Cold Email Setup Guide — ds@solanasishq.com

Status: Step-by-step newbie guide Date: 2026-03-10 Goal: Get ds@solanasishq.com from zero to safely sending cold emails

The Warmup Landscape — What You Need to Know First

The Google TOS (Terms of Service) Problem

Here’s what most cold email guides don’t tell you upfront:

Automated warmup tools technically violate Google’s Terms of Service. Google considers automated sending (even warmup) as “programmatic access” that they can revoke. GMass learned this the hard way — Google threatened to pull their API access, and GMass shut down their warmup tool entirely after sending 1.2 billion warmup emails.

Does this mean warmup tools are dead? No. Plenty of warmup services still operate. But you need to understand the risk spectrum:

Risk Level	Approach	What Could Happen
Lowest risk	Manual warmup only (real emails to real people)	Nothing — this is how email is supposed to work
Low risk	Dedicated warmup service (TrulyInbox, MailReach, Warmup Inbox)	These operate on their own infrastructure with large networks. Google hasn’t shut them down. The risk is theoretical, not practical.
Medium risk	Warmup tools that run inside your Gmail (browser extensions)	Higher detection risk since they inject into your Gmail session. This is what got GMass in trouble.
Highest risk	Using your primary domain for cold email with no warmup	Your main domain gets wrecked. Don’t do this.

The Honest Recommendation for ds@solanasishq.com

Use a combination of manual warmup + a dedicated warmup service. The manual warmup is zero risk and builds the strongest signals. The dedicated service accelerates the timeline from 5-6 weeks to 3-4 weeks. Since solanasishq.com is a separate domain (not your primary solanasis.com), even in the worst case scenario where something goes wrong, your main brand is completely untouched.

Phase 1: Purchase Domain + Set Up Google Workspace

Step 1: Buy solanasishq.com

Go to Namecheap (namecheap.com) or Cloudflare Registrar (dash.cloudflare.com)
- Cloudflare sells domains at cost (no markup) — usually $1-3 cheaper than others
- Namecheap is fine too and has a simpler interface for beginners
Search for solanasishq.com
Purchase it (~$10-15/year)
Don’t set up any website hosting — you only need DNS management

What is DNS? DNS (Domain Name System) is like a phone book for the internet. It tells other servers where to find things associated with your domain — like where your email should go, how to verify you own the domain, etc. You’ll be adding “records” (entries in this phone book) in the next steps.

Step 2: Set Up Google Workspace

Option A: Direct from Google ($7/mo)

Go to workspace.google.com
Click “Get Started”
Enter your business name: Solanasis
Number of employees: Just you
When asked for domain: enter solanasishq.com
Choose “I have a domain I can use”
Create your account: ds@solanasishq.com
Pick the “Business Starter” plan ($7/user/month)
Google will ask you to verify domain ownership — follow their instructions (they’ll tell you to add a TXT record to your DNS)

Option B: Via Reseller like Leads Monky ($2.50-3/mo)

Go to leadsmonky.com (or similar authorized reseller)
Sign up for Google Workspace via their reseller portal
Same product, same features, 60% cheaper
They may help with DNS setup as part of the service

What is Google Workspace? It’s Google’s business email product. It gives you a professional Gmail inbox at your own domain (ds@solanasishq.com instead of something@gmail.com). You get the same Gmail interface you’re used to, but with your business domain.

Step 3: Verify Domain Ownership

Google will give you a verification code (a TXT record) to add to your DNS. This proves you own solanasishq.com.

Log into your domain registrar (Namecheap or Cloudflare)
Go to DNS settings for solanasishq.com
Add the TXT record Google gives you
Wait 5-60 minutes for it to propagate
Click “Verify” in Google Workspace admin

Phase 2: Configure DNS Records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

These three records are non-negotiable for cold email in 2026. Without them, your emails go straight to spam.

