MergelineHow do I send cold emails from Gmail?
Updated October 29, 2026
Send a small number of short, relevant emails each day from your own Gmail, to people who would plausibly want them. Use a mail merge tool that paces sends with random gaps, warms up new accounts slowly, stops on reply and honors unsubscribes. Keep spam complaints well under Google’s 0.3% limit, and never use bought lists.
Set your volume
Google allows 500 emails a day on a standard Gmail account and 2,000 on Workspace, but those are ceilings, not targets. Cold email draws more spam reports than mail to people who know you, and Google wants a spam rate below 0.3%, ideally below 0.1%. Start with 20 a day on a new account and grow slowly. Mergeline’s slow start does this for you: 20 on day one, then 15 more each sending day.
Write like a person
- Three to six sentences. One clear ask.
- Plain text style, one link at most, no images.
- A first line that shows you know who they are.
- A way out: “If this is not relevant, just say so and I won’t write again.”
Follow the rules
Laws like CAN-SPAM and GDPR apply to cold email. Use your real name, say who you are, and stop when someone asks. Mergeline adds anyone who replies “unsubscribe” to a do-not-email list, along with addresses that bounce, so they are never emailed again.
Follow up, then stop
Most replies come from a follow-up, not the first email. With Mergeline Pro, add two or three follow-ups in the same thread that stop the moment someone replies. See cold email from Workspace without getting banned.
Measure the right thing
Judge a cold campaign by replies, not opens. A reply rate that falls week to week is a sign your list or message needs work. A rise in bounces is a sign to stop and clean the list before you send more.
Read the full guide: Cold email from Gmail
Related answers
Sources
- Google: Gmail sending limits
- Google Workspace: Gmail sending limits
- Google: Email sender guidelines
- r/coldemail: cold emailing with $0
Facts checked October 29, 2026. Google and other vendors change their limits and prices, so check the source before you rely on a number.
Mergeline does this from your own Gmail. Free for 60 emails a day with merge tags and no branding. Pro is $12 a month or $99 a year for follow-ups, scheduling and attachments.