95 Words to Avoid if You Don't Want Your Emails Flagged as Spam

Let’s talk about something that’s been driving me crazy lately – spam filters.

You know how we’re always told that building an email list is the holy grail of online business? Well, I’ve got some bad news for you. There’s a silent killer out there that’s sabotaging all our hard work: those pesky spam filters.

I can’t tell you how frustrated I was when I realized this. Picture this: you’ve poured your heart and soul into growing your list, crafting the perfect emails, only to have them vanish into the black hole of spam folders. It’s like shouting into the void!

You’re probably thinking, “Wait, what? You mean all those subscribers I worked so hard to get might never even see my emails?”

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but… yes. It’s a punch to the gut, isn’t it?

Mailchimp reports that, on average, 10-20% of emails from legitimate businesses get caught in spam filters ¹. This isn’t about spammers – if you’re a spammer, the numbers are much worse.

So, why do your carefully crafted emails end up flagged as spam?

It’s all about the words you use.

There are two key aspects to writing effective email copy:

Creating content that converts and motivates your readers to take action.
Crafting emails that bypass spam filters, ensuring they land in your subscribers’ inboxes. This is the focus here.

Both aspects are vital. If your email gets flagged as spam, it doesn’t matter how compelling your message is – it won’t be seen.

Let’s dive into how spam filters work and how you can avoid them.

What’s a spam filter?

A spam filter is a piece of software installed on every email server. Its job is to read all incoming emails and determine if they are spam.

Spam filters use complex algorithms to make this decision. At the heart of these algorithms is a database filled with phrases, expressions, and their relationships, each assigned a specific point value.

When an email arrives, the spam filter calculates its spam score based on this data. If the score exceeds a certain threshold, the email is sent to the spam folder.

The tricky part is that there isn’t a universal threshold for spam scores. Each email server sets its own, so it’s impossible to know precisely what score is safe.

How to defeat the spam filter?

Now that we understand how spam filters work, we can tweak our email copy to achieve the lowest possible spam score.

Spam filter algorithms are not secretive like Google’s. You can find a list of factors and their exact spam values at SpamAssassin’s website, plus there are posts online that make it all a bit easier to understand.

The list is long and complicated, though, so what I’ve done here is I’ve taken the most crucial expressions and put them in the following chart.

Note: I’ve excluded some of the more naughty terms. Those are major spam triggers, but I assume most of us aren’t in those businesses, plus you don’t need to be told not to use them.

95 most damaging spam words and phrases in email

The following list goes through words and phrases you can (or rather shouldn’t) use in the body of your emails, but also factors that deal with the subject lines or the presence of certain URLs or other elements. Ordered from most damaging to least:

Tier 1 (spam factors of 2.5-2.0): “the high risk list”

Message body mentions many internet domains
Subject starts with dollar amount
Offers an alert about a stock
Contains a URL with an affiliate ID code
“University Diplomas”
“What are you waiting for”
Subject contains lots of white space
Contains a URL in the BIZ top-level domain
Tiny font size (HTML)
Talks about a million North American dollars
Claims to honor removal requests
“Money back guarantee”
Claims you registered with a partner

Tier 2 (spam factors of 1.9-1.6): “the avoid if possible list”

“Confidentiality on all orders”
HTML includes a form which sends mail
Claims you have provided permission
Stock Disclaimer Statement
Subject includes “life insurance”
Incorporates a tracking ID number
HTML font size is huge
Describes body fat loss
Subject contains “Your Bills” or similar
Subject “GUARANTEED”
HTML has a low ratio of text to image area
Contains a URL in the INFO top-level domain
Talks about quotes with an exclamation!
Message body has 70-80% blank lines
Subject contains “Your Family”
HTML link text says “push here” or similar
“No Claim Forms”
“Free Preview”
“Home refinancing”
“Compete for your business”

Tier 3 (spam factors of 1.5-1.1): “the better not do list”

Talks about millions of dollars
Send real mail to be unsubscribed
Claims compliance with spam regulations
Prestigious Non-Accredited Universities
“Be your own boss”
Domain name containing a “4u” variant
“Buy Direct”
Message body has 90-100% blank lines
They have selected you for something
Talks about exercise with an exclamation!
Claims you can be removed from the list
Claims you wanted this ad
Contains mail-in order form
Subject starts with “Hello”
“Get Paid”
HTML font size is large
“You can search for anyone”
“Freedom of a financial nature”
Subject: contains G.a.p.p.y-T.e.x.t
Contains “earn (dollar) something per week”
Weird repeated double-quotation marks
“Have you been turned down?”
“Home refinancing”
Talks about free mobile phones
Talks about “starting now” with capitals
“People just leave money laying around”
“Why Pay More?”
“Eliminate Bad Credit”
Claims you can be removed from the list
“Receive a special offer”

Tier 4 (spam factors of 1.0-0.3): “the quiet killers list”

Contains “Dear (something)”
HTML has a low ratio of text to image area
HTML font color similar to background
List removal information
Subject contains “As Seen”
Possible mention of bill 1618 (anti-spam bill)
“Amazing Stuff”
Information on mortgages
“Save big money”
“There is no obligation”
“Consolidate debt, credit, or bills”
“Lowest Price”
Mail guarantees satisfaction
Subject contains “Your Own”
“While you Sleep”
Offers a full refund
Subject is all capitals
Doing something with my income
Talks about Oprah with an exclamation!
Subject contains “For Only”
“One hundred percent guaranteed”
HTML is extremely short
Subject line starts with Buy or Buying
Describes weight loss
“See for yourself”
“Dear Friend?” That’s not very dear!
“Free Membership”
HTML has very strong “shouting” markup
“Requires Initial Investment”
“As seen on national TV!”
“Accepting credit cards”
Mentions millions of dollars

Quick fixes

Okay, so the obvious path would be to not do any of the above, but that will rarely be possible. So here are some quick fixes that you should look into:

First of all, there’s one fix (to rule them all) that allows you to never worry about ending up in the spam folder ever again. That fix is convincing your subscribers to add you to their white lists.

The value of this fix, according to Spam Assassin, is -100 (negative 100). This basically makes you invisible to spam filters even if you’re selling V***a.

Other things worth doing:

If possible, mention only one URL in your message.
If you can set up your email service provider to not say anything along the lines of “you’re receiving this message because you opted in yada yada” then do so. This may or may not be required by local law. So double check that.
Don’t say anything about spam in the email.
Don’t start the subject line with “Hi”
Don’t start your email with “Dear [someone]”
Don’t claim compliance with any spam regulations.

Compiling this list gave me a lot of insight into what I should be doing with my own emails, so I hope you will get similar value as well.

Wrapping up: navigating the spam filter maze

By being mindful of the words and phrases that trigger spam filters, you can improve your email deliverability and ensure that your carefully crafted messages reach your subscribers. Keep your content clean, relevant, and compliant, and you’ll see better engagement and fewer emails languishing in spam folders.

So, next time you draft an email, keep this guide handy. With a little attention to detail, you can outsmart the spam filters and make sure your message gets through. Happy emailing!

References: