Spam Triggers in 2023: All-Encompassing List of Words To Avoid

Spam Triggers in 2023: All-Encompassing List of Words To Avoid

Author
Vladyslav Podoliako
Published
Feb 01, 2023
Reading duration
13m

Are you an email marketer worried about ending up in the spam folder? You're not alone!

With
over 40% of emails ending up in this dreaded folder, it can feel like you're constantly walking on eggshells. 

Just remember — as spam filters become more agressive blocking 10-20% of email from permission-based subscribers, it takes more than just avoiding spam trigger words to land to inboxes.

While avoiding trigger words list is not a foolproof solution, it can certainly minimize the risk of emails being blocked by spam filters or major blacklists. (check Folderly expert guide on how to remove Spamhaus blacklist listing)

In this article, we'll delve into the world of email marketing spam triggers, including the latest list of spam trigger words and techniques to use them effectively without triggering spam filters.

The Article Walkthrough: 

❓ 7 Questions to ask to spot email spam words 
🚫 Other email marketing spam triggers to avoid
βœ…  How to use spam words in emails safely (if still necessary)
πŸ“™ All-encompassing list of spam words and phrases

7 Questions To Ask To Spot Email Spam Words

Gmail protection service blocks over 100 million phishing emails daily. With this on mind, it becomes apparent why every part of your email, most notably the written part, needs to distinctly convey to spam filters (and your recipients, of course) that you are actually who you claim you are.  

With these "ask yourself questions," you can quickly pinpoint problematic remarks, expressions, and singular words that are best avoided altogether.

Here’s what you should pay attention to:

❓ Do any of the words create a sense of urgency or pressure? Uurgency in subject lines increases the open rate by an average of 22%, but things like get started now are also typical red flags for spam filters (if not used smartly).

❓ Do you overpromise or make exaggerated claims? It’s all too easy to bloat your email with email marketing spam words like Double your income or 100% free (deceptive information also violates anti-spam laws).

❓ Do you mention money? In general, saying a recipient will earn extra cash, make $, or gain potential earnings is outright a no-no. Insightful statistics: 13.2% of spam email subject lines had the word “invoice” in them.

❓ Does anything sound unnatural? Certain phrases like dear friend or a simple hello without a name included just sound out of place, while others like check or money order or no hidden fees sound shady and/or unethical.

❓ Do you use words that are slang or jargon? Unless you’re emailing your friend or colleague, jargon and slang should be steered clear of at all times.

Jargon

❓ Do you use terms and concepts that are not easy to understand? Multi-level marketing and online biz opportunity are prime examples of spam content that will immediately get picked up by spam filters.

❓ Do you say that your email isn’t junk? As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t have to point out to people that your email is legit. So, give a wide berth to this isn’t spam, not spam, and any other words that are so obvious.

Other Email Marketing Spam Triggers To Avoid

In addition to the trigger words list, it's smart to avoid the following spam trigges:

- ALL CAPS. It’s best practice (and common sense) to not use all-caps, as well as subsequent exclamation and question marks in the subject line or sections of your email.  WRITING LIKE THIS!!! is a dead giveaway to spam-detecting software (and decreased reply rate by 30%. Plus, it’s just rude.

- Extreme punctuation.
Don’t use special characters or symbols to stand out. Rephrase or use synonyms to stay out of trouble and in the desired inboxes. The chances are they are not displaying 100% correctly in all email clients.

- Special characters ($ #). Rephrase or use synonyms to stay out of trouble and in the desired inboxes. The chances are special characters are not displaying 100% correctly in all email clients.

- Include strangely formatted fonts (π’Ώπ“Šπ“ˆπ“‰ 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 π“‰π’½π’Ύπ“ˆ). Using unusual fonts can make text harder to read and may activate spam detection software. Also, don’t play much with italic font which takes 50% more time for people to read.

- Links and attachments. We are all against that, especially in cold emails. You really want first to get the conversation going and then you can follow up with case studies, with links, with information. You don't want to bombard your clients and trigger spam filters (Spam emails usually contain harmful attachments so spam filters are automatically triggered).

