cold-iq Email Infrastructure
Take cold email infrastructure from zero to live: size it, provision mailboxes, warm them up, and verify health — using ColdIQ's resold Instantly account/warmup endpoints (BYOK, free, no ColdIQ credits). Once infra is healthy, hand off to instantly-api for campaigns.
ColdIQ Marketplace Endpoints
| Task | Method | Path | Credits | Endpoint ID | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Order DFY pre-warmed inboxes | POST | /v1/instantly/dfy-email-account-orders |
free | instantly.dfy_orders.create |
Fastest path to live |
| Check domain availability | POST | /v1/instantly/dfy-email-account-orders/domains/check |
free | instantly.dfy_orders.domains_check |
Before buying |
| List pre-warmed domains | POST | /v1/instantly/dfy-email-account-orders/domains/pre-warmed-up-list |
free | instantly.dfy_orders.domains_prewarmed |
Skip the 2-3 week warmup |
| Connect a mailbox | POST | /v1/instantly/accounts |
free | instantly.accounts.create |
Bring your own mailbox |
| List mailboxes | GET | /v1/instantly/accounts |
free | instantly.accounts.list |
Inventory |
| Get mailbox health | GET | /v1/instantly/accounts/{email} |
free | instantly.accounts.get |
Per-account status |
| Enable warmup | POST | /v1/instantly/accounts/warmup/enable |
free | instantly.accounts.warmup_enable |
Start 2-3 wks before sending |
| Disable warmup | POST | /v1/instantly/accounts/warmup/disable |
free | instantly.accounts.warmup_disable |
Avoid once campaigns live |
| Warmup analytics | POST | /v1/instantly/accounts/warmup-analytics |
free | instantly.accounts.warmup_analytics |
Health scores |
| Test account vitals | POST | /v1/instantly/accounts/test/vitals |
free | instantly.accounts.test_vitals |
Pre-launch check |
| Daily account analytics | GET | /v1/instantly/accounts/analytics/daily |
free | instantly.accounts.analytics_daily |
Monitor live sending |
Critical rules (never break)
- Never use your primary domain for cold outreach.
- Max 2 mailboxes per domain.
- One domain = one workspace (never mix).
- Use multiple registrars (no single point of failure).
- Warm up 2–3 weeks minimum before sending.
- Never disable warmup once campaigns are running.
- Start conservative, scale gradually.
Infrastructure sizing formula
- Monthly goal ÷ 20 working days = daily volume
- Daily volume ÷ 20–25 per mailbox = mailboxes needed
- Mailboxes × 1.5 (buffer) ÷ 2 = domains needed
- Provider split: 60% Google Workspace, 40% Microsoft 365
Example: 3,000/month → 150/day → 10–12 mailboxes → 5–6 domains.
DNS — all 4 records required
| Record | Purpose |
|---|---|
| MX | Routes incoming email |
| SPF | Declares sending servers |
| DKIM | Digital signature authentication |
| DMARC | Policy for SPF/DKIM failures |
(DNS is configured at the registrar/provider — ColdIQ doesn't set DNS. Use the DFY order to skip manual setup.)
Setup flow
- Size the infra (formula above).
- Fastest path — order done-for-you pre-warmed inboxes (skip manual domain/DNS/warmup).
→ POST
/v1/instantly/dfy-email-account-orders· free ·instantly.dfy_orders.create- First check what's available:
→ POST
/v1/instantly/dfy-email-account-orders/domains/pre-warmed-up-list· free ·instantly.dfy_orders.domains_prewarmed→ POST/v1/instantly/dfy-email-account-orders/domains/check· free ·instantly.dfy_orders.domains_check
- First check what's available:
→ POST
- BYO path — connect your own mailboxes, then enable warmup 2–3 weeks before sending.
→ POST
/v1/instantly/accounts· free ·instantly.accounts.create→ POST/v1/instantly/accounts/warmup/enable· free ·instantly.accounts.warmup_enable - Before launch, confirm health.
→ POST
/v1/instantly/accounts/warmup-analytics· free ·instantly.accounts.warmup_analytics→ POST/v1/instantly/accounts/test/vitals· free ·instantly.accounts.test_vitals - Go live (ramp), then monitor daily.
→ GET
/v1/instantly/accounts/analytics/daily· free ·instantly.accounts.analytics_daily
Warmup & ramp
Warmup: Week 1 foundation (no campaigns) · Week 2 building (no campaigns) · Week 3 ready (health 70%+, ideally 90%+). Going-live ramp/mailbox: Wk1 G 10–15 / MS 5–10 → Wk2–3 G 15–20 / MS 10–12 → Wk4+ G 20–25 / MS 12–15.
Healthy metrics
Open 50%+ · reply 2%+ · bounce <3% (target <2%) · spam <0.1% · deliverability >95%. If bounce climbs or vitals drop, pause that mailbox and re-check warmup analytics before resuming.