-platform calculations, manual segment creation) with a guided, automated workflow.

Navigation

The Reputation Warming app is accessible via the Applications menu.

When you open the Reputation Warming app, you land on the Plans List screen. This is your central hub for all warming plans within the current account.

• Each row in the table represents one warming plan.

Creating a Reputation Warming Plan

Creating a plan is a two-panel form. The left panel captures Plan Details and Settings; the right panel captures Mailbox Provider configurations.

1. In the left panel, under Plan Details, enter a Plan Name and a brief Description to document context: client, campaign type, and any special notes for the Deliverability team.

2. Within the left panel itself, under Plan Settings:

• Select the Starting Date when the first warming email will deploy. This should align with the client's confirmed launch readiness date.

• Select the total Duration the warming plan will run.

  • Most successful strategies run 30 to 60 days.

  • Shorter durations carry a higher risk of deliverability issues at volume.

  • Recommended: 30 days for standard volume, 45–60 days for high-volume or re-warming scenarios.

• Choose the Day Type to configure how the warming calendar counts days:

3. In the right panel, the Mailbox Providers section is where you define which inbox providers the warming plan targets and what volume ramp to apply to each.

For each provider row:

• Select the Mailbox Provider from the dropdown. Each provider can only be added once per plan.

• Choose the Starting Volume, which is the number of emails to send on Day 1 to this provider.

  • Should represent your most-engaged users.

  • Recommended: start conservatively (50–500, depending on list size and provider)

• Set the Max Volume, which is the target daily send volume you aim to reach by the end of the warming period for this provider.

  • Minimum: 500

  • Must be ≥ Starting Volume

To add a second provider, click + Add Mailbox Provider. You can configure as many providers as needed. To remove a row, use the delete icon on that row (available when more than one provider is configured).

4. Once all required fields are complete, the Create Plan button in the top-right activates. Click Create Plan to save. The system will:

• Save the plan in Draft status.

• Auto-generate the day-by-day volume execution schedule based on your inputs.

• Route you to the Plan Dashboard, where you can review the volume schedule.

Volume Schedule

After creating (or opening) a plan, the Plan Dashboard shows the auto-generated volume schedule. This is the core output of the tool.

• The table displays a row for each day of the warming plan.

The volume for each provider increases progressively from the Starting Volume to the Max Volume over the plan duration. The ramp curve is calculated automatically — you do not need to adjust individual day values.

Volume Projections & Progress View

The Volume Projections & Progress chart provides a visual representation of the ramp. Use this to:

• Confirm the ramp curve looks appropriate for the client's goals.

• Spot any anomalies (e.g., unexpected flat days, which can indicate a business-day gap over a holiday period).

Downloading the Schedule

Click Download Schedule to export the full day-by-day volume table as a CSV file. This is useful for:

• Sharing the warming schedule with the client for sign-off.

• Attaching to the client's onboarding documentation.

• Cross-referencing with campaign scheduling.

Generating Segments

Segment generation is triggered from the Plan Dashboard. The system automatically creates audience segments and simultaneously moves the plan from Draft to Active status. This action cannot be undone.

1. Click Create Segments on the Plan Dashboard.

2. A confirmation modal appears; click on Ok to start generation.

3. You are automatically routed to the Segments page for this plan. Once all segments have finished generating (loading indicator gone, Export CSV button enabled), click Export CSV to download the list.

6. Click the Done button in the top-right of the Segments page to return to the Plans List. The plan will now show an Active status badge.

Editing an Active Plan

If your requirements change significantly during the warming period (e.g., you need to add a new MBP, or your max volume target changes), these are the steps to take:

1. Archive the current active plan.

2. Create a new plan with the updated parameters, starting from the current day's volume level (not Day 1).

3. Notify the Deliverability team of the change and document the reason in the new plan's description.