How To Use List of Trigger Words In Emails Safely (If Still Necessary)  

There is a way you can use email spam trigger words while avoiding being labeled as a spammer.

The secret lies in the following:

Pay attention to frequency and context

Having a spam word or phrase here and there doesn’t immediately mean a visit to the spam folder. Thanks to AI and machine learning that constantly improve natural language understanding, spam filters have evolved beyond automatic blacklisting. These expanded spam filtering capabilities provide room to operate and sneak in a few attention-catching words.

If you write something like limited offer in a contextual manner that goes in line with the email’s flow, you’ll be fine. Use spam keywords sparingly and responsibly as you'll always be better off writing naturally rather than aiming to grab attention.

Write witty and surprising subject lines

For many, this is easier said than done because many spam and spam-ish words are actionable and create intrigue. Almost half of email recipients will open an email based on the subject line alone. Want to hear something else scary? More than two-thirds of email recipients report email as spam based solely on the subject line.

So, even if you manage not to trigger the spam filter, the subject line can make a difference in whether the email will be opened and received favorably by the recipient or labeled as spam.

Try to add a bit of humor as most people like to be amused, especially if you’re cold emailing (it’s not like they subscribed to you). Dad jokes are a good way to pique interest or restart the conversation. πŸ˜‰

Also, try to hit on people's curiosity to get that click. Curiosity power words can awaken our natural sense of intrigue and thirst for knowledge. Words like spoiler, elusive, be the first, hush-hush, privy, and hidden are just some that can persuade the reader to discover what’s inside your email.

Personalize your emails

This is the next big thing you simply have to do because 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalized interactions. What’s more, 76% get frustrated when this doesn’t happen.

On top of that, spam filters just love eating mass emails for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Personalization typically drives more engagement and showcases to Gmail, Outlook, and the like that you're a trustworthy sender. As a result, more of your future emails will make it to the inbox, leading to more benefits down the road.

For starters, address the recipient by their first name. Do it in the subject line and the first few lines as it boosts open and click-through rates. 

Next, write the entire email as if you’re writing to a friend. In doing so, your language will instinctively feel more realistic and unpretending, thus making your entire personalization effort feel more genuine. 

Another thing you can try is to finish off with a personalized P.S.  The purpose of it is twofold:

  • It’s a neat touch at the end of an email that shows you want to connect on a personal level. 
  • It’s also a great opportunity to sneak in a CTA with an urgency/FOMO that always shows high open rate. 

Have a clean formatted copy

In the eyes of spam filters, how an email looks matters because the text surrounding the spam phrase is important for context. Hence, refrain from strange or social media-like formatting and unrelated punctuation. Also, make sure that your copy is mobile-optimized since 62.13% of people will ignore or delete an email that doesn't work well on mobile. 

Pro-tip: take a comprehensive approach

If you make a concerted effort to meet adopt guidelines, you can easily leverage some “classic” spam email words in your subject line and body. While a great starting point, a trigger words list is only a small element that prompts spam filters into action. There are other non-intuitive elements to learn to know how to prevent emails from going to spam.

Email deliverability requires a full-cycle approach (from setting up your domain up to best content practices during cold email outreach).

This is when additional help in the form of an email deliverability platform such as Folderly is more than welcome because it combines AI-powered automation and human approach to maximize email deliverability rates. Thanks to its mix of computer and human input, Folderly has unique capabilities that create a custom solution for any type of deliverability issue. 

All-Encompassing List Of Spam Words and Phrases

It’s our hope that this updated spam trigger words 2023 will paint you a clearer picture of the way your email and textual content need to be structured for maximum deliverability.

