Why Do My Emails Look Spammy? The Top 15 Spam Trigger Words to Remove Immediately

You've spent hours crafting the perfect email campaign, but your open rates are disappointing. The problem might not be your content, but specific words that trigger spam filters. In this article, we'll explore the top spam trigger words and how to replace them with more effective alternatives.

Understanding Spam Filters

Email service providers use sophisticated algorithms to protect users from unwanted emails. These filters analyze various elements of your email, including the content, sender reputation, and specific keywords that are commonly associated with spam.

When your email contains too many of these trigger words, it's more likely to be flagged as spam or sent directly to the promotions folder, where it might never be seen by your intended recipient.

Note: Even if you have permission to email someone, using spam trigger words can still negatively impact your deliverability.

The Top 15 Spam Trigger Words

Here are the most common words and phrases that trigger spam filters, along with suggestions for better alternatives:

1. Free

High Risk

While "free" can be effective in marketing, it's heavily flagged by spam filters, especially when used excessively or in all caps.

Better alternatives:

Complimentary, no cost, at no charge, included, on the house

2. Act Now

High Risk

This phrase creates a false sense of urgency that spam filters recognize as a common tactic in spam emails.

Better alternatives:

Don't miss out, limited availability, reserve your spot, join now

3. Guarantee

Medium Risk

While not as risky as some words, "guarantee" can still trigger filters when overused or combined with other trigger words.

Better alternatives:

Assurance, promise, confidence, warranty, commitment

4. No Obligation

High Risk

This phrase is commonly used in spammy sales pitches, making it a red flag for filters.

Better alternatives:

Zero commitment, try risk-free, explore without pressure

5. Make Money

High Risk

Phrases promising financial gain are heavily flagged due to their association with scams and pyramid schemes.

Better alternatives:

Increase earnings, grow your income, financial opportunity

6. Opportunity

Medium Risk

When used in certain contexts, "opportunity" can trigger filters, especially when paired with financial terms.

Better alternatives:

Possibility, potential, prospect, chance

7. Winner

High Risk

Announcing that someone is a "winner" is a classic spam tactic, particularly in lottery and prize scams.

Better alternatives:

Congratulations, selected, chosen, awarded

8. Cash

Medium Risk

Mentioning cash payments or prizes can raise red flags with spam filters.

Better alternatives:

Payment, funds, money, reimbursement

9. Cheap

High Risk

This word is commonly associated with low-quality products and spammy sales tactics.

Better alternatives:

Affordable, economical, budget-friendly, value-priced

10. Miracle

Medium Risk

Exaggerated claims of miraculous results are common in spam emails, especially for health products.

Better alternatives:

Effective, powerful, transformative, breakthrough

11. Urgent

High Risk

Creating false urgency is a classic spam tactic that filters are trained to recognize.

Better alternatives:

Important, time-sensitive, priority, expedited

12. Risk-Free

Medium Risk

While appealing to customers, this phrase is heavily used in spam marketing.

Better alternatives:

No-risk, satisfaction guaranteed, try with confidence

13. Special Promotion

High Risk

This phrase is so commonly used in spam that it's become a major red flag for filters.

Better alternatives:

Exclusive offer, limited-time deal, special offer for you

14. Congratulations

Medium Risk

While seemingly innocent, this word is heavily used in scam emails announcing fake wins.

Better alternatives:

Good news, you're in, great news, we're pleased to inform you

15. Buy Direct

High Risk

This phrase is commonly associated with spammy sales tactics and questionable business practices.

Better alternatives:

Purchase now, shop directly, order from us

Additional Tips to Avoid Spam Filters

Avoid Excessive Punctuation

Multiple exclamation points!!! or ALL CAPS text are clear spam indicators. Use normal punctuation and sentence case.

Balance Text and Images

Emails with only images and little text are often flagged as spam. Maintain a healthy text-to-image ratio.

Use Reputable Links

Avoid shortened URLs or links to suspicious websites. Use your own domain for links when possible.

Authenticate Your Emails

Implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to verify your domain and improve deliverability.

Final Thoughts

While avoiding spam trigger words is important, it's only one piece of the email deliverability puzzle. Focus on creating valuable, relevant content for your subscribers, maintaining a good sