Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo don’t allow more than 500 cold emails per day. With a Google Workspace account, you can send up to 2000 emails. But that’s the limit. 

To send 10,000 cold emails at once without landing in spam (and also make money with it), you need a strong cold email tool like Smartlead. 

In addition, you need 68 secondary domains, 200 email accounts (3 email accounts per secondary domain) to send 10,000 email messages. 

In this article, you’ll find:

• Things you need to do to send 10000 outreach emails
• How to send 10000 outreach emails

Let’s dive in. 

What Is Bulk Cold Emailing?

Bulk cold emailing involves sending a large number of emails—often 1,000 or more—in a single day to potential prospects. The idea is simple: you create a well-crafted email that resonates with your audience and send it to your contact list.

But you might wonder: *Isn’t sending bulk emails the same as spam? And isn’t that illegal?* Not necessarily. Email service providers (ESPs) distinguish bulk emails from spam as long as they comply with ethical practices and legal requirements, particularly data privacy regulations like the CAN-SPAM Act and GDPR.

Legal Regulations for Bulk Cold Emails

1. In the US: The CAN-SPAM Act

If you’re targeting prospects in the US, the CAN-SPAM Act sets clear rules for commercial emails, including both B2B and B2C campaigns. Violations can result in fines of up to $50,120 per email. To ensure compliance, follow these key requirements:

• Accurate Sender Information: Use correct details in your “from” and “reply-to” fields so recipients can easily identify the sender.
• Valid Postal Address: Include your business’s physical address in the email footer.
• Clear Opt-out Option: Make it easy for recipients to unsubscribe from future emails.
• Honest Subject Lines: Avoid misleading subject lines that don’t match the email content.
• Promptly Honor Opt-outs: Remove anyone who unsubscribes without delay.
• Responsibility for Third-party Vendors: If you outsource email campaigns, you’re still accountable for compliance.

2. In Europe and the UK: GDPR

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) governs data privacy for EU citizens and impacts how you approach bulk cold emailing in the region. Non-compliance can result in steep penalties—up to €20 million or 4% of your global annual turnover. To send GDPR-compliant emails, keep these rules in mind:

• Legitimate interest: Ensure you have a valid reason to contact each prospect, such as relevance to their role or industry.
• Transparency: Be clear about how you obtained their contact information. If a prospect requests not to receive further emails, respect their request immediately.
• Opt-out option: Include a simple and visible way for recipients to unsubscribe.

In the UK, GDPR remains in effect as part of UK law under the UK GDPR, alongside the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018.

If your prospects are outside these regions, research and adhere to local email and data privacy laws. By staying informed and following best practices, you can conduct bulk cold email campaigns ethically and legally while building trust with your prospects.

9 Common Reasons Your Email Account Gets Blocked Using Bulk Cold Email Service

Even when you comply with data privacy laws, your emails can still end up flagged or blocked by email service providers (ESPs). ESPs are vigilant about spotting suspicious or spam-like behavior to maintain a secure email environment. If your email activity seems questionable, ESPs may block your account or flag your emails as spam, severely impacting deliverability.

Here are nine common reasons why ESPs might block your emails and how you can avoid these pitfalls.

1. Missing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Configurations

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are essential email authentication protocols that verify you as a legitimate sender and prevent spam or spoofing. Without these in place:

• SPF ensures your email server is authorized to send on behalf of your domain. Without it, ESPs may see your emails as untrustworthy.
• DKIM adds a digital signature to your emails, ensuring they haven’t been tampered with. Not using DKIM opens the door to spoofing.
• DMARC works alongside SPF and DKIM to define policies for handling authentication failures and generates reports to monitor performance.

Failing to set these up makes it far more likely that your emails will be flagged or blocked.

2. High Spam Complaints

If recipients frequently mark your emails as spam, it sends a clear red flag to ESPs, lowering your sender reputation. This often happens when:

• Your email content is irrelevant or generic.
• Subject lines fail to grab attention or mislead the recipient.
• Emails lack personalization.
• You're reaching out to prospects without their consent.

To avoid this, focus on delivering highly relevant, personalized emails to the right audience.

3. Sending Too Many Emails Too Quickly

Sudden spikes in email volume are a red flag for ESPs. Sending hundreds or thousands of emails at once can make your account appear suspicious. ESPs might interpret this as spammy behavior and temporarily or permanently block your account.