#
I
R

A
J
S

B
K
T

C
L
U

D
M
V

E
N
W

F
O
X

G
P
Y

H
Q
Z

Symbols & Numerals

0%
99%
99.90%
100%
#1
%
% free

% Satisfied
$$$
£££
€€€
0 down
0% risk
100% free

100% more
100% off
100% satisfaction
100% satisfied
50% off

 

A

A few bob
Accept cash cards
Accept credit cards
Acceptance
Access
Access for free
Access now
Accordingly
Account-based marketing (ABM)
Accounts
Act
Act immediately
Act now
Act now!
Action
Action required
Ad
Additional income
Addresses
Addresses on CD
Affordable
Affordable deal
All
All natural
All natural/new
All new
All-natural
All-new
Allowance
Amazed
Amazing
Amazing offer
Amazing stuff
Apply here
Apply now
Apply now!
Apply online
As seen on
As seen on Oprah
At no cost
Auto email removal
Avoice bankruptcy
Avoid
Avoid bankruptcy

B

Bad credit
Bank
Bankruptcy
Bargain
Be amazed
Be surprised
Be your own boss
Become a member
Before it's too late
Being a member
Believe me
Beneficial offer
Beneficiary
Best bargain
Best deal
Best offer
Best price
Best rates
Beverage
Big bucks
Bill 1618
Billing
Billing address
Billion
Billion dollars
Billionaire
Bonus
Boss
Brand new pager
Bulk email
Buy
Buy direct
Buy now
Buy today
Buying judgements

C

Cable converter
Call
Call free
Call free/now
Call me
Call now
Call now!
Calling creditors
Can we have a minute of your time?
Can you help us?
Can't live without
Can’t live without
Cancel
Cancel at any time
Cancel now
Cancellation required
Cannot be combined
Card accepted
Cards accepted
Cash
Cash bonus
Cash out
Cash-out
Cashcashcash
Casino
Celebrity
Cell phone cancer scam
Cents on the dollar
Certified
Chance
Cheap
Cheap meds
Check
Check or money order
Cialis
Claim now
Claim your discount
Claims
Claims not to be selling anything
Claims to be in accordance with some spam law
Claims to be legal
Clearance
Click
Click below
Click here
Click me to download
Click now
Click this link
Click to get
Click to remove
Collect
Collect child support
Compare
Compare now
Compare online
Compare rates
Compete for your business
Confidentiality
Confidentiality on all orders
Confidentially on all orders
Congratulations
Consolidate debt
Consolidate debt and credit
Consolidate your debt
Contact us immediately
Content marketing
Copy accurately
Copy DVDs
Cost
Costs
COVID
Credit
Credit bureaus
Credit card
Credit card offers
Credit or Debit
Cures
Cures baldness
Cutie

D

Deal
Deal ending soon
Dear [email address]
Dear [email/friend/somebody]
Dear [first name]
Dear [personalization variable]
Dear [wrong name]
Dear friend
Debt
Diagnostic
DIAGNOSTICS
Diet
Dig up dirt on friends
Digital marketing
Direct email
Direct marketing
Discount
Do it now
Do it today
Dollars
Don’t delete
Don't hesitate
Don't waste time
Don’t hesitate
Dormant
Double your
Double your cash
Double your income
Double your wealth
Drastically reduced

E

Earn
Earn $
Earn cash
Earn extra cash
Earn extra income
Earn from home
Earn money
Earn monthly
Earn per month
Earn per week
Earn your degree
Easy income
Easy terms
Eliminate bad credit
Eliminate debt
Email extractor
Email harvest
Email marketing
Exclusive deal
Expect to earn
Expire
Expires today
Explode your business
Extra
Extra cash
Extra income
Extract email 

F

F r e e
Fantastic
Fantastic deal
Fantastic offer
FAST
Fast cash
Fast money
Fast viagra delivery
Final call
Finance
Financial
Financial advice
Financial freedom
Financial independence
Financially independent
For free
For instant access
For just $
For just $ (amount)
For just $xxx
For new customers only
For Only
For you
Foreclosure
Form
Free
Free access
Free access/money/gift
Free bonus
Free cell phone
Free consultation
Free DVD
Free gift
Free grant money
Free hosting
Free info
Free information
Free installation
Free Instant
Free investment
Free iPhone
Free laptop
Free leads
Free Macbook
Free membership
Free money
Free offer
Free preview
Free priority mail
Free quote
Free sample
Free trial
Free website
Free!
Freedom
Friday before [holiday]
Friend
Full refund
 

