Free tool
Spam Word Checker
Paste your subject line and email to run a free spam test on the copy. The checker flags spam trigger words, links, ALL-CAPS, punctuation and unfilled merge fields, scores the email out of 100 and gives a fix for each problem.
Checked as you type, in your browser. Nothing is sent or stored.
Content score: 37 / 100
High risk- Fail: Unfilled merge field: {{firstName}}In a template, make sure every lead has a value or set a fallback. In a final email, the merge failed.
- Fail: 6 trigger phrases: FREE, act now, GUARANTEED, zero risk, Click here, free trial (subject counts double)Say what you do in plain, specific words. Hype reads like an ad and adds points in content filters.
- Warning: 2 linksKeep a first cold email to one link or none, and show where it goes.
- Warning: Mentions an attachment or imageLeave files and images out of the first email. Offer to send them if the prospect replies.
- Warning: Repeated punctuation: !!One question mark at most, no !!, and write prices as numbers instead of $$$.
Highlighted preview
FREE audit for your outbound, act now!!
Hi {{firstName}}, Saw your team is hiring SDRs. We help B2B companies book more meetings, GUARANTEED, with zero risk. Click here to start your free trial: https://example.com/trial Case study attached, or read it at https://example.com/case-study Worth a quick chat this week? Sam
Clean copy is half of it. Want to know where this email actually lands?
We'll email you a deliverability checklist and how to run a free inbox placement test.
Scoring
How the spam score works
Every email starts at 100. Each check can take off up to a fixed number of points. 80 or more looks clean, 50 to 79 needs work, and under 50 is high risk.
Most points each check can take off
Jetmail's own rubric for cold email copy, not the rules of any mailbox provider or spam filter.
| Trigger words | 30 |
|---|---|
| Unfilled merge fields | 15 |
| Links | 15 |
| ALL CAPS | 15 |
| Attachments & images | 10 |
| Length | 10 |
| Punctuation | 5 |
| Check | What triggers it | Max points |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger words | 4 points per phrase from our list of about 120 (8 if it's in the subject line) | 30 |
| Unfilled merge fields | Any {{firstName}}, {first_name}, [First Name] or %FIRSTNAME% left in the text | 15 |
| Links | 5 points for every link after the first | 15 |
| ALL CAPS | 3 points per all-caps word of 3+ letters (acronyms like CEO and ROI excluded), 10 for an all-caps subject | 15 |
| Attachments & images | Mentions of an attachment, a file name like .pdf, or an <img> tag | 10 |
| Length | Body longer than 200 words | 10 |
| Punctuation | 3 points per !!, ?? or $$ run | 5 |
The weights reflect what goes wrong most in cold outreach. A broken merge field or a stack of hype phrases is a bigger problem than one exclamation mark. Everything runs in your browser, so you can paste real campaign copy safely.
Word list
Spam trigger words by category
The checker matches about 120 phrases taken from commonly shared trigger-word lists. Most share one problem: they sound like an ad, not a person.
| Category | Examples | Write this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Urgency | act now, urgent, last chance, limited time, don't miss out | A real reason for the timing: "We're onboarding two new teams in March." |
| Money | cash, extra income, lowest price, save big, money back | The specific outcome: "cut invoice processing from five days to two." |
| Too good to be true | free, 100% free, risk-free, winner, no obligation | What they actually get: "a 20-minute teardown of your current sequence." |
| Shady | click here, dear friend, verify your account, wire transfer | Their name, and a link whose destination is obvious from the text. |
| Over-promise | guaranteed, #1, skyrocket, double your, revolutionary | A named customer or a measured result you can back up. |
Several of these patterns have their own rules in SpamAssassin, the open-source filter many mail servers run. Examples include SUBJ_ALL_CAPS ("Subject is all capitals"), MONEY_BACK ("Money back guarantee") and URG_BIZ ("Contains urgent matter"). Each one adds to a message's score rather than blocking it outright.
Be realistic
Spam words are a small part of spam filtering
Content filters do score words. But a clean email from a domain with broken authentication or a poor reputation still goes to spam, and a strong sender can survive the odd 'free'.
| Signal | What providers say | Checked here? |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | Gmail and Yahoo require SPF or DKIM from every sender, and SPF, DKIM and DMARC from bulk senders. | No, use the SPF checker |
| Spam complaints | Keep the spam rate below 0.3%. Google recommends staying under 0.1%. | No |
| Sending pattern | Google asks for gradual volume increases and a steady rate, without bursts. | No |
| Honest headers and links | Google: no deceptive subject lines, no content hidden with HTML or CSS, and links that make their destination clear. | Links only |
| Words and formatting | Filters like SpamAssassin add points for patterns such as all-caps subjects. | Yes |
Fix the foundation first: run your domain through the SPF record checker and read the email deliverability guide for the full list of what moves inbox placement.
Clean copy needs a clean sender
Real spam test
Test where your email actually lands
A word checker reads your copy. An inbox placement test sends the real email from your real mailbox and shows where it lands at each provider. Use both.
Step 1
Write the email
Draft the subject and body in your outreach tool.
Step 2
Check the copy
Paste it above and fix every Fail before you send.
Step 3
Run a placement test
Jetmail's Deliverability Test sends to test inboxes at Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo.
Step 4
Send with confidence
Launch once results come back in the inbox, not spam.
Already a Jetmail customer? Open the Deliverability Test in the app. New to placement testing? Read how inbox placement tests work and how to read the results.
Checklist
Cold email copy checklist
- Plain subject line in sentence case, no !! and no fake "Re:" or "Fwd:".
- Every merge field filled, with a fallback for missing data.
- One link at most, with an obvious destination, and no attachments in the first email.
- Short enough to read on a phone: the problem, the offer, one question.
- Specific claims instead of hype words.
More on writing outreach that gets replies in the cold email guide.
Sources: Apache SpamAssassin tests, Word to the Wise: content, trigger words and subject lines, Google email sender guidelines, Yahoo sender best practices.
Get the cold email deliverability checklist
Tell us where to send it. We'll reply with mailbox, domain and DNS recommendations for your sending volume — or start right away and have mailboxes live in minutes.
Where should we send it?
Or see pricing →Frequently asked questions
What is a spam word checker?
A tool that scans your subject line and email body for words and patterns that content filters associate with spam: hype phrases, ALL-CAPS, repeated punctuation, too many links and attachments. This one also catches merge fields like {{firstName}} that were never filled in.
Do spam trigger words really send emails to spam?
Not on their own. Content filters such as SpamAssassin add points for certain phrases and patterns, and enough points can tip a message into spam. But mailbox providers weigh authentication, complaint rates and sender reputation far more heavily, so one 'free' in a good email from a healthy domain rarely matters.
How do I run a spam test on my email?
Do it in two steps. Paste the copy into the checker above to fix content problems, then run an inbox placement test, which sends the real email to test inboxes at Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo and reports whether it landed in the inbox or spam. Jetmail's Deliverability Test does this from inside the app.
What are the most common spam trigger words?
Urgency (act now, last chance, urgent), money (cash, extra income, lowest price), too-good-to-be-true offers (free, risk-free, winner), phishing-style phrases (click here, verify your account) and over-promises (guaranteed, #1, double your sales).
How many links should a cold email have?
One or none in the first email. Every extra link is another domain for filters to check against blocklists, and Google asks senders to keep links visible and clear about where they go. This checker starts taking points off at the second link.
My copy scores 100. Why does it still go to spam?
Because content is only one signal. Check that SPF, DKIM and DMARC pass, that your spam complaint rate stays under 0.3% (Google recommends under 0.1%), and that you ramp up sending volume gradually instead of in bursts.