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Email Spam Checker: Spam Trigger Words Test

Paste a cold email and see its spam risk from 0 to 100, every trigger word highlighted by type, and the link and formatting problems that get mail filtered, each with a fix.

What it checks

  • Urgency words · 29+ phrases
  • Money words · 32+ phrases
  • Overpromise words · 27+ phrases
  • Shady words · 34+ phrases

Plus ALL CAPS, stacked exclamation marks, $ signs, link count, link shorteners, image-only emails, fake “Re:” subjects and a missing unsubscribe line. Runs in your browser.

How it works

  1. 01Paste your email body, and the subject line if you have one. Tick the box if it's going to a list rather than one person.
  2. 02The text is scanned for 120+ trigger phrases in four groups (urgency, money, overpromise, shady) and for formatting filters penalize: caps, “!!!”, $ signs, links, shorteners, images and fake “Re:” subjects.
  3. 03Every issue adds points, worst first, with why it matters and the fix. Trigger words are highlighted in your email by group.
  4. 04Rewrite the flagged lines and check again until the risk reads low.

Questions

What words trigger spam filters?

The riskiest are phrases scammers use: “click here”, “congratulations”, “you've been selected”, “verify your account”, “dear friend”. Next come urgency (“act now”, “limited time”, “expires today”), overpromises (“guaranteed”, “risk-free”, “100% free”) and money stacks (“cash”, “extra income”, “double your”). One mild word won't sink an email; a cluster of them will.

Do spam trigger words still matter in 2026?

Less than they used to. Gmail and Outlook now weigh sender reputation, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and how recipients engage far more than individual words. But trigger words still move the score at the margin, and they hurt replies even when the email lands, because people recognize the pattern too.

How many links should a cold email have?

One, or none in the first email. Several links make a cold email look like a newsletter or phishing, and every link is another domain the filter has to trust. Ask a question instead and send the links once they reply.

Why do link shorteners send emails to spam?

Shorteners like bit.ly hide where a link goes, which is exactly why spammers use them. Filters penalize the shortener domains directly, regardless of where the link resolves. Use the full URL on your own domain.

Do I need an unsubscribe link in a cold email?

If you send at volume, yes. CAN-SPAM requires an opt-out in commercial email, and since 2024 Gmail and Yahoo require bulk senders to support one-click unsubscribe. For one-to-one outreach, a plain line like “Not relevant? Reply ‘no’ and I won't follow up” does the job and keeps people from hitting report.

Why is my email going to spam even though the content is clean?

Content is only part of it. The usual causes are a missing or broken SPF, DKIM or DMARC record, a new domain or inbox that hasn't been warmed up, sending too many emails too fast, and low engagement or spam complaints from earlier sends. Fix the copy here, then check your domain setup.

Is my email stored or sent anywhere?

No. The check runs entirely in your browser, so your email never leaves your device.

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