What is account warm-up?
Warm-up is one of the simplest ways to protect a messaging account, and one of the most ignored. Here is what it means and why it works.
In one sentence
Warm-up means starting a new or newly connected account with only a few new conversations a day and increasing slowly over a few weeks, so the platform sees normal behaviour rather than a sudden burst.
In more detail
Platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram and LinkedIn watch for accounts that act like bots. A brand-new account that suddenly messages dozens of strangers looks exactly like that.
Starting slowly, with people likely to reply, builds a history of real conversations. That history is what makes an account look trustworthy.
Warm-up only matters for conversations you start. Replying to people who message you first is normal behaviour from day one.
Think of a new member of staff on the phones. In their first week they call a few people who know the business. Nobody would hand them a list of five hundred strangers on day one, and platforms judge accounts in much the same way.
The guidance Spaces follows suggests waiting up to 24 hours after connecting or reconnecting a WhatsApp number before starting any new chats, and warns that a fresh number can be blocked after only two or three. That is why Spaces starts WhatsApp at zero new chats for the first day.
An example
| Period | Spaces limit for new WhatsApp chats |
|---|---|
| First 24 hours | No new chats yet |
| Rest of week 1 | Up to 3 new chats a day |
| Week 2 | Up to 6 new chats a day |
| Weeks 3 and 4 | Up to 8 new chats a day |
Warm-up on every channel
Each channel has its own warm-up in Spaces, set from what is known about that platform. After the last stage, the account reaches its full limit for new conversations.
| Channel | Warm-up stages (new chats) | After warm-up |
|---|---|---|
| First 24 hours: none; Rest of week 1: 3 a day; Week 2: 6 a day; Weeks 3 and 4: 8 a day | 5 an hour, 10 a day | |
| Week 1: 8 a day; Week 2: 12 a day; Weeks 3 and 4: 20 a day | 6 an hour, 20 a day | |
| Week 1: 8 a day; Week 2: 15 a day; Weeks 3 and 4: 20 a day | 8 an hour, 30 a day | |
| Messenger | Week 1: 3 a day; Weeks 2 to 4: 8 a day | 3 an hour, 8 a day |
| X | Week 1: 6 a day; Weeks 2 to 4: 12 a day | 5 an hour, 20 a day |
| Week 1: 20 a day; Weeks 2 to 4: 30 a day | 8 an hour, 40 a day | |
| iMessage (coming soon) | Week 1: 5 a day; Weeks 2 to 4: 12 a day | 5 an hour, 20 a day |
LinkedIn connection requests have limits of their own: 5 an hour, 20 a day, 100 a week (5 a day in week 1). On email, a new chat means a new email thread, and replies on a thread someone else started are not held back.
What counts as a new conversation
| Situation | Held back by warm-up? |
|---|---|
| A customer messages you and the agent replies | No. It is a reply in a chat they started. |
| The agent sends a second message in a chat that already exists | No. Replies in existing chats are not held by the warm-up. |
| The agent messages a past customer who has never written to this number | Yes. It starts a new chat. |
| The agent starts a new email thread with someone | Yes. On email, a new thread is a new chat. |
| A LinkedIn connection request | It has its own limits, including a lower one in week 1. |
| Replying to a comment on Instagram | Comment replies have their own caps (4 an hour, 20 a day). |
A four-week plan for a newly connected WhatsApp number
- Day 1: connect the number and leave new chats alone. Let your agent answer anyone who messages you, which is not held back at all.
- Rest of week 1: start up to 3 new chats a day. Choose the people most likely to reply, such as customers with an upcoming booking or people who asked you to get in touch.
- Week 2: up to 6 a day. Keep first messages personal, mention something the person knows about and ask a simple question.
- Weeks 3 and 4: up to 8 a day. Keep an eye on how many people reply. If replies are rare, slow down rather than speed up.
- After warm-up: the full limit of 5 an hour and 10 a day. It is still a ceiling, not a target, and still only for people who expect to hear from you.
