How to Troubleshoot a Low Warm-up Score in FirstSales
Diagnose a stuck or falling Warmup Score — authentication gaps, over-sending, and reputation damage — and get a mailbox back to Healthy.
- 1
Open the Warm Up tab and read the status
Open the connector and go to the Warm Up tab. The health badge tells you where the mailbox stands:
- Healthy — score 80+, warm and sending well.
- Warming — ramping up ("Ramping up — Day N") or mid-score; normal for a new mailbox.
- Placement pending — waiting on inbox-placement data before scoring.
- Issues — score under 40; needs attention.
- Paused / Blocked / Disabled — warm-up isn't progressing (see below).
Most "problems" are just a mailbox still Warming — that's expected and only needs time.
- 2
Fix: warm-up won't turn on
If you can't enable warm-up, the mailbox is almost certainly unverified. The tab shows "Verify this connector before enabling warmup." Finish connecting/verifying the mailbox first, then the Email Warmup toggle ("Gradually build sender reputation") becomes available.
- 3
Fix: status says Blocked
A Blocked badge shows a banner: "Warmup blocked: {reason}" with "Sender reputation won't progress until this is resolved." Read the reason and clear it — common causes are an authentication/connection problem or a mailbox that needs reconnecting. Warm-up resumes once the block is gone.
- 4
Fix: reconnect a mailbox that lost access
If a Google or Microsoft mailbox's OAuth access lapsed, its card shows a Reconnect account action. Click it to re-authorize — this clears auth-related blocks and lets sending and warm-up continue. For OAuth errors during reconnect, use Try again.
- 5
Fix: score stuck low (New / Needs Engagement)
A new or low-scoring mailbox surfaces a hold sub-label that tells you exactly what it needs:
- New — "Just added — start sending to build a health score."
- Warming Up — "Keep sending — needs 20+ emails to get a health score."
- Needs Engagement — "Improve open or reply rates to reach Healthy status."
So a stuck score usually means keep sending (volume) or improve replies (engagement) — not a bug. Better targeting and copy lift engagement, which lifts the score.
- 6
Read the Daily Breakdown for the real cause
Scroll to the Daily Breakdown table for the day-by-day truth: Sent, Delivered, Opened, Replied, Bounced, Spam, and Rescued (auto-pulled out of spam). Also check Daily Target and Days Active.
Rising bounced or spam counts point to list quality or authentication; flat "Days Active" with no sends points to a paused or blocked mailbox. Fix the specific signal the table exposes rather than toggling warm-up off and on.
Pro tips
Hard-won shortcuts that keep warm-up on track.
'Warming' is not a problem
A new mailbox reads Warming (or 'Ramping up — Day N') by design. Don't disable it or panic at a mid-range score — warm-up takes days to climb. Patience is the fix.
Unverified = can't warm up
The single most common 'warm-up won't start' cause is an unverified connector. Verify the mailbox first; the toggle unlocks after that.
Reconnect clears auth blocks
A Blocked mailbox is often just expired OAuth. Use Reconnect account on the connector card before assuming anything worse.
Low score? Send more, and get replies
The hold labels spell it out: build volume past 20 emails, then improve open/reply rates. Engagement — not a setting — is what pushes a mailbox to Healthy.
Frequently asked questions
Why won't warm-up turn on?
The connector is unverified. The Warm Up tab shows 'Verify this connector before enabling warmup.' Complete verification, then the Email Warmup toggle becomes available.
My mailbox says 'Warming' — is something wrong?
No. Warming (and 'Ramping up — Day N') is the normal state for a new or recovering mailbox. It climbs toward Healthy (score 80+) over several days of steady sending.
What does a 'Blocked' status mean?
Warm-up is halted: the banner reads 'Warmup blocked: {reason}' and reputation won't progress until you resolve that reason — often an authentication or connection issue. Fixing it (frequently via Reconnect account) resumes warm-up.
How do I reconnect a mailbox?
On the connector card, click Reconnect account (available for Google and Microsoft) and re-authorize. This clears auth-related blocks so sending and warm-up continue.
Why is my warm-up score stuck low?
Check the hold sub-label. New/Warming Up mean keep sending (a score needs 20+ emails); Needs Engagement means improve open and reply rates. A low score is usually a volume or engagement gap, not a fault.
What is 'Placement pending'?
The mailbox is waiting on inbox-placement data before it can be scored, so the gauge shows pending rather than a number. It resolves on its own as placement data comes in.
Where can I see day-by-day warm-up activity?
The Daily Breakdown table on the Warm Up tab shows Sent, Delivered, Opened, Replied, Bounced, Spam, and Rescued per day, alongside Daily Target and Days Active — the best place to spot a real deliverability problem.
Should I disable and re-enable warm-up to fix issues?
No — disabling warm-up pauses your sender-reputation progress (the app warns you of this). Instead, fix the specific signal: verify the mailbox, reconnect it, or improve engagement. Leave warm-up running.
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