Gmail sending limits explained (Distro limit vs Google limit vs recommended volume)

Three different limits shape how many emails you can send in a day, and they are easy to confuse. Distro's limits are settings and plan rules inside Distro. Google's limits are technical caps Google enforces on your mailbox. The recommended operating range is what is sensible for cold outreach, and it is usually far below both.

At a glance

1. Distro's limits

Per campaign. Each campaign has a Max emails per day setting in its Autopilot settings. A new campaign starts at 50. You can leave the field empty for no campaign limit, but we don't recommend it. The limit counts every email the campaign sends that day (first emails and follow-ups) and resets each day in the campaign's timezone. Emails that don't fit roll over to the next allowed sending day.

The limit is per campaign, not per mailbox. Two campaigns sending from the same mailbox, each set to 50, can send up to 100 emails from that mailbox in a day. Plan the total across all campaigns that share a sender.

Pacing. Autopilot also sends only on your chosen days, within your sending window, with a Delay between emails (5 minutes on a new campaign) and an optional random extra gap of up to 30%. See Schedule a campaign.

Plan rules.

During the trial, a campaign set above 50 still sends at most 50 a day. Campaign emails also pause if your trial ends without a plan, and continue once you choose one. See Plans, trial and billing.

2. Google's sending limits

Google publishes sending limits for Gmail and Google Workspace accounts; check Google's current documentation for the numbers that apply to you. In general:

• Google Workspace accounts have higher limits than free Gmail accounts.
• Limits apply to your whole account, including emails you send yourself in Gmail, not only through Distro. Aliases on the same Google account share that one limit.
• Google counts recipients as well as messages, and enforces limits over a rolling period.
• When you exceed a limit, Google refuses further sends and may temporarily restrict sending from the account.
• New accounts and trial Workspace accounts can have lower limits.

Distro cannot raise or bypass Google's limits. When Google refuses a send because of a limit, Distro pauses sending from that mailbox for a while and retries later rather than repeatedly hitting Google. If it keeps happening, see Google sending limit reached.

3. A sensible operating range

There is no single right number for everyone. What your mailbox can support depends on:

• How old and established the mailbox and domain are.
• Authentication: SPF, DKIM, DMARC.
• How accurate and relevant your list is.
• How recipients respond: replies help, bounces and spam reports hurt.

Start with Distro's default or lower, watch Bounced, Unsubscribed and replies, and increase gradually while they stay healthy. If you need more volume than one mailbox comfortably supports, adding well-set-up mailboxes is safer than pushing one mailbox harder. See How to prepare a new sending account and Choose your daily sending volume.