If you’re trying to get your B2B cold emails out of spam and into actual inboxes, connecting Gmail to Mailwarm is a smart move. But if you’ve ever tried to set up email warm-up tools, you know it’s easy to get lost in the weeds. This guide is for founders, sales folks, or anyone handling their own outreach—no IT department required.
I’ll walk you through the connection process, flag the gotchas, and keep it grounded. No fluff. Just what you need to get Mailwarm running with Gmail, and a few tips so you don’t shoot yourself in the foot.
Why bother warming up Gmail anyway?
If you’re sending real email campaigns (not spam, not “blasts,” but actual, intentional outreach), Google is watching. They want to see normal activity—emails going out, coming in, being replied to, not just you hammering “send” to a list. Mailwarm automates this “human-looking” activity for you. It’s not magic, but it helps keep your emails landing where they’re supposed to: in the inbox.
If you skip this step, your cold emails may end up in spam, or worse, your Gmail account could get limited. So warming up isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s table stakes if you want to run B2B outreach from Gmail.
What you’ll need before you start
Let’s make sure you’ve got your ducks in a row:
- A Gmail account (ideally a Google Workspace account, but personal Gmail works too)
- Mailwarm account (with a paid plan—free trials are limited)
- Access to your Gmail security settings (admin access if it’s a company domain)
- A bit of patience (Google’s not always speedy with changes)
Pro tip: If your Gmail account is brand new, send a few real emails before connecting. Don’t just jump straight to automation. Google likes seeing some organic activity first.
Step 1: Get your Gmail account ready
Before connecting, you’ll need to tweak your Gmail security settings. Yes, Google makes this a pain (thanks, phishing scammers), but it’s doable.
1.1. Enable IMAP in Gmail
Mailwarm needs IMAP access to send and read emails. Here’s how:
- Log in to Gmail.
- Click the gear icon (top right) → See all settings.
- Go to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
- Under the “IMAP access” section, select Enable IMAP.
- Click Save Changes at the bottom.
If you skip this, Mailwarm won’t be able to do its thing. Double-check that you saved.
1.2. Set up “App Passwords” (if you use 2-Step Verification)
If your account has 2-step verification (and it should), you can’t just use your regular Gmail password with Mailwarm. You’ll need an App Password—a special password just for this connection.
- Go to Google Account Security.
- Under “Signing in to Google,” find App Passwords. (You might need to sign in again.)
- Select Mail as the app, and Other (Custom name) for the device. Call it “Mailwarm.”
- Google will give you a 16-character password. Copy it—this is the only time you’ll see it.
If you don’t see the App Passwords option, you probably don’t have 2-step verification turned on. Either enable it (recommended) or skip this and use your regular password—if you trust Mailwarm with it. Your call.
1.3. If you’re on Google Workspace (company domain)
Some admins lock down IMAP or app password access. If you hit a wall, talk to your IT person or check the Google Workspace Admin Console. Look for security settings that block “less secure apps” or IMAP. Change them if you can.
Step 2: Sign in to Mailwarm and start the connection
- Log in to your Mailwarm dashboard.
- Hit the Add Email Account or Connect Account button (naming might change—look for the obvious option).
- Choose Gmail from the list of providers.
Mailwarm will now ask for:
- Your full Gmail address
- Your password (or App Password, if you set it up)
- IMAP and SMTP server details (usually filled in by default for Gmail)
- Port numbers (again, defaults are fine)
Typical values: - IMAP: imap.gmail.com, port 993, SSL: yes - SMTP: smtp.gmail.com, port 465 or 587, SSL/TLS: yes
If you’re not sure, just use the defaults. Gmail hasn’t changed these in years.
Step 3: Authorize access and test the connection
After you fill in the info, Mailwarm will try to connect. If everything’s correct, you’ll get a green light or a “successfully connected” message. If not, double-check:
- Did you use the App Password (if needed)?
- Is IMAP enabled in Gmail settings?
- Did you copy-paste everything right? (One stray space can break this.)
If you get an error, don’t panic. Most issues are just typos or security settings. Mailwarm’s error messages aren’t always crystal clear, but they usually point to the problem.
Step 4: Configure your Mailwarm warm-up settings
Once you’re connected, you’ll see options for how aggressively you want to “warm up” your inbox.
Here’s what matters:
- Daily warm-up volume: Start slow. 15–25 emails per day is plenty for a new account. Cranking this up too fast is a red flag for Google.
- Reply rate: Mailwarm can simulate replies to your emails. A 30–50% reply rate looks natural; 100% does not.
- Schedule: Set warm-ups to run during business hours in your timezone—this looks more human.
Ignore the temptation to max out every setting. Slow, steady activity looks real; sudden spikes look spammy.
Step 5: Monitor your Gmail and adjust
Mailwarm will start sending and replying to emails behind the scenes. What should you do now?
- Watch your Gmail “Sent” and “Inbox” folders. You’ll see weird emails from Mailwarm’s network. This is normal.
- Check for any Google security alerts. Sometimes Google flags automated access as suspicious. Just confirm it’s you.
- Don’t run big B2B campaigns right away. Let Mailwarm do its thing for at least 2–4 weeks before launching full-scale outreach.
If you see bounce-backs, login issues, or weird behavior, pause and check your settings. Sometimes Google revokes access for no clear reason. Re-authorize if needed.
Pro tips and honest advice
- Mailwarm isn’t a silver bullet. It helps with deliverability, but if your content screams “spam,” you’ll still hit the junk folder. Write like an actual person.
- Don’t use brand-new domains. Google is extra suspicious of domains less than a few months old—no tool can fix that.
- Warm up before you send campaigns, not after. If you’ve already been marked as spam, it’s much harder to recover.
- Monitor your domain reputation. Use tools like Gmail Postmaster or third-party monitors to spot issues early.
- If you’re worried about privacy, read Mailwarm’s privacy policy. You are giving a third party access to your inbox. For most, this is a trade-off worth making, but go in with your eyes open.
Common issues (and how to fix them)
- Can’t connect? Double-check IMAP is enabled and you’re using the right password (App Password for 2FA, normal password otherwise).
- Google security alert? Confirm it was you who authorized. Sometimes you’ll need to unlock CAPTCHA for your account: https://accounts.google.com/DisplayUnlockCaptcha
- Emails look weird in inbox? That’s normal—Mailwarm’s network “talks” to itself to look human. They shouldn’t go to your real contacts.
- Account flagged or limited? Pause all activity. Warm up slower, and review your sending habits.
Wrapping up
Connecting Gmail to Mailwarm isn’t rocket science, but it can be fiddly if you haven’t done it before. Set it up step by step, start slow, and don’t get greedy with your warm-up numbers. Remember: the goal is to look like a real person, not a robot running a campaign.
Keep it simple. Focus on sending emails people actually want to receive, and let Mailwarm handle the background noise. If something breaks, don’t panic—just retrace your steps, adjust, and try again. The best outreach setups are built by tweaking, not by blasting through every setting on Day 1. Good luck!