Paste a subject line and a cold email. This checker flags spam-trigger words in five groups (money, urgency, hype, job-scam lookalikes, and filler openers), plus all-caps, exclamation marks, links and link shorteners, unfilled merge tags such as {{first_name}}, a fake Re: or Fwd: subject, and a body that runs long. Each flag has a one-line reason and a plainer word to try.
Why it matters: since February 2024, Gmail requires bulk senders to authenticate their mail and keep reported spam rates below 0.3%, and Outlook started rejecting unauthenticated mail from high-volume senders in May 2025. Words alone rarely send a message to spam, but pushy wording earns spam reports, and spam reports damage the sender reputation every later email depends on. Recruiters have one more problem: phrases like “work from home” or “no experience needed” look like the fake job offers candidates are warned about.
Cold email spam-word checker
Paste a subject line and a cold email. The checker flags spam-trigger words, job-scam lookalike phrases, all-caps, links and link shorteners, unfilled merge tags, fake Re: subjects, and length, with a plainer word to try.
This checker runs in your browser. Nothing is stored or sent.
Results
Highlighted email
Flags
Compare the tools behind the inbox → Deliverability · Outreach · Email verification
Word lists are heuristics. Inbox placement depends mostly on sender reputation, authentication, and how recipients react, which no text check can see.
How it works
- Paste the subject line (optional) and the email body (up to 5,000 characters), or tap Load example.
- Tap Check email. Matching runs on your device against built-in word lists and simple rules; nothing is sent.
- Read the verdict (Looks clean, Some fixes, or Needs work), the highlighted email, and the flag list. Hover or tab to a highlight to see why it was flagged.
- Copy a plain-text report to share with your team or paste into your sequence notes.
What it checks
| Check | What gets flagged |
|---|---|
| Trigger words | Money and price (“100% free”, “cash”), urgency (“act now”, “click here”), hype (“guaranteed”, “#1”), job-scam lookalikes (“work from home”, “unlimited earning”), and filler openers (“I hope this email finds you well”) |
| Subject line | A fake Re: or Fwd: prefix, all-caps words, exclamation marks, more than 60 characters |
| Links | Two or more links, link shorteners such as bit.ly, links to a raw IP address, links to three or more domains |
| Merge tags | Unfilled {{first_name}}, {company}, [Company], %FIRSTNAME% and *|FNAME|* style tags |
| Formatting | All-caps words in the body (common acronyms such as ATS and VP are skipped), stacked punctuation, emojis |
| Length | Bodies over 150 words, a readability grade above 12, attachments, more than three questions |
What it does not do
- It does not test inbox placement. It cannot see your domain, your SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records, your sending volume, or your reputation. Those decide most of where an email lands.
- It does not use AI or rewrite the email. The suggestions come from a fixed list.
- It does not store, send, or share what you paste. The widget never makes a network request.
Frequently asked questions
Do spam trigger words still matter in 2026?
Less than they used to. Gmail and Outlook weigh sender reputation, authentication, and how recipients react far more than any single word. Words still matter in two ways: some filters score phrases, and pushy or salesy wording makes people hit Report spam, which hurts the reputation of every email you send after it. Treat a flag as a reason to reread the line.
Why does the checker flag “work from home” in a recruiting email?
Because fake job offers lean on the same phrases: work from home, no experience needed, unlimited earning, get paid today, and requests to move the chat to WhatsApp or Telegram. Candidates are warned to watch for them, and filters see a lot of them. If the role really is remote, say “remote role” and name the company, the job title, and the pay range.
Is it bad to start a cold email subject with Re:?
Yes. Gmail’s sender guidelines say not to start a subject with Re: or Fwd: unless the message is a real reply or forward. A fake reply may lift opens once, but it reads as a trick and invites spam reports.
How many links should a cold email have?
One or none in a first email. Each extra link is one more thing a filter checks, and link shorteners such as bit.ly hide where the link goes, which is why spammers use them. Link to a page on your own domain, or offer to send the job description if the reader is interested.
How long should a cold recruiting email be?
Short enough to read on a phone in one screen. This checker flags bodies over 150 words and suggests aiming for under 125. Say who you are, why you picked this person, what the role is, and one clear ask.
What else decides whether a cold email lands in the inbox?
Authentication and reputation. Gmail asks every sender to set up SPF or DKIM, and anyone sending 5,000 or more messages a day to Gmail needs SPF, DKIM, and DMARC plus a spam rate under 0.3%. Outlook’s rules for high-volume senders are similar. Warm up new mailboxes slowly, verify addresses before you send so bounces stay low, and send from a domain set up for outreach.
Is my email stored?
No. The checker runs in your browser. There is no account, no email field, and no network request from the widget. Clear the boxes when you are done if you are on a shared computer.
Fix the rest of the sending setup with these tools: Deliverability (warmup, inbox placement, mailboxes), Outreach (sequencers), and Email verification (clean lists before you send). Writing the job ad too? Run it through the job description bias checker.