Cold Emailing
Jan 31, 2026
CEO and co-founder
Cold Email Infrastructure Myths: Shared Hosting, Dedicated IPs, and the Truth About Deliverability
What is cold email infrastructure really?
Think of cold email infrastructure as the plumbing that moves your message from your sending platform to your prospect's inbox. Understanding these components helps you identify where the real risks and costs hide.
Every cold email operation runs on five layers: domains (your sending identity), DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC authentication), IP addresses (shared or dedicated), sending platforms (Instantly, Smartlead), and warmup services (reputation building). The domain and DNS layers consume most manual configuration hours. The IP layer hides the biggest deliverability risks. For a complete walkthrough of how these components interact, watch our Ultimate Cold Email Infrastructure Guide.
We consolidate the domain, DNS, and IP layers into a single automated platform. When you purchase domains through Inframail, we automatically configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records in under two minutes. Your inboxes run on dedicated US-based IPs rather than shared pools.
Myth: Shared hosting is always bad for cold email
The myth: "If you use shared hosting, your emails will land in spam."
The reality: This myth conflates two related but distinct issues. Shared web hosting creates some deliverability risk, but shared sending IPs create far greater danger.
The "bad neighbor" effect explained
Shared web hosting means your website sits on a server with other websites. The hosting provider divides resources (CPU, memory, bandwidth) among users. According to ChemiCloud's technical glossary, when spam detection tools see spam from a shared server, they can blacklist the IP, affecting all accounts on that host.
Shared sending IPs amplify this risk dramatically. When multiple senders share the same email IP address, one spammer can contaminate the reputation for everyone. Inbox providers track reputation at the IP level. If someone on your shared IP pool hits spam traps or generates complaints, inbox providers can flag the entire IP range.
What this means for your setup
You can use shared web hosting for your domain's website, but separate your email infrastructure onto dedicated systems. Namecheap's technical documentation confirms that A records (pointing to web hosting) and MX records (routing email) operate independently, pointing to different servers for different purposes.
The infrastructure choice that matters most is your sending IP. Dedicated IPs isolate your reputation from other senders entirely. Our video on dedicated IP vs shared IP pools breaks down exactly how this protection works.
Myth: A dedicated IP guarantees perfect deliverability immediately
The myth: "I bought a dedicated IP, so I can blast 5,000 emails today."
The reality: A dedicated IP starts with zero reputation. Not good. Not bad. Neutral. ESPs treat unknown IPs with suspicion until you prove trustworthiness through consistent sending behavior.
The cold start problem
When an inbox provider sees email from a new IP address with no history, they evaluate the traffic cautiously. ISPs specifically suspect high volumes from unknown IPs because this pattern matches spammer behavior. According to Mailjet's deliverability guide, cold IPs sending large volumes often see speeds throttled and messages categorized as spam.
The solution is warmup. Gradually increase sending volume over 2-4 weeks while generating positive engagement signals (opens, replies, clicks). This process teaches inbox providers that your IP sends legitimate mail recipients want.
The dedicated IP advantage
Once you build reputation on a dedicated IP, you own that reputation alone. Nobody else can damage it through their sending behavior.
Factor | Shared IP | Dedicated IP |
|---|---|---|
Initial reputation | Variable (inherited) | Neutral (requires warmup) |
Reputation control | None | Complete |
External contamination risk | High | Zero |
Best for | Low-volume senders | Agencies at scale |
With Inframail, you get 1 dedicated US-based IP on our Unlimited Plan or 3 dedicated IPs on the Agency Pack. For guidance on warming these IPs properly, check our warmup guide.
Myth: Google Workspace is the only "safe" option for agencies
The myth: "You must pay Google $7-8 per inbox or you are not running a real operation."
The reality: Google Workspace is excellent corporate email infrastructure. For cold email at scale, it costs 3x more than flat-rate alternatives while offering no deliverability advantage for outbound campaigns.
The math at scale
Inbox Count | Google Workspace Monthly | Inframail Monthly | Monthly Savings | Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
50 inboxes | $350 ($7 × 50) | $129 | $221 | $2,652 |
100 inboxes | $700 ($7 × 100) | $129 | $571 | $6,852 |
200 inboxes | $1,400 ($7 × 200) | $129 | $1,271 | $15,252 |
Based on Google Workspace Business Starter pricing with annual commitment
At 50 inboxes, switching from Google Workspace to Inframail saves $2,652 annually. At 200 inboxes, you save over $15,000 per year. That margin difference determines whether you can hire a junior account manager or stay stuck doing $25/hour DNS tasks yourself.
"So affordable that it will make your unit economics work, even for lower ticket b2b businesses like ours" - Verified user review of Inframail
When Google Workspace makes sense
For teams under 10-15 inboxes who need the integrated suite (Calendar, Drive, Docs, Meet), Google Workspace remains a solid choice. Small teams benefit from the collaboration features bundled into the per-seat price that larger cold-email operations never use.
But running an agency with 50+ cold email domains dedicated to outreach means paying for collaboration features those burner domains will never touch. They need reliable infrastructure at a price that protects your margins.
Inframail runs on Microsoft's enterprise cloud infrastructure. You get similar sending authority to Google without per-seat scaling. For details on how this works with your preferred sending platform, see our guide on compatible email platforms.
Myth: DNS configuration is a "set it and forget it" task
The myth: "I configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC once. I am done forever."
The reality: Manual DNS setup creates a scaling bottleneck that compounds with every new client and domain. The time sink prevents agencies from growing.
The manual setup burden
If you know what you are doing, one domain takes 30-60 minutes to configure manually. The process requires logging into your DNS provider, researching correct record syntax, creating SPF records (authorizing sending servers), adding DKIM keys (enabling message authentication), configuring DMARC policy, waiting 24-48 hours for propagation, and testing with Mail-Tester.
According to DNS Made Easy, manual configuration for multiple domains takes hours, and complexity grows when managing diverse email campaigns. Multiply by 50 domains for new client onboarding, and you face 12-15 hours of DNS panel work before sending your first email.
Automation changes the math
"InfraMail makes it remarkably easy to purchase domains, configure them correctly, create inboxes, and initiate warm-up immediately. The level of automation is exceptional and clearly designed for serious operators." - Verified user review of Inframail
With Inframail, the entire process takes under 2 minutes per domain. Purchase domains through the platform, and DNS records auto-configure without touching a DNS panel. Watch our demo showing 10 inbox setup in 4 minutes to see the actual workflow.
"I personally have over 1,000 email accounts with Inframail for one flat price. Adding all those records would have probably taken dozens of hours. Instead all records were added within 10 minutes." - Verified user review of Inframail
Myth: You can skip warmup if your leads are verified
The myth: "My list is verified and clean, so I can skip the warmup phase."
The reality: List verification and sender warmup solve completely different problems. Skipping either one tanks your deliverability for different reasons.
Email verification confirms addresses exist and can receive mail, removing invalid addresses, abandoned mailboxes, and spam traps. Verification prevents hard bounces that signal poor list hygiene. According to email warmup research, verification addresses the recipient side of the equation.
Warmup builds your sender reputation through positive engagement signals. It teaches inbox providers that your domain sends legitimate email recipients want. As Cleverly's analysis explains, warmup addresses the sender side. ESPs look for engagement (replies, opens) to trust a new inbox, regardless of how clean your recipient list is.
Think of it this way: verification ensures your letters go to real addresses. Warmup builds trust with the postal service so they actually deliver your letters instead of flagging them as suspicious.
Transparent trade-off: Inframail provides the infrastructure layer (domains, DNS automation, dedicated IPs) but does not include a built-in warmup tool. You need an external service like Warmbox ($15-50/month per inbox) or your sending platform's warmup feature. We state this upfront because hiding it until campaigns underperform destroys trust.
Myth: Compliance does not matter for B2B cold email
The myth: "I am only emailing businesses, so spam laws do not apply to me."
The reality: B2B cold email falls under CAN-SPAM, GDPR (for EU contacts), and CASL (for Canadian contacts) regardless of whether recipients are businesses or consumers.
CAN-SPAM requires accurate header information, truthful subject lines, physical mailing addresses, and functioning opt-out mechanisms. Violations can cost up to $50,120 per email. GDPR adds requirements for legitimate interest documentation and data subject rights when emailing EU business contacts.
Beyond legal compliance, inbox providers increasingly penalize senders who generate complaints. According to Smartlead's Gmail limits analysis, even B2B campaigns that trigger spam reports damage sender reputation regardless of technical legality.
What this means for your infrastructure: Choose providers that support compliance requirements. Inframail's dedicated IPs give you reputation isolation, so one compliant campaign does not get dragged down by another sender's spam complaints on shared infrastructure.
Myth: Getting blacklisted means your domain is dead
The myth: "Once you hit a blacklist, that domain is worthless forever."
The reality: Most blacklists offer delisting processes, and temporary listings rarely cause permanent damage if you address the underlying issue.
Major blacklists like Spamhaus, Barracuda, and SpamCop provide delisting request procedures. Resolution typically takes 24-72 hours once you submit a request and demonstrate you have fixed the problem (removed spam traps from lists, reduced volume, improved engagement).
The real damage comes from ignoring blacklist alerts or repeatedly hitting the same traps. Inframail's monitoring dashboard tracks domain and IP health with blacklist detection. The platform auto-submits delisting requests when domains get flagged, achieving resolution before clients notice delivery issues.
"One of the best mailbox infra vendors I have ever used super easy and quick setup and support is practically 24/7 with at max a 2min wait to get a question answered." - Verified user review of Inframail
For understanding the difference between recoverable blacklist hits and serious deliverability problems, see our guide on identifying spam folder issues.
Myth: High volume requires completely different infrastructure
The myth: "Once I scale past 1,000 emails per day, I need enterprise-level infrastructure."
The reality: The same principles apply at every scale: dedicated IPs, proper authentication, warmup, and list hygiene. What changes is execution complexity, not fundamental architecture.
