What this is for#
A common question when setting up AcelleMail: should I send from a dedicated IP (one that's only mine) or a shared IP (a pool used by many senders)? The honest answer is that AcelleMail itself doesn't own the IP — it sends through whatever sending server you connect (your own SMTP, Amazon SES, SendGrid, Mailgun, and so on). So the dedicated-vs-shared choice is really a choice about your sending provider, and you act on it where you configure that provider.
This article helps you make the call and shows where it lives in the app.
The short version#
- Shared IP — your mail goes out over a pool of IPs the provider also uses for other senders. The pool already has an established reputation, so a low-volume or inconsistent sender often benefits from it. You don't warm it up, you don't babysit it. The downside: another sender's bad behaviour can affect the pool, and you have less individual control.
- Dedicated IP — an IP that's only yours. Its reputation reflects only your sending, which is exactly what you want once you send enough to maintain a reputation. The catch: a brand-new dedicated IP has no reputation and must be warmed up gradually, and if you send too little or too sporadically, mailbox providers never build enough signal to trust it.
How to decide#
Use volume and consistency, not a magic number:
- Send a lot, regularly? A dedicated IP gives you control and isolates your reputation from other senders. Worth it.
- Send modestly, or in irregular bursts? A shared pool's established reputation usually serves you better than a cold dedicated IP you can't keep warm.
- Just starting out? Begin on shared. Move to dedicated once your volume is steady enough to justify warming and maintaining it.
These are rules of thumb — your provider's own guidance on minimum volume for a dedicated IP is the figure to follow, since it's their pool and their thresholds.
Where this lives in AcelleMail#
You don't toggle "dedicated vs shared" inside AcelleMail — you choose it at the provider and then connect that provider as a sending server:
- Decide at your provider (e.g. lease a dedicated IP in your Amazon SES / SendGrid account, or stay on their shared pool).
- In AcelleMail, go to Sending → Sending servers and add/configure that provider (see Configuring Amazon SES with AcelleMail).
- If it's a new dedicated IP, warm it up before full volume — AcelleMail's warmup strategy ramps your daily volume gradually. See Domain & IP Warmup.
- Keep sending consistent and watch your reputation — see Sender Reputation Monitoring.
Common questions#
Can I run dedicated for marketing and shared for transactional? Yes — connect two sending servers in AcelleMail (one provider/IP per server) and route campaigns to the one you want. See Configuring Multiple Sending Servers.
Does a dedicated IP guarantee the inbox? No. IP reputation is one signal; authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC), list quality, and engagement matter just as much. A dedicated IP only isolates your reputation — you still have to earn it.
Related articles#