Avoid this by gradually increasing your email-sending volume, especially from new accounts.

4. Not Using a Custom Tracking Domain

Tracking domains monitor metrics like open rates and link clicks, but using a shared domain (instead of a custom one) can hurt your reputation. If others using the same shared domain are flagged for spam, it impacts you too. A custom tracking domain tied to your sending domain prevents this and improves email deliverability.

5. Missing Unsubscribe Links

An unsubscribe link isn’t just about compliance with laws like CAN-SPAM and GDPR; it’s also a practical necessity. Without it, recipients who no longer want to receive emails might mark your messages as spam. Multiple spam complaints can lead to account suspension and harm your reputation. Always provide a clear, accessible unsubscribe option.

6. High Bounce Rates

A high bounce rate signals to ESPs that your email list isn’t clean, which can lead to deliverability issues. Bounces happen when:

• Soft bounces occur due to temporary issues like a full inbox or server problems.
• Hard bounces occur when emails are sent to invalid or non-existent addresses.

Keep your bounce rate below 5-10% by regularly verifying and maintaining a clean email list.

7. Skipping the Warm-Up Process

Sending large volumes of emails from a new account without warming it up is a surefire way to get flagged. ESPs monitor for sudden increases in email activity, as this is often associated with spammers. Start by sending a small number of emails daily and gradually increase the volume to build trust with ESPs.

8. Lack of Personalization

Using generic templates and skipping personalization leads to low engagement. When recipients consistently ignore your emails or mark them as spam, your sender reputation suffers. Personalized emails are more likely to resonate with your audience and reduce the risk of being flagged.

9. Targeting the Wrong Prospects

Sending emails to irrelevant or inactive prospects wastes resources and raises red flags for ESPs. Common mistakes include:

• Failing to segment your email list, leading to outreach to uninterested recipients.
• Not performing regular list hygiene to remove invalid or inactive addresses, which increases bounce rates.

Regularly update and segment your contact lists to ensure you’re reaching the right audience with relevant content.

7 Essential Practices for Sending Bulk Cold Emails Without Getting Blocked

Sending bulk cold emails can be highly effective, but it also comes with risks. If not done correctly, email service providers (ESPs) might block your account or flag your emails as spam. To avoid these pitfalls, follow these proven strategies to ensure your campaigns are successful and compliant.

Authenticate Your Domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

Email authentication is critical for establishing trust with ESPs. Setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC ensures your emails are recognized as legitimate and protects against spoofing. 

SPF allows you to specify which servers are authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. This helps recipient servers verify if your emails are genuine. DKIM adds a digital signature to your emails, confirming their authenticity and integrity during transit. Together, SPF and DKIM work like two-factor authentication to validate your sender identity. 

DMARC goes a step further by defining how recipient servers should handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks. It also provides detailed reports to help you fine-tune your email authentication policies. If you haven’t set these up, ask your domain administrator or DNS provider to add the necessary records to your domain’s DNS settings.

Warm Up Your Email Address Gradually

Jumping straight into sending thousands of emails from a new email account is a surefire way to get flagged by ESPs. Instead, warm up your inbox gradually by starting with a small number of emails—around 10 to 20 per day—and asking trusted contacts to open, reply, and engage with them. This builds your sender reputation and signals to ESPs that your account is trustworthy. Over time, you can increase the volume, but be prepared to invest 8 to 12 weeks in the warm-up process for best results.

Include an Unsubscribe Link

Not every recipient will want to receive your emails, and forcing them to do so can harm your sender reputation. Adding a clear and accessible unsubscribe link allows uninterested recipients to opt out, which helps maintain a clean list and improve engagement metrics. Moreover, including an unsubscribe option ensures compliance with laws like CAN-SPAM and GDPR, protecting you from potential legal issues.

Use a Custom Tracking Domain

Tracking the performance of your emails is essential, but using a shared tracking domain can hurt your credibility. Shared domains may carry reputational risks if other users engage in spammy activities. By setting up a custom tracking domain, you ensure your links match your sending domain, making your emails appear more authentic. To set it up, create a subdomain, add a CNAME record in your domain’s DNS settings, and configure it in your email platform.

Personalize Your Emails

While bulk emailing saves time, sending generic messages can reduce engagement and increase the likelihood of being flagged as spam. Personalization doesn’t have to mean crafting each email individually; instead, segment your audience and tailor your content to groups with similar interests or challenges. Use personalization tokens for first names, company names, or industry-specific details, and go beyond surface-level customization to create relevant, relatable content.

