Free Email Spam Word Checker
Scan your email body for 200+ spam trigger words that damage deliverability. Get a spam risk score, see flagged words highlighted in context, view a category breakdown, and get suggested replacements for every trigger word found.
200+ Spam Words
Comprehensive database across 8 categories including urgency, financial, pressure, and more
In-Context Highlighting
See spam words highlighted directly in your email text, colour-coded by severity
Smart Replacements
Get a suggested alternative for every spam word so you can rewrite with confidence
Enter the full body of your email below to scan for spam trigger words, formatting issues, and deliverability risks.
How Email Spam Filters Evaluate Your Emails
Modern spam filters like those used by Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo use a points-based system. Each spam signal adds points, and once the total exceeds a threshold, your email is routed to spam or promotions. Key factors include:
Content Triggers
Spam trigger words and phrases in subject lines and body text are scanned by content-based filters.
Formatting Signals
ALL CAPS, excessive punctuation (!!!), and heavy use of dollar signs raise red flags.
Sender Reputation
Your domain reputation, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and sending patterns all matter.
How to Write Emails That Avoid Spam Filters
Follow these evidence-based practices to maximise inbox placement and protect your sender reputation.
1. Remove or Replace Spam Trigger Words
Words like “free”, “act now”, “guaranteed”, and “click here” are the most commonly flagged spam triggers. While a single trigger word may not land you in spam, combining multiple triggers from different categories dramatically increases the risk. Use this spam word checker to identify every trigger and find professional alternatives.
2. Avoid ALL CAPS and Excessive Punctuation
Writing in ALL CAPS is one of the strongest standalone spam signals. Similarly, multiple exclamation marks (!!!) and excessive dollar signs ($$$) mimic the formatting patterns of junk mail. Stick to sentence case, limit yourself to one exclamation mark per email, and spell out currency amounts where possible.
3. Authenticate Your Sending Domain
Technical email authentication — SPF, DKIM, and DMARC — tells receiving servers that your emails are legitimate. Without these records, even perfectly written emails can be filtered. Most email platforms guide you through setup, and our outbound sales system setup service includes full domain authentication.
4. Watch Your Spam Word Density
Spam filters consider not just the presence of trigger words but their density — how many appear relative to your total word count. Keep your spam word density below 2%. A 200-word email with 4 or more spam trigger words is significantly more likely to be flagged than a 500-word email with the same number.
5. Warm Up New Domains Gradually
New sending domains have no reputation. Sending hundreds of emails immediately looks suspicious to ISPs. Start with 20-50 emails per day and increase volume by 20-30% each week. Prioritise engaged contacts first to build positive engagement signals that improve your sender score.
6. Test Before You Send
Always run your email through a spam word checker before hitting send. Combine this tool with our email subject line tester to check both your subject line and body text. A few minutes of checking can prevent your entire campaign from landing in spam folders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about spam trigger words and email deliverability
What is a spam word checker and how does it work?
A spam word checker scans your email body text against a database of known spam trigger words and phrases. It identifies words that email spam filters (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) flag as suspicious, calculates a risk score based on word count, severity, and category spread, and provides suggested replacements for each flagged word. This tool checks against 200+ trigger words across 8 categories.
What are the most common email spam trigger words?
The most commonly flagged spam trigger words include “free”, “act now”, “click here”, “limited time”, “guaranteed”, “no obligation”, “winner”, “congratulations”, “earn money”, “discount”, “urgent”, and “buy now”. These words trigger content-based spam filters across all major email providers.
How many spam trigger words are too many in an email?
There is no fixed number, but keeping your spam word density below 2% of total word count is a good rule of thumb. A single spam word in context is usually fine, but combining multiple trigger words from different categories (urgency, financial, pressure) significantly increases the chance of being filtered.
Does using ALL CAPS in emails trigger spam filters?
Yes. Writing words or entire sentences in ALL CAPS is one of the strongest spam signals. Spam filters score ALL CAPS text heavily because it mimics the style of junk mail and phishing emails. Even a few ALL CAPS words in a subject line or email body can increase your spam score. Always use sentence case or title case.
Why do exclamation marks trigger spam filters?
Multiple exclamation marks (e.g. “Act now!!!”) are a classic spam formatting pattern. Email filters view excessive exclamation marks as a sign of hype and manipulation. Using one exclamation mark is generally fine, but two or more in close proximity raises red flags. The same applies to repeated question marks and other excessive punctuation.
How can I improve my email deliverability?
To improve email deliverability: remove or replace spam trigger words, avoid ALL CAPS and excessive punctuation, authenticate your domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, warm up new sending domains gradually, maintain a clean list by removing bounces and unengaged contacts, keep your spam complaint rate below 0.1%, and use a reputable email sending platform. Our outbound sales system setup covers all of these factors.
What is the difference between spam words and spam filters?
Spam words are specific terms and phrases that raise red flags. Spam filters are the automated systems (like Gmail's or Outlook's) that evaluate incoming emails across multiple signals — content, formatting, sender reputation, authentication, engagement history, and more. Spam words are just one input to the filter. Removing all spam words does not guarantee inbox placement, but it significantly reduces one major risk factor.
Can I use the word “free” in a marketing email?
You can, but use it carefully. The word “free” is one of the most well-known spam triggers. If your sender reputation is strong and the rest of your email is clean, a single use is unlikely to land you in spam by itself. However, combining “free” with other triggers like “act now”, “limited time”, or ALL CAPS significantly increases risk. Alternatives include “complimentary”, “no cost”, “included”, or “at no charge”.
Related Resources
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Create Signature →Need Help With Email Deliverability?
Removing spam words is just one piece of the puzzle. Our team sets up end-to-end outbound systems with domain authentication, warm-up, and sequences that land in the primary inbox.