Use Inbox Ramp Up

Article author
Dustin Nathaniel Keys
Updated

Overview

Inbox ramp up improves email deliverability by increasing outbound email volume over time across the automated or scheduled emails associated with a mailbox in Apollo. Inbox ramp up aligns your email behavior with mailbox provider standards and reduces the risk of providers identifying your messages as junk or spam. Use inbox ramp up so your messages reach contacts more reliably.

Apollo recommends inbox ramp up if you have a new email domain, or if you have an established email domain and have had a strong sender reputation for at least 1 year but are newly connecting the domain to Apollo.

 
Check All the Boxes

If you need help improving your sender reputation, check out the following resources before jumping into inbox ramp up:


Check out the following sections to get started with inbox ramp up.

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Use Inbox Ramp Up

First, link your mailbox in Apollo. Inbox ramp up only works on mailboxes connected to Apollo.

 
Not a Bot

Did you know? Inbox ramp up uses real emails that you schedule or automate through sequences in Apollo. Inbox ramp up doesn't use bots or fake emails to simulate inbox behavior, as these practices may be risky to your sender reputation.

To use inbox ramp up:

  1. Launch Apollo and click Settings > Mailboxes.
  2. Toggle Start ramp up.

The ellipsis button is clicked with the Start warm-up option highlighted

  1. Apollo shares the number of active sequences associated with the mailbox. Click Set thresholds.

The Start warm-up button is highlighted

  1. By default, Apollo triggers alerts each time your mailbox performs below standard delivery rates. These default rates are based on the global averages of top performing Apollo users, but you can edit each rate to match your team's needs, or deactivate thresholds entirely.
  • Open rate: the percentage of emails opened out of the number of emails sent.
  • Reply rate: the percentage of email replies out of the total sent.
  • Bounce rate: the percentage of emails that bounce out of the total sent.
  • Spam block: the percentage of spam blocked emails out of the total sent.
  1. When finished, click Start ramp up.

The Start warm-up button is highlighted

You have now enabled inbox ramp up. Apollo shares the estimated completion date for inbox ramp up.

 
Slow Down to Speed Up

It can take around 2 weeks for inbox ramp up to complete. During this time, expect a delay in scheduled and automated emails sent in Apollo with this mailbox.

Next steps

Next, create sequences with automated email steps or schedule emails in Apollo. Inbox ramp up only works on automated or scheduled emails sent in Apollo. Add contacts to the sequence, and select to send from the mailbox using ramp up.

The Start warm-up button is highlighted

When you move contacts into an automated email step or schedule a manual email, inbox ramp up gradually increases outbound email volume over time.

You can check the status of inbox ramp up at any time.

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Check Inbox Ramp Up Status

Inbox ramp up on Apollo improves email deliverability rates through an automated, gradual delivery ramp up over a 2-week period.

To check inbox ramp up status:

  1. Launch Apollo and click Settings > Mailboxes.
  2. Review the ramp up status:

Example mailboxes are shown with warm up statuses at 100% and 30%

The status will change over time as ramp up increases. You can review other mailbox metrics, as well as check your mailbox health.

If you made a mistake and need to stop inbox ramp up, click ... beside your mailbox > Stop ramp up.

The stop warm-up button is highlighted

Click Stop ramp up. You can restart inbox ramp up later.

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FAQs

How many mailboxes can I enroll in inbox ramp up?

There's no limit to the number of mailboxes that you can enroll in inbox ramp up. However, be aware that outbound email volume for the team will slow if you enroll multiple mailboxes at once.

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Can I choose which sequence to use with inbox ramp up?

When you enable inbox ramp up, Apollo automatically throttles all outgoing email associated with the mailbox. If you'd like to use inbox ramp up on a specific sequence, Apollo recommends deactivating all other sequences associated with the mailbox.

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What happens if inbox ramp up exceeds the thresholds I set?

If you enable thresholds with inbox ramp up and your mailbox falls below the set rates, Apollo deactivates inbox ramp up and notifies you with recommendations to improve deliverability rates. To avoid deactivation, ensure you don't exceed inbox ramp up thresholds.

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My mailbox is performing below the thresholds I set. How can I improve mailbox performance?

First, Apollo recommends you only activate the sequences you want to run inbox ramp up on. This ensures a more controlled environment, allowing you to adjust mailbox behavior. Next, ensure the automated emails in your sequences are very relevant to a narrow contact target list. To improve your chances of higher open and click rates, only enroll prospects with verified emails. Finally, be sure to follow Apollo's Email Deliverability Checklist.

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