Troubleshooting warmup (paused, low health score, high spam placement)

Draft — written from product facts + domain knowledge; UI labels to be verified before publishing.

Warm-up problems show up in three ways on the Mailbox page and a mailbox's Warm up tab: warm-up has paused, the health score is low, or spam placement is high. Each has a short list of likely causes. Work through them in order.

Warm-up is paused

Warm-up pauses when the mailbox cannot send or receive.

1. Go to Mailbox and open the mailbox. Note any error shown next to its status.
2. Credentials expired or password changed. Reconnect: Mailbox → Connect Mailbox, choose the provider, and re-authorise (Connect with Google / Connect with Outlook). For Icemail mailboxes, re-run Import from Icemail.
3. Microsoft mailbox: SMTP AUTH or IMAP disabled. In the Microsoft 365 admin centre → Active Users → the user → Mail → Manage Email Apps → enable Authenticated SMTP and IMAP.
4. Google Workspace: app no longer trusted. In Google Admin → Security → API controls → Manage App Access, confirm the OutreachFox app is Trusted.
5. Provider suspended the account for suspicious activity. Log in to the mailbox directly, complete any verification, then re-enable warm-up. If suspensions repeat, replace the mailbox.
6. Sending limit hit. Warm-up plus campaign volume exceeded the provider's cap. Lower the campaign limit and the warm-up max.
7. Select the mailbox → Enable Warm Up → choose the profile → Enable Warmer to resume.

Health score is low (under 70)

1. Check how long warm-up has run. Under 7 days, a low score is normal; wait.
2. Check the ramp. If the profile increases by more than +5/day or started above 10/day on a new domain, move the mailbox to a slower profile.
3. Check authentication: SPF, DKIM and DMARC must all PASS. Send a test to Gmail and use Show original.
4. Check blacklists for the domain and, for IMAP/SMTP mailboxes, the sending IP (see Blacklist monitoring).
5. Check whether all mailboxes on the domain are low. If yes, the domain is the problem (DNS, blacklist, or too much total volume). If only one, the mailbox is; replace it via Icemail.
6. Remove the mailbox from campaigns for 7 days and let warm-up run alone.

Spam placement is high (over 10%)

1. Open the ESP breakdown on the Warm up tab. If one provider is responsible, the fix is provider-specific (Microsoft is strict with new domains — slow the ramp and give it another week).
2. Reduce the profile max by half for 5–7 days. Rescues from spam are how warm-up repairs reputation, so keep it running; just at lower volume.
3. Confirm the domain forwards to a real website and has MX set.
4. If the mailbox is also in a campaign, check that campaign's bounce rate and reply rate. A campaign with bounces over 3% or spam complaints will drag warm-up placement down. Pause the campaign for that mailbox.
5. If spam placement stays above 20% for 10 days, replace the mailbox. If every mailbox on the domain is affected, replace the domain.

Quick reference

Tips

• Change one thing at a time and give it 3–5 days; warm-up metrics lag.
• Keep spare warmed mailboxes so a troubled one can leave the campaign without hurting volume.
• Free replacements exist for a reason. Do not spend weeks nursing a burned mailbox.

Related articles

• Read the warmup health dashboard
• Review warmup send/reply history and ESP breakdown
• Warmup best practices: how long, how fast, and when to launch
• Blacklist monitoring: how to check and delist a domain or IP
• How Icemail automates SPF, DKIM and DMARC — and replaces mailboxes for free
• Connect a Microsoft 365 / Outlook mailbox
• Connect a Google Workspace mailbox