G

Get
Get it away
Get it now
Get it today
Get Money
Get now
Get out of debt
Get paid
Get rid of debt
Get started
Get started now

Get started now.
Get your money
Gift card
Gift certificate
Gift included
Give it away
Giveaway
Giving away
Giving it away
Gold
Great

Great deal
Great offer
Greetings of the day
Growth hormone
Guarantee
Guaranteed
Guaranteed deposit
Guaranteed income
Guaranteed payment

 

H

Have you been turned down?
Hello
Hello (with no name included)
Here
Hidden
Hidden assets
Hidden charges
Hidden costs
Hidden fees
High score
Home
Home based
Home based business
Home employment
Home mortgage
Home-based
Home-based business
Homebased business
Hot babes
Hottie
Huge discount
Human
Human growth hormone
Hurry up

I

If only it were that easy
If you no longer wish to receive
Immediately
Important information
Important information regarding
Important notification
In accordance with laws
Income
Income from home
Increase Income
Increase revenue
Increase sales
Increase sales/traffic
Increase traffic
Increase your chances
Increase your sales
Incredible deal
Info you requested
Information you requested
Initial investment
Instant
Instant earnings
Instant income
Instant weight loss
Insurance
Insurance Lose weight
Internet market
Internet marketing
Investment
Investment advice
Investment decision
Invoice

J

Job alert
Join billions
Join millions of Americans
Join thousands
Join millions
Junk

K

Kinky    

L

Lambo
Laser printer
Last Day
Leave
Legal
Legal notice
Life
Life insurance
Lifetime
Lifetime access
Lifetime deal
Limited
Limited amount
Limited number
Limited offer
Limited supply
Limited time
Limited time offer
Limited time only
Loan
Loans
Long distance phone number
Long distance phone offer
Lose
Lose weight
Lose weight fast
Lose weight spam
Lottery
Lower interest rate
Lower interest rates
Lower monthly payment
Lower rates
Lower your mortgage rate
Lowest insurance rates
Lowest interest rate
Lowest price
Lowest rate
Lowest rates
Luxury
Luxury car

M

Mail in order form
Main in order form
Maintained
Make $
Make money
Mark this as not junk
Marketing
Marketing solution
Marketing solutions
Mass email
Mature
Medical
Medicine
Medium
Meet girls
Meet me
Meet singles
Meet women
Member
Member stuff
Message contains
Message contains disclaimer
Message from
Million
Million dollars
Millionaire
Millions
Miracle

MLM
Money
Money πŸ’°
Money back
Money making
Money-back guarantee
Money-making
Month trial offer
Monthly payment
More Internet Traffic
Mortgage
Mortgage rates
Multi level marketing
Multi-level marketing

N

Name
Name brand
Near you
Never
Never before
New
New customers only
New domain extensions
Nigerian
No age restrictions
No catch
No claim forms
No cost
No credit check
No credit experience
No deposit required
No disappointment
No experience
No fees
No gimmick
No hidden
No hidden costs
No hidden fees
No interest
No interests
No inventory
No investment
No investment required
No medical exams
No middleman
No obligation
No payment required
No purchase necessary
No purchase required
No questions asked
No refunds
No selling
No strings attached
No-obligation
Nominated bank account
Not intended
Not junk
Not scam
Not spam
Notspam
Now
Now only
Number 1
Number one

O

Obligation
Off
Off everything
Off shore
Offer
Offer expires
Offer extended
Offers
Offshore
Once in a lifetime
Once in lifetime
One hundred percent
One hundred percent free
One hundred percent guaranteed
One time
One time mailing
One-time
Online biz opportunity
Online business opportunity
Online degree
Online income
Online job
Online marketing
Online pharmacy
Only
Only $
Open
Opportunity
Opt in
Opt-in
Order
Order now
Order shipped by
Order status
Order today
Orders shipped by
Orders shipped by shopper
Outstanding value
Outstanding values