What These Records Do (Plain English)

SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Tells receiving email servers “these are the ONLY servers authorized to send email on behalf of solanasishq.com.” It’s like telling the post office “only this list of people can send letters with my return address.”
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Adds a digital signature to every email you send. The receiving server can verify the email wasn’t tampered with in transit. It’s like a wax seal on a letter — proves it’s authentic.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance): Tells receiving servers what to do if an email fails SPF or DKIM checks. “If someone pretends to be me and fails verification, reject their email.” It’s the policy that ties SPF and DKIM together.

Step-by-Step: Add SPF Record

Log into your domain registrar’s DNS management
Add a new TXT record:
- Host/Name: @ (this means the root domain, solanasishq.com itself)
- Value: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
- TTL: 3600 (or “Automatic”)
Save

What this means: “Only Google’s email servers are allowed to send email for solanasishq.com. If anyone else tries, treat it as suspicious (~all = soft fail).”

Step-by-Step: Add DKIM Record

Go to Google Workspace Admin Console (admin.google.com)
Navigate to: Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail → Authenticate Email
Select your domain (solanasishq.com)
Click “Generate New Record”
Google will give you a TXT record value (a long string of characters)
Add this as a new TXT record in your DNS:
- Host/Name: google._domainkey (Google tells you this exact value)
- Value: The long string Google generated
- TTL: 3600
Go back to Google Admin and click “Start Authentication”
It may take up to 48 hours to activate (usually much faster)

Step-by-Step: Add DMARC Record

Add a new TXT record in your DNS:
- Host/Name: _dmarc
- Value: v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:ds@solanasishq.com
- TTL: 3600
Save

What the DMARC settings mean:

p=none — start with “monitor only” mode. This means if an email fails checks, just report it, don’t reject it. This is the safe starting position.
rua=mailto:ds@solanasishq.com — send aggregate reports to your email so you can see if anyone is spoofing your domain
After 2-4 weeks, once you’re confident everything is working, upgrade to p=quarantine (suspicious emails go to spam) and eventually p=reject (suspicious emails get blocked entirely)

Step-by-Step: Set Up the 301 Redirect

So people who type solanasishq.com in their browser land on your real website:

On Namecheap:

Go to Domain List → solanasishq.com → Manage
Click “Redirect Domain”
Source URL: solanasishq.com
Destination URL: https://solanasis.com
Redirect type: Permanent (301)
Also add: www.solanasishq.com → https://solanasis.com

On Cloudflare:

Go to your domain → Rules → Redirect Rules
Create a rule: When hostname equals solanasishq.com or www.solanasishq.com
Then: Dynamic redirect to https://solanasis.com
Status code: 301

Verify Everything Is Working

After setting up all DNS records, wait 1-2 hours, then verify:

SPF check: Go to mxtoolbox.com/spf.aspx → enter solanasishq.com
DKIM check: Go to mxtoolbox.com/dkim.aspx → enter solanasishq.com and selector google
DMARC check: Go to mxtoolbox.com/dmarc.aspx → enter solanasishq.com
Overall email health: Go to mail-tester.com → send a test email from ds@solanasishq.com to the address they give you → aim for 9/10 or 10/10 score
Blacklist check: Go to mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx → enter solanasishq.com → make sure you’re not on any lists

Phase 3: Warmup Strategy (Corrected)

The Recommended Two-Layer Approach

Layer 1: Manual Warmup (Zero Risk, Highest Quality Signals)

This is the foundation. Real emails to real people generate the strongest reputation signals because they create genuine human engagement patterns that no warmup tool can perfectly replicate.

Week 1 (Days 1-7): 5-8 emails/day

Send real conversational emails to people you know. The KEY is that they REPLY — that’s what builds your reputation.

Here are templates Claude can draft for you daily. Just review and hit send:

EMAIL 1 (to a friend):
Subject: testing new email

Hey [Name] — just set up a new business email and wanted to
make sure it's working. Mind shooting me a quick reply?

Thanks!
Dmitri

EMAIL 2 (to a colleague):
Subject: quick question

Hey [Name] — random question: have you been seeing more
cybersecurity stuff in the news lately? I keep running into
articles about SMBs getting hit and I'm curious if it's
coming up in your world too.