Who to message first
- People with an appointment or delivery coming up, who will welcome a reminder.
- Customers whose question got lost in a busy week and deserve an answer.
- People who asked for a quote and have not heard back.
- Regulars who already know your name and reply quickly.
Avoid anyone who has never heard of you, bought or scraped lists and people who have said stop. They are the conversations least likely to get a reply, and unanswered new chats are what platforms watch for.
A first message that works
Names and details are examples.
| Weak first message | Better first message |
|---|---|
| Big SALE this weekend!!! 20% off everything, click the link | Hi Sam, it's Maria from the bakery. Your cake is ready for Saturday. Would you like to collect at 10am or 2pm? |
| Hi, we offer the best cleaning service in town. Call us today. | Hi Tom, you asked last month about a window clean once the scaffolding was down. Is it down now? Happy to book you in. |
The better messages refer to something the person already knows about and end with an easy question. Replies are what build a healthy history, so write first messages that invite one.
What starts warm-up again
- Reconnecting an account after the platform signs it out. Spaces starts it gently again, as it would a new one.
- Connecting a different number or profile. Each connected account has its own warm-up.
Reconnecting is never a way to reset counters. Spaces is not for working around a platform's limits, whether by reconnecting or by splitting one account across workspaces.
Common mistakes
- Using a brand-new number for a big launch. A number with a real history of conversations is a far safer start.
- Messaging bought or scraped lists. Spaces is not for that, and it is the fastest route to a restriction.
- Sending the same text to many people. Spaces refuses copy-paste blasts.
- Switching between numbers to send more. Each one then looks new, and each carries the same risk.
- Reconnecting straight after a restriction and carrying on as before. Wait, and look at what led to it first.
What if an account is restricted during warm-up?
If a platform signs the account out or asks for a security check, Spaces pauses sending from it and shows that it needs to be reconnected. Nothing more is sent until you reconnect from your dashboard.
Before you do, look at the new conversations from the last few days. If they went to people who did not reply, slow down and focus on replies for a while. After reconnecting, the account warms up again from the start.
Why it matters for your business
- It lowers the chance of a new number or account being restricted.
- It applies again after you reconnect an account, not only when it is new.
- It does not slow down answers to customers who message you.
- It builds the history of real conversations that every later message benefits from.
How Spaces handles it
Spaces applies a warm-up to every account you connect, for each channel, and holds new conversations to the limits above. Replies to people who messaged you are not held back, so customers get answers from the first day.
Your agent can check how many new chats an account has left today before it plans any follow-ups. If it tries to go over, Spaces holds the message, sends nothing and tells the agent when it can try again. Warm-up lowers the risk, but it cannot guarantee a platform will never restrict an account.
In short
Warm-up means starting slowly with new conversations and building up over about four weeks. It protects new and newly connected accounts, and it never slows down replies to people who write to you first.
Use the first weeks to answer everyone who messages you and to contact only the people most likely to reply. The limits page shows the warm-up for every channel.
FAQ
How long does warm-up take?
About four weeks in Spaces, after which the account reaches its full daily limits. The stages differ a little by channel, as the table above shows.
Do I need to warm up an old account?
An account with a long history is less risky, but Spaces still starts newly connected accounts gently. It costs little, because replies are not held back.
Does warm-up guarantee my account is safe?
No. It lowers the risk. Messaging people who did not expect it can still lead to restrictions.
Does warm-up slow down replies to customers?
No. Replies in a chat the customer started, and later messages in existing chats, are not held by the warm-up. Only new conversations are.
Can I skip warm-up if I am in a hurry?
No. Warm-up applies to every newly connected account and cannot be skipped. If you need to reach many people quickly, a one-to-one messaging account is the wrong tool for it.
Does each number warm up separately?
Yes. Every connected account has its own warm-up and its own limits, so a second WhatsApp number starts from the beginning.
Is warm-up the same on every channel?
No. WhatsApp starts most cautiously, with no new chats for the first day. Instagram, LinkedIn, Messenger, X and email each have their own stages.