P

Password
Passwords
Pay your bills
Pennies a day
Per day
Per day/per week/per year
Per month
Per week
Perfect
Performance
Phone
Please
Please open
Please read
Potential earnings
Pre-approved
Presently
Price
Price protection
Prices
Print form signature
Print from signature
Print out and fax
Priority mail
Privately owned funds
Prize
Prizes
Problem
Problem with shipping
Problem with your order
Produced and sent out
Profit
Profits
Promise
Promise you
Purchase
Purchase now
Pure profit
Pure Profits

Q

Quote Quotes  

R

Rate
Rates
Real thing
Rebate
Reduce debt
Refinance
Refinance home
Refinanced home
Refund
Regarding
Removal
Removal instructions
Remove
Removes
Removes wrinkles
Replica watches
Request
Request now
Request today
Requires initial investment
Requires investment
Reserves the right
Reverses
Reverses aging
Risk free
Risk-free
Rolex
Round the world

S

S 1618
Safeguard notice
Sale
Sales
Sample
Satisfaction
Satisfaction guaranteed
Save
Save $
Save $, Save €
Save big
Save big money
Save big month
Save money
Save now
Save up to
Score
Score with babes
Search engine
Search engine listings
Search engine optimisation
Search engines
Section 301
See for yourself
Seen on
Sent in compliance
Serious
Serious case
Serious cash
Serious offer
Serious only
Sex
Sexy babes
Shop now
Shopper
Shopping spree
Sign up free
Sign up free today
Snoring
Social security number
Solution
Soon
Spam
Spam free
Special deal
Special discount
Special for you
Special offer
Special promotion
Stainless steel
Steamy
Stock alert
Stock disclaimer statement
Stock pick
Stocks/stock pick/stock alert
Stop
Stop calling me
Stop emailing me
Stop further distribution
Stop snoring
Stops snoring
Strong buy
Stuff on sale
Subject to
Subject to cash
Subject to credit
Subject to…
Subscribe
Subscribe for free
Subscribe now
Success
Super promo
Supplies
Supplies are limited

T

Tack action now
Take action
Take action now
Talks about hidden charges
Talks about prizes
Teen
Tells you it's an ad
Terms
Terms and conditions
The best
The best rates

The email asks for a credit card
The following form
They make a claim or claims that they're in accordance with spam law
They try to keep your money no refund
They're just giving it away
This is an ad
This isn't a scam
This isn't junk
This isn't spam
This isn’t a scam
This won't last
Thousands
Time limited
Timeshare
Timeshare offers
Today
Top urgent
Traffic
Trial
Trial unlimited

U

U.S. dollars
Unbeatable offer
Unbelievable
Undisclosed
Undisclosed recipient
University diplomas
Unlimited
Unlimited trial
Unsecured credit
Unsecured debt
Unsolicited
Unsubscribe
Urgent
Urgent response
US dollars
US dollars / Euros

V

Vacation
Vacation offers
Valium

Very Cheap
Viagra
Vicodin
VIP
Visit our website

W

Wants credit card
Warranty
Warranty expired
We are legal
We hate spam
We honor all
Web traffic
Website visitors
Weekend getaway
Weight loss
What are you waiting for?
What's keeping you?
While available
While in stock
While stocks last
While supplies last
While you sleep
Who really wins?
Why pay more?
Wife
Will not believe your eyes
Win
Win big
Winner
Winning
Won
Wonderful
Work at home
Work from home

X

Xanax XXX  

Y

You are a winner
You have been chosen
You have been selected
You will not believe your eyes
You’ve been selected!
Your chance
Your income
Your status

Z

Zero chance Zero percent Zero risk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vladyslav Podoliako
Author:
Vladyslav Podoliako
Founder & CEO
Vlad is a Founder & CEO of Belkins and Folderly, a series entrepreneur and investor with over ten years of management expertise in companies with 100 million evaluation. Vlad has years of experience building and growing service companies and SaaS startups in SalesTech and MarTech. He is skilled in creating successful businesses from the ground up and building top-notch teams that drive all ventures to the top of their industries.

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