Dmitri

EMAIL 3 (to another inbox you own):
Subject: calendar reminder

Hey — just sending myself a note to follow up on the MSP
list building this week. Need to run the Apollo search
by Thursday.

EMAIL 4 (to a business contact):
Subject: catching up

Hey [Name] — been a minute. I launched a consulting firm
called Solanasis and I'm getting the infrastructure set up.
How's everything going on your end?

Dmitri

What to tell people: “Hey, I’m setting up a new business email domain and need some real email activity on it. Can you reply to a few emails from me this week? Just normal conversation — it helps build my email reputation.”

Most friends/colleagues will happily do this. You need 10-15 people willing to exchange a few emails over 2 weeks.

Week 2 (Days 8-14): 8-15 emails/day

Mix of:

Continued conversations with friends (replies back and forth)
New conversations with other contacts
Subscribe to 2-3 newsletters from your ds@solanasishq.com address (this creates inbound email that you open and engage with — another positive signal)
Reply to a few of those newsletters (“thanks for the great article”)

Week 3 (Days 15-21): 15-25 emails/day

Start mixing in your first cold emails (5-10/day) alongside continued warm conversations. The warm activity “covers” the cold activity in Google’s eyes.

Layer 2: Dedicated Warmup Service (Low Risk, Accelerates Timeline)

Run this IN PARALLEL with manual warmup starting Day 1.

Recommended: TrulyInbox

Why TrulyInbox specifically:

Free forever plan available — 10 warmup emails/day on one inbox (enough to supplement your manual warmup)
Paid plan: $29/mo for unlimited inboxes and higher daily volume (only upgrade if you add more sending domains later)
Uses a network of real inboxes — not bots, not fake accounts
NOT a browser extension — runs on their servers, so it doesn’t inject into your Gmail session (this is why GMass got in trouble but dedicated services haven’t)
Inbox placement testing — tells you whether your emails land in Primary, Promotions, or Spam

How to set it up:

Go to trulyinbox.com
Sign up (free plan to start)
Connect your ds@solanasishq.com account
- They’ll ask you to create an “App Password” in Google Workspace (not your main password — a special password just for TrulyInbox)
- Go to myaccount.google.com → Security → 2-Step Verification (turn on if not already) → App Passwords → generate one for “Mail”
- Paste that app password into TrulyInbox
Configure warmup settings:
- Daily warmup emails: Start at 5-10/day (free plan), increase to 20-30/day (paid plan)
- Reply rate: Set to 30-40% (meaning 30-40% of warmup emails get “replied to”)
- Target inbox: Gmail + Outlook (warm up for both provider types)
Turn it on and let it run

Alternative: Warmup Inbox ($15/mo per inbox)

If TrulyInbox doesn’t work for any reason:

Same concept, slightly smaller network (30,000+ inboxes)
$15/mo for one inbox — fair price for a single cold domain
Also does language-specific warmup and ESP (Email Service Provider) targeting

The Combined Warmup Timeline for ds@solanasishq.com

Day	Manual (You + Claude)	Automated (TrulyInbox)	Cold Emails
1-3	5 real emails/day to friends. Ask them to reply.	5-10 automated warmup emails/day	None
4-7	8 real emails/day. Start conversations, subscribe to newsletters.	10 automated/day	None
8-14	10-15 real emails/day. Reply chains growing.	15-20 automated/day	None
15-21	10 real emails/day (maintained)	20-30 automated/day	Start: 5-10 manual cold emails/day
22-28	5-8 real/day (can taper)	20-30 automated/day (keep running)	Ramp: 15-20 cold/day
29+	3-5 real/day (maintenance)	Keep running indefinitely	Full speed: 20-30 cold/day

Total time from setup to first cold email: ~15-21 days Total time to full sending speed: ~28-30 days

Phase 4: Start Sending Cold Emails

When You Know You’re Ready

Before sending your first cold email, check these boxes:

