Maintaining a consistent sending pattern plays a major role in protecting your email deliverability and sender reputation. It helps mailbox providers learn what to expect from you and improves the chances of your emails landing in the inbox.

This article explains what consistent sending means, why it matters, and how to manage it effectively in Force24.

What Is a Consistent Sending Pattern?

A consistent sending pattern refers to sending emails at a regular frequency, volume and cadence over time. It doesn’t mean sending every day or week without fail – it means avoiding sudden spikes, long silences or erratic behaviour.

For example:

  • Risky pattern: Nothing for weeks, then a huge blast to your full list in one go

  • Okay pattern: Weekly newsletters every Wednesday at 10am

  • Better pattern: A larger campaign that trickles out steadily across a month or consistent campaigns that trickle out over time

Why It Matters for Deliverability

Mailbox providers like Gmail and Yahoo track your sending behaviour. They use it to assess whether you're a reliable sender or potentially sending spam.

Consistent patterns help:

  • Build trust with ISPs and spam filters

  • Avoid reputation damage from sudden volume spikes

  • Keep your domain and IP healthy over time

  • Improve engagement by setting expectations with your audience

You can learn more in our Deliverability Guide.

Tips to Build and Maintain a Consistent Pattern

1. Establish a Regular Cadence

Start with a manageable rhythm – for example, a weekly newsletter or a larger campaign that steadily rolls out over the month. The key is to maintain steady volumes and timings.

Avoid:

  • Sending nothing for long periods

  • Sending heavily to your full list all at once

  • Treating emails as one-off blasts

Consistency creates predictability, which builds trust with both inbox providers and your contacts.


2. Use Throttling

Throttling allows you to control how many emails are sent per hour or day. This helps you spread large sends over time, reducing volume spikes and protecting your sender reputation.


This can be applied in both journeys and single-send campaigns.


3. Use Journeys Instead of Ad Hoc Blasts

Journeys allow you to automate, schedule and control email flows more reliably than one-off campaign sends.

Smart use of journeys:

  • Keeps your volumes steady

  • Makes it easier to monitor results

  • Allows personalisation and segmentation over time

This avoids last-minute bulk sends that could harm deliverability.


4. Warm Up Your IP Gradually

If you're sending from a new domain or IP, or haven’t sent in a while, it’s important to warm up gradually. This helps mailbox providers build a positive reputation for your sending infrastructure.

See our guide: IP Warm-Up Strategies

Start with smaller volumes, monitor performance, and build up slowly. Warming your audience is helpful too, but warming your IP is critical.


5. Plan for Holidays and Campaign Peaks

If you’re planning a larger-than-usual send (e.g. seasonal offers), prepare in advance:

  • Build engagement early

  • Increase frequency gradually

  • Throttle or stagger your sends

  • Use journeys where possible

Avoid sudden spikes in volume that can damage your domain reputation.

Does Timing Still Matter?

Many marketers ask about the best time to send emails. In reality, consistency matters more than precise timing.

Whether you send on Tuesday at 9am or Thursday at 2pm matters less than whether you show up regularly and predictably.

More here: Debunking the Best Time Myth

Final Tip: Monitor Your Results

Consistent sending works best when paired with consistent monitoring. Use reports to watch for:

  • Changes in open/click rates

  • Bounce and complaint spikes

  • Signs of fatigue or disengagement

Need a hand reviewing your data? Ask us about the Personalised Deliverability Report.

Summary

A consistent sending pattern helps you stay trusted, stay visible and stay out of the spam folder. By using journeys, throttling and reliable cadences, you’ll protect your reputation and build stronger connections with your audience.

Let us know if you’d like help reviewing your schedule or planning your next journey strategy.