Do I need a separate domain for cold outreach?

A separate domain for cold outreach is a common practice for protecting your primary domain's reputation. Cold email generates higher complaint rates and engagement challenges than permission-based marketing, and these signals can damage all email sent from a domain.

Why separation matters: If your cold outreach domain gets blocklisted or accumulates negative reputation, your main domain continues functioning normally. Password resets, order confirmations, and marketing to opted-in subscribers remain unaffected.

The tradeoff: Separate domains require additional setup, warmup time, and ongoing management. They also start with no reputation, requiring careful volume ramp-up.

Practical considerations: Choose domains related to your brand so recipients can identify you. Complete SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup before sending. Plan for warmup periods measured in weeks, not days.

Think of it as keeping your merchant vessel separate from your fishing boat. If the fishing boat runs into trouble, your primary trade routes remain open.