SPF, DKIM, DMARC all passing on mxtoolbox.com
Mail-tester.com score is 9/10 or 10/10
Domain is NOT on any blacklists (mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx)
You’ve been sending/receiving real emails for at least 14 days
TrulyInbox inbox placement test shows Primary inbox delivery (not Spam, not Promotions)
Your Apollo CSV has been processed and emails verified

Sending Tool: GMass vs. Manual vs. Instantly

At this point, you have three options for actually sending:

Option A: Manual from Gmail (Free — First 2 Weeks of Cold Sending)

Open ds@solanasishq.com Gmail
Copy-paste Claude’s drafted emails one at a time
Send 10-15/day manually
Track in a Google Sheet or Baserow

Best for: The first 2 weeks of cold sending while you’re still validating messaging. Maximum authenticity. Zero tool cost.

Option B: GMass ($30/mo — When You’re Ready to Automate)

Install GMass Chrome extension in your ds@solanasishq.com Gmail
Upload your contact list (Google Sheet or CSV)
Set up email sequences with auto follow-ups
GMass sends from your actual Gmail inbox — emails look hand-typed
Built-in open/reply tracking

Best for: When you’ve validated your messaging and want to automate sequences.

NOTE: GMass no longer has warmup. This is fine because you’re handling warmup separately via TrulyInbox + manual. GMass is purely for SENDING.

Option C: Instantly ($37/mo — When Volume Demands It)

Separate platform (not inside Gmail)
Connect your ds@solanasishq.com via SMTP/IMAP
Built-in warmup (you could use this INSTEAD of TrulyInbox if you go this route)
Multi-domain rotation when you add solanasishq2 or solanasishq3 later
More robust campaign management

Best for: When you’re sending 50+/day across multiple campaigns and need serious infrastructure.

Recommended Progression

WEEKS 1-3:     Manual warmup + TrulyInbox (free)     = $0/mo
WEEKS 3-5:     Manual cold sending from Gmail         = $0/mo
WEEKS 5-8:     GMass for automated sequences          = $30/mo
MONTH 3+:      Evaluate Instantly if volume demands    = $37/mo

Phase 5: What Claude Does at Each Stage

During Warmup (Weeks 1-3)

Claude drafts your daily warmup emails. You open Gmail, review 5-10 drafts, hit send. When replies come in, Claude drafts your responses.

Your time: 10-15 min/day

During Manual Cold Sending (Weeks 3-5)

Claude generates personalized cold emails from your processed Apollo/Outscraper list. You copy-paste into Gmail and send 10-15/day. Claude drafts replies to any responses.

Your time: 20-30 min/day

During Automated Sending (Week 5+)

Claude prepares the full campaign: contact list formatted for GMass import, email sequences written, A/B test variants ready. You upload to GMass and launch. Claude monitors results and drafts warm replies via Gmail MCP.

Your time: 30 min/week (plus reply handling)

Quick Reference: Complete Checklist

Day 1 Checklist

Week 1 Checklist

Send 5-8 manual warmup emails/day (friends replying)
TrulyInbox running at 5-10/day
Subscribe to 2-3 newsletters from ds@solanasishq.com
Sign up for Apollo.io (free tier)
Run Colorado MSP search on Apollo
Export CSV and upload to Claude for processing

Week 2 Checklist

Ramp manual warmup to 10-15/day
TrulyInbox running at 15-20/day
Run mail-tester.com check (aim for 9+/10)
Run Outscraper Google Maps scrape for CO MSPs
Claude merges Apollo + Outscraper data
Verify emails through Hunter.io or NeverBounce

Week 3 Checklist

Run TrulyInbox inbox placement test
If Primary inbox: start 5-10 manual cold emails/day
If Spam/Promotions: troubleshoot DNS, wait another week
Continue manual warmup alongside cold sends
Track opens/replies in spreadsheet

Week 4 Checklist

Ramp to 15-20 cold emails/day
Review results: opens, replies, calls booked
If validated: sign up for GMass ($30/mo) and automate
Connect Gmail MCP in Cowork for reply management
Keep TrulyInbox running (never turn it off)

Solanasis Docs

Explorer

Cold_Email_Setup_Guide_solanasishq