Use Email Sequences for Better Engagement

An email sequence—a series of carefully timed messages—can make bulk emailing more effective and reduce the risk of triggering spam filters. By spreading your emails across multiple touchpoints, you engage recipients more meaningfully while avoiding suspicious spikes in email volume. Sequences also allow you to nurture prospects over time, increasing the chances of replies and conversions. Automated tools can help manage sequences, so you focus on closing deals rather than manual outreach.

Stick to Daily Sending Limits

Every ESP has a daily email limit, and exceeding it can result in account suspension. For example, Gmail’s free accounts allow up to 500 emails daily, while Google Workspace offers up to 2,000. Office 365 users can send up to 10,000 emails daily but must also adhere to a per-minute limit of 30 emails. To stay within these limits, plan your campaigns carefully and avoid pushing your account to its maximum capacity. This prevents you from appearing spammy and protects your sender reputation.

Things You Need to Do Before Sending 10000 Cold Emails

For this part, I am guessing you already have a primary domain and a few email addresses. 

Example: our primary domain is Smartlead.ai, and its email addresses are vaibhav@smartlead.ai, rajnish@smartlead.ai, etc. 

If you don’t have a primary domain yet, buy one before going to the next part. 

Sign Up on a Cold Email Tool - Smartlead 

If you're thinking how to send bulk cold emails, the first thing you need is a cold emailing software, such as Smartlead. Smartlead lets you add unlimited email accounts, email warm up, create cold email campaigns, set follow-ups, schedule bulk emails, etc.  

One of our customers achieved as high as 19% positive reply rate with Smartlead.

Make a list of your needs and set a budget. Go through the features of a cold email tool and see if those align with your needs before buying a cold email tool. 

Not to beat our own drums, but Smartlead is the best cold email outreach partner in the market right now. Check this out to learn why. 

Buy Secondary Domains & Create 200 Email Accounts

Secondary domains are additional domain names that a business or individual gets to complement their main domain. 

For example, our primary domain is smartlead.ai, but our secondary domains are 

• smartleadgrowth.info
• smartleadinfo.co
• smarterleaderemails.co

Secondary domains are vital in sending bulk cold emails for 2 reasons: 

• Firstly, they help divide the email-sending load, improving deliverability.
• Secondly, instead of using the primary domain and risking its reputation, you can use the secondary domains. This strategy will prevent potential blacklisting issues of the primary domain.

How many secondary domains do you need for 10,000 cold emails?

If you're thinking how to send 1000 cold emails or more, always split your bulk emails into batches—a max of 50 emails per address. 

Let’s get into a little math to find the answer to this question. 

You want to send 10,000 emails per day. If you can only send 50 emails per address, you will need 200 email addresses (simply 10,000 by 50) to send 10,000 emails.

Now, it’s recommended to create only 3 email addresses per secondary domain. 

So, divide 200 by 3. You need  66 to 67 secondary domains. We always recommend buying one or two extra domains. So, buy around 68 secondary domains to send 10,000 mails. 

Similarly, if you're wondering how to send 5000 cold emails, you will need 33 to 34 secondary domains and 100 email addresses.

To send 1000 cold emails, 6 to 7 secondary domains are enough with 20 email accounts.

Add Bulk Email Accounts to the Cold Email Tool

Once you’ve the secondary domains and the 200 email accounts, add them to your cold email tool.

If you’re using Smartlead, check out this article for technical assistance. 

Email Authentication - DKIM, SPF, DMARC, and MX Records

SPF- Sender Policy Framework 

DKIM - Domain Keys Identified Mail 

DMARC - Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance. 

MX Record - Mail Exchange record

These abbreviations often confuse the daylights out of SDRs, but that’s okay. You’re not alone. Here’s an article on DKIM, SPF, DMARC, and MX Records to help you with everything related to it. 

Warm-Up 

Warming up email accounts is a must to see success with cold emails, especially when you’re using new domains and sending 10,000 messages.

Warm up your new email accounts for at least 2 weeks before launching the campaign. 

Here are resources to help you out with warm-ups:

• How to do email warm-up using Smartlead
• Benefits of Warm-Up 
• Warm-Up analytics
• How to do email warm-up manually

For 10,000 messages, use a cold email tool with an AI-based warm-up feature. 

