Sender Infrastructure Provisioning (Onboarding)

Sender Infrastructure Provisioning (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Confirm the client's sending domains are separate from their primary brand domain

   Register or delegate two to four secondary domains per client, then verify SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records resolve before any mailbox is created. A single burned root domain can take the client's transactional email down with it.

2. 02

   Size the mailbox count against the contracted send volume, not the campaign list size

   Budget roughly 20 to 30 sends per mailbox per day for a new domain. A 30,000-contact list over a 30-day sequence needs about 40 mailboxes, which is a provisioning decision made before the first sequence is built.

3. 03

   Decide whether the client runs on shared or private sending infrastructure

   Shared pools from platforms such as Instantly or Smartlead keep setup cost low and are adequate under about 50,000 sends per month. Private infrastructure from providers like Aerosend isolates every 10 domains on dedicated servers with aged IPs and is the better fit when a client's reputation cannot be pooled with strangers.

4. 04

   Start warmup on every new mailbox at least 14 days before the first live send

   Warmup volume should ramp gradually and continue running in the background after launch. Woodpecker and Saleshandy both bundle warmup into the mailbox setup flow, which removes a separate vendor step for smaller retainers.

5. 05

   Map each mailbox to a named human sender with a real signature and reply-to address

   Generic sender identities depress reply rates and complicate handoff when the assigned rep changes. Record the mapping in the client's account file so a departing team member does not orphan a live inbox.

6. 06

   Set the sending schedule to the client's business hours in the prospect's timezone

   Weekend and overnight sends on a B2B list read as automated and raise spam complaints. Confirm the schedule with the client in writing before the first sequence goes live.

7. 07

   Log the infrastructure baseline in the client record before launch

   Capture domain age, mailbox count, warmup start date, and current bounce rate. This baseline is the reference point for the first deliverability review and for any dispute about who introduced a reputation problem.