At higher volumes, you need more sending domains to distribute volume (keeping each domain under 50-100 emails daily), more inboxes to maintain natural sending patterns, and stronger monitoring to catch deliverability dips early. The infrastructure stack remains identical.
The difference between sending 500 emails daily and 5,000 emails daily is arithmetic, not architecture. You need 10x the domains and inboxes, not a fundamentally different system. This is exactly why flat-rate pricing protects margins at scale. Google Workspace charges 10x more for 10x inboxes. Inframail charges the same $129/month whether you run 50 or 500 inboxes.
For planning capacity at scale, our calculation guide helps you determine the right number of domains and inboxes for your target volume.
How to choose infrastructure that protects margins
The myths above share a common thread: they create false choices that either drain your budget (Google Workspace at scale) or risk your deliverability (cheap shared IPs). Here is how to make data-driven infrastructure decisions.
Decision framework by volume
Scale | Recommendation | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
1-10 inboxes | Google Workspace acceptable | Integrated suite value offsets per-seat cost |
10-50 inboxes | Evaluate flat-rate options | Break-even point where per-seat costs hurt margins |
50+ inboxes | Flat-rate dedicated infrastructure | Saves $2,600+ annually vs Google Workspace |
What to look for in a provider
Must-have features:
Automated DNS configuration eliminating the 12+ hour setup bottleneck
Dedicated IP infrastructure isolating your reputation from other senders
Flat-rate pricing where costs do not scale linearly with inbox count
Deliverability monitoring alerting you to blacklist issues before clients notice
Red flags:
Pricing hidden behind "book a demo" calls
Forced quarterly or annual commitments before you validate deliverability
No clear information about shared vs dedicated IPs
Vague claims about "best deliverability" without testing methodology
"We spent months hunting for a reliable cold-emailing stack. After repeated failures with another provider, we trialled two options—Inframail and a competitor. We chose the competitor. A month later, we switched back to Inframail. Zero issues since." - Verified user review of Inframail
The Inframail approach
Our Unlimited Plan costs $129/month for unlimited inboxes on 1 dedicated US-based IP with month-to-month billing and no annual commitment required. The Agency Pack costs $327/month with 3 dedicated IPs for agencies managing multiple client campaigns. Domain pricing runs $13-16 per year through our platform.
"Inframail has been absolute gold in terms of delivering a great customer experience, and allowing me to spin up cold email infrastructure at scale for my clients as easily and fast as possible" - Verified user review of Inframail
To see the complete setup process, watch our step-by-step tutorial or the unlimited inbox creation demo.
Scale your agency without scaling infrastructure costs
The cold email infrastructure myths covered above protect either expensive legacy providers or risky budget options at your expense. The truth is simpler.
Dedicated IPs give you control over your reputation. Automated DNS eliminates setup bottlenecks. Flat-rate pricing protects your margins as you grow. You do not need to choose between overpaying for Google Workspace or gambling on shared IP pools.
"The infrastructure I've purchased has been working great for our company for the past 6 months and has been a lot better value than setting up elsewhere." - Verified user review of Inframail
Sign up to Inframail and provision your first domains in minutes. No quarterly commitment required. See the difference flat-rate infrastructure makes for your unit economics.
Frequently asked questions about cold email infrastructure
Does a dedicated IP improve open rates?
Indirectly. Dedicated IPs improve inbox placement by isolating your sender reputation. Higher inbox placement means more recipients see your email, which improves opens. The IP itself does not affect open rates once the email lands in the inbox.
Can I use shared web hosting for my domain but a dedicated IP for email?
Yes. Your domain's A records (pointing to web hosting) and MX records (pointing to email infrastructure) operate completely independently. Separate your email infrastructure to dedicated systems for best results.
How long does it take to warm up a dedicated IP?
Standard warmup takes 14-30 days depending on your target daily volume. Start with 20-50 emails per day and gradually increase while monitoring engagement metrics.
What is the cost difference between Google Workspace and Inframail at 100 inboxes?
Google Workspace Business Starter costs $700/month for 100 inboxes. Inframail costs $129/month regardless of inbox count. Annual savings: $6,852.
Do I need a warmup tool with Inframail?
Yes. Inframail provides infrastructure (domains, DNS automation, dedicated IPs) but does not include built-in warmup. Use an external tool like Warmbox or your sending platform's warmup feature.
Key terminology
SPF (Sender Policy Framework): A DNS record listing all servers authorized to send email from your domain. Think of it as an official employee directory confirming whether a mail server can send on your behalf.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): A digital signature attached to outgoing emails that proves the message was not altered in transit. It works like a wax seal on a letter, showing tampering if broken.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): Instructions telling receiving servers what to do if SPF or DKIM checks fail. Options include quarantine (send to spam), reject (block entirely), or none (deliver anyway but report).
Dedicated IP: An IP address used exclusively by one sender. Your sending behavior alone determines the IP's reputation with inbox providers.
Shared IP pool: An IP address shared by multiple senders. One bad actor can damage reputation for all users on the pool.
Warmup: The process of gradually building sender reputation on a new domain or IP by sending increasing volumes while generating positive engagement signals (opens, replies).