How to Send 10000 Cold Emails At Once

Sending 10,000 cold emails is similar to sending 100 emails. The difference lies in the number of secondary domains, the lead list, and how you segment and schedule it. 

Take a look at the cold email checklist and practices before launching your outreach campaign. It will save you from many evident mistakes. 

Let’s dig in. 

Create a Lead List 

The easiest way to create a lead list is to get a cold email tool that comes with a contact list building feature. 

For instance, with Smartlead, you can opt for this feature (Listkit integration) and create a targeted lead list with just a few clicks on the Smartlead app itself. 

If you want to use a separate platform for creating an email list, you have the below options: 

• Databases
• Email finders and scrapers

A database is a storehouse of info about potential customers. The information includes industry, contact details, company size, locations, and performance metrics. Using various filters, you can search these databases for potential customers that align with your ICP. Apollo.io is one of the most popular B2B databases. Here’s an article on How to use Apollo to create an effective email list

An email finder or scrapper is a tool designed to retrieve email addresses publicly posted on the internet. Popular email scrappers are Clay, GetProspect, Skrapp.io, Hunter.io, etc.

Here are a few more resources to come up with a lead list:

• Untapped leads & Automation with Clay
• BuiltWith - Technology-Focused Intent

Note: Always verify the lists before launching campaigns. Use Usebouncer, Bulkemailchecker, and MillionVerifier to verify the contacts. 

Upload the Lead List in CSV Format

Organise the downloaded lead list on a Google sheet or Excel doc using various columns to segment it properly. 

Now, log in to the Smartlead app and click on the ‘Email Campaign' section from the navigation menu. 

On Smartlead, you can either upload the lead list as a CSV file or import it directly from your CRM. 

Map the CSV Columns

Next, connect each CSV column to the right dropdown option. If you have extra fields, like "Custom First Line," choose "Custom" in the dropdown. This way, you can include specific info not covered by the standard fields, making your data more personalised.

Afterwards, you will see a pop-up with a summary of the contact list, as shown below. 

This summary is extremely crucial for bulk email outreach. Go through it and see if anything needs your attention.

Write the Email Sequence 

Once you click “Save & Next”, you will go to the next step—sequences. 

This is where you write the email body, subject line, and set the follow-ups for your 10,000-leads cold email campaign. 

When writing the email body, check out the “spam checker” section on Smartlead. It will show the words or terms that are likely to alert spam filters. 

Go through the results and improve your email copy accordingly. 

Set Follow-Ups

Even though you’re sending 10,000 messages, it’s important to follow up to get the best results. 

Here’s how we follow up at Smartlead. 

Don’t set more than three follow-up emails. Keep a healthy interval between each follow-up email. 

Choose Sender Accounts

Once done creating the email sequence, choose the email accounts you want to send from. In this case, you need 200 email accounts for sending 10,000 messages. 

That’s it. You’ve launched a 10,000-leads campaign successfully. Now, sit back and check the analytics dashboard on your cold email tool. 

Final Thoughts

Sending 10,000 cold mails is no different than sending 100 messages. The practices remain the same. If anything that changes is the number of secondary domains and email accounts used for that particular campaign.

If you’re a beginner, I recommend starting small. It will help you understand cold emailing as a process and provide a chance to gain a better understanding of your target audience. 

For beginners, 10,000 might be an overwhelming volume. But, if you still want to give it a shot, go ahead.

Feel free to reach out to the Smartlead team on the Slack channel or the customer support team if you need any kind of assistance.  

FAQs

How to create a lead list for cold email outreach?

To create a lead list for cold email outreach, leverage a cold email tool like Smartlead that comes with a built-in feature or integration for easy list building. Alternatively, explore databases such as Apollo.io, email finders like Skrapp.io, or tools like Clay and BuiltWith. Always verify lists using tools like Usebouncer and MillionVerifier before the campaign launches.

Can you send 1,000 emails a day?

Yes, you can send 1000 emails a day with an AI-based cold email software. 

Is it legal to send cold emails?

No, sending cold emails is not illegal. However, laws and regulations like the CAN-SPAM Act and GDPR regulate cold outreach, requiring accurate information, protection of recipients' data, and application of an unsubscribe link within emails to comply with its provisions.

What tools are recommended for managing large-scale cold email campaigns?

