How to Manually Set Up Cold Email Infrastructure

Setting up cold email infrastructure is the foundation of a successful cold email campaign. It’s not just sending, it’s making sure emails land in the inbox. Without setup, your messages may hit spam and hurt deliverability and domain trust. 

A Manual Guide to Building Trust and Hitting the Inbox

A good cold email setup builds trust with inbox providers, boosts opens and replies, and shields your domain from blacklists. It means setting SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, fixing DNS, warming up your sender reputation, and watching send limits and IP score.
This process is time-intensive and requires a level of technical know-how, but skipping it or doing it poorly can tank your entire campaign. In this article, we’ll walk through each step of the manual setup process so you can get it right from the start. And if it all sounds like too much, we’ll explain how Mailpool automates this entire workflow to save you time and ensure your campaigns are built on solid ground.

Get a Dedicated Sending Domain

Don’t use your main domain for cold outreach. Use a variation instead, like getbrand.com if your main one is brand.com. This protects your domain’s reputation in case your outreach triggers spam filters or causes deliverability issues. Buying a domain is quick and cheap. Sites like Namecheap, Hostinger, and GoDaddy sell them for $10–$15 per year, depending on the extension (.com, .co, .io, etc.).
After you register your domain, start warming it up slowly. A domain should be at least three months old before you send in bulk. If it’s newer, you need to warm it up. Send just a few emails a day and increase volume week by week. This builds sender reputation and helps your emails land in inboxes, not spam.

Set Up Professional Inboxes

After creating your domain, the next step is setting up a professional inbox for cold email using providers like Google Workspace. Start by purchasing a Google Workspace plan, which is around $6, and ensure you register with admin access. Once your account is active, access the Admin Console to create user inboxes, ideally 3 inboxes per domain, to maintain a healthy sending reputation and avoid triggering spam filters. Use professional naming formats like john@yourdomain.com. This setup provides a trusted email environment, helps build sender credibility, and prepares your domain for high-deliverability cold outreach.

Configure DNS Records for Deliverability

You need proper authentication to get your cold emails into inboxes. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Go to your domain’s DNS settings.
2. Add These Records
MX Record
Type: MX
Host: @
Points to: Your inbox provider (e.g., Google Workspace)
SPF Record
Type: TXT
Name: @
Value: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
DKIM Record
Type: TXT
Host: From your provider (e.g., google._domainkey)
Value: DKIM from your email service provider
DMARC Record
Type: TXT
Name: _dmarc
Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:you@yourdomain.com
3. Check every detail.
Use tools like MXToolBox, DNS Checker to test your records and inbox delivery.

Warm Up the Inboxes

Warm up your inbox before sending cold emails. Send a few emails each day. Choose real, active recipients. Slowly raise the volume over weeks. Make sure people reply and interact. Avoid spammy words. Vary your messages. Steady engagement shows providers your emails are real. That builds your reputation and lifts inbox placement.

Set It Up Manually, or Let Mailpool Handle It‍

Manual cold email setup gives you full control, but it’s tedious. You’re juggling tools, editing DNS, warming inboxes, and tracking deliverability every day. That’s why Mailpool exists: it automates your entire infrastructure. Skip the manual grind and launch high-performing campaigns in minutes.