If you send bulk emails, you know the stakes: land in the inbox, or get tossed in spam. This guide is for anyone using AtozEmails who wants their campaigns to actually get read, not just sent. We'll cover how to schedule bulk sends for the best shot at deliverability—without the wishful thinking and marketing fluff.
Why Scheduling Matters More Than You Think
Bulk email isn’t just a numbers game. If you blast 10,000 emails at once, you’re asking spam filters to flag you. ISPs notice these sudden spikes and, frankly, they don’t like it. The trick isn’t to send less—it’s to send smarter.
Scheduling helps you: - Avoid triggering spam filters with sudden volume spikes. - Reach people when they're actually checking their inbox. - Keep your sender reputation healthy for the long haul.
Let’s get right into how to actually do this in AtozEmails—and what to ignore.
Step 1: Clean Your List Before You Even Think About Sending
Nothing tanks deliverability faster than sending to a bad list. Before you touch the scheduling tools, do this:
- Remove hard bounces: Old, fake, or typo-ridden addresses will bounce. Too many bounces? ISPs will throttle or block you.
- Scrub out unengaged contacts: If people haven’t opened in 6+ months, drop them from your send. Low engagement drags everything down.
- Watch for spam traps: These are old, abandoned emails now used to catch spammers. List hygiene services can help flag them.
Pro tip: Don’t buy lists. Seriously, just don’t. Most of them are loaded with traps and fake addresses.
Step 2: Warm Up Your Sending Domain (If You Haven’t Already)
If your domain is new, or you’re ramping up volume, go slow. ISPs want to see consistent, gradual sending—not sudden bursts.
- Start with small batches: Send to your most engaged users first.
- Increase volume gradually: Double your send size every few days, not all at once.
- Authenticate your domain: Make sure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are set up. AtozEmails will walk you through this, but don’t skip it.
What doesn’t work: Trying to “game” the system with tricks like changing domains every month. ISPs are smarter than that now.
Step 3: Know the Best Times to Send (And Why It’s Overhyped)
You’ll find a million “best time to send” articles, but here’s the truth: There’s no magic hour. What matters more is consistency and avoiding big spikes.
That said, here’s what does actually help: - Weekdays, mid-morning: People check email when they start work. Try between 9–11am local time for your audience. - Avoid weekends: Unless you have data showing your audience loves weekend emails, don’t bother. - Test and learn: Your audience might be different. Run small tests with different times.
Don’t obsess over the exact minute. Just avoid blasting everyone at once.
Step 4: Split Your Send Into Batches
Here’s where AtozEmails makes life easier. Instead of dumping your whole list at once, break it into smaller sends.
How to batch sends in AtozEmails: 1. Segment your list: Use AtozEmails to break your master list into smaller groups (e.g., by geography, engagement, or random splits). 2. Use the scheduling feature: When setting up your campaign, choose the “Schedule” option. You can set different times for each batch. 3. Space out sends: For a list of 10,000, send 2,000 every hour, or 3,300 every 3 hours. The exact math isn’t critical—just don’t send all at once. 4. Monitor as you go: If you see bounce rates spike, pause and investigate before sending the next batch.
What to ignore: Fancy “AI-powered” send-time optimization promises. They sound cool, but for most senders, batching and basic timing do 90% of the heavy lifting.
Step 5: Set Up Throttling (If Needed)
Throttling means limiting how many emails go out per minute or hour. This is especially useful if you’re sending really big campaigns or want to be extra cautious.
In AtozEmails: - Go to campaign settings and look for “Send Rate” or “Throttling.” - Set a reasonable limit—say, 1,000 per hour. Start low if you’re unsure. - Remember, slower is safer. There’s no prize for being the fastest sender.
Heads up: If you’re sending through your own SMTP or a third-party provider, check their hourly limits. Exceeding those can get you blocked.
Step 6: Monitor Results in Real Time
Don’t just set it and forget it. AtozEmails gives you live stats for each batch.
- Watch open rates and bounce rates as each batch goes out.
- If you see a sudden drop in opens or a spike in bounces, pause the rest of the campaign and dig in. Sometimes bad data sneaks through.
- Keep an eye on spam complaints. Too many, and your sender reputation will take a hit.
Pro tip: If a batch performs much worse than the others, check if it’s a specific segment, time slot, or content issue.
Step 7: Adjust and Iterate
No plan survives first contact with reality. Use what you learn from each send to tweak your schedule.
- If certain times get better opens, lean into them.
- If throttling is too slow (or too fast), adjust.
- If some segments are dead weight, stop sending to them.
Forget one-size-fits-all rules. Every audience is different, so trust your data over generic advice.
What Not to Worry About
There’s a lot of noise out there. Here’s what you can safely ignore:
- “Best day of the week” charts: Your industry and audience matter more than what some blog claims.
- Overly complex list segmenting: Simple segments (like active vs. inactive) do most of the work.
- Changing subject lines every batch: Unless you’re actually testing, this just adds confusion.
- Paying for “guaranteed inboxing” services: These often don’t deliver, and some can hurt your reputation.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Stay Sane
Bulk email isn’t magic, but it isn’t rocket science either. Clean your list, ramp up slowly, split your sends, and watch what happens. AtozEmails gives you the tools—just use them thoughtfully. Don’t get caught up in trends or silver bullets; small, steady improvements are what actually move the needle.
Keep it simple, watch your data, and tweak as you go. That’s how you get to the inbox—and stay there.