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Several tools and platforms can help streamline the process of managing large-scale cold email campaigns and enhance your outreach efforts. Tools like Smartlead, Mailshake, and Snov.io are excellent choices as they offer robust features tailored to cold email outreach. Smartlead provides automation, personalization, and analytics to manage campaigns effectively. Mailshake focuses on easy integration with CRM systems and offers comprehensive tracking capabilities. Snov.io is known for its email finder and verification features, ensuring your emails reach valid contacts. Using an AI bulk email sender is also beneficial for efficiently sending thousands of emails at once without compromising on personalization.

How do you personalize cold emails when sending them in bulk?

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Personalizing cold emails at scale involves using advanced tools and techniques to tailor each message while maintaining efficiency. Start by segmenting your email list based on specific criteria such as industry, role, or previous interactions. Use merge tags to insert personalized elements like the recipient's name, company, and relevant details dynamically into your emails. Craft a versatile template that allows for easy customization of key sections. Leveraging bulk email software that supports dynamic content and personalized snippets can significantly enhance the personalization of your mass cold email campaigns. This approach ensures your emails remain relevant and engaging, even when sending thousands at once.

How can you segment your email list for more effective cold outreach?

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Segmenting your email list is crucial for the success of your cold email outreach. Begin by categorizing your contacts based on demographics, such as industry, company size, and geographic location. Further segmentation can be achieved by analyzing behavioral data, such as past interactions, website visits, and content engagement. Utilize your CRM and bulk email sender tool to create detailed segments and tailor your messaging accordingly. By addressing the specific needs and pain points of each segment, you can craft highly targeted and effective cold email campaigns, resulting in improved response rates and engagement.

What are the risks of sending too many cold emails at once, and how can you mitigate them?

‍

Sending too many cold emails at once can lead to several risks, including getting flagged for spam, damaging your sender's reputation, and experiencing higher bounce rates. To mitigate these risks, adhere to cold email rules and best practices. Use email verification tools to ensure you're sending to valid addresses and avoid spam traps. Slowly ramp up your email volume to build credibility with email service providers. Personalize your emails to avoid generic and spammy content. Additionally, monitor your email deliverability and engagement metrics continuously. Utilize cold email-sending services that offer advanced monitoring and compliance features to stay within safe gmail sending limits and other providers email sending limits as well as maintain a healthy sender reputation.

How do you integrate cold email outreach with other marketing strategies?

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Integrating cold email outreach with other marketing strategies amplifies your overall efforts and creates a cohesive approach. Start by aligning your cold email campaigns with your broader marketing goals and messaging. Use insights from your content marketing, social media, and paid advertising efforts to inform your email content and targeting. For example, leverage blog posts and whitepapers as valuable resources in your emails. Coordinate your outreach timing with other campaigns, such as launching a new product alongside a targeted cold email blitz. Track and analyze data across all channels to understand how cold email outreach contributes to your overall marketing performance. Combining these efforts ensures a unified strategy that maximizes reach and effectiveness.

How do you measure the success of a cold email campaign?

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Measuring the success of a cold email campaign involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect your campaign goals. Common KPIs include open rates, click-through rates, response rates, and conversion rates. Utilize bulk email software with robust analytics to monitor these metrics in real time. Pay attention to the quality of responses and the engagement levels of different segments within your email list. A/B testing various elements of your emails, such as subject lines and calls to action, can provide insights into what resonates best with your audience. Ultimately, the success of a cold email campaign is determined by how well it generates qualified leads and drives tangible business outcomes.

How can you avoid getting your cold emails marked as spam?

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Avoiding the spam folder requires a combination of technical setup, content strategy, and adherence to cold email rules. Ensure your domain and email server settings, such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, are correctly configured to establish sender authenticity. Use email verification tools to clean your list and remove invalid addresses. Craft compelling and relevant subject lines that avoid spammy words or phrases. Personalize your emails to make them more engaging and less likely to be marked as spam. Implement proper opt-out mechanisms and respect unsubscribe requests promptly. Monitoring your sender's reputation and staying compliant with anti-spam regulations are also vital steps in avoiding the spam folder. 

By leveraging these strategies and tools, you can effectively manage large-scale cold email campaigns, ensure high deliverability, personalize at scale, and integrate with other marketing tactics to drive successful outcomes from your cold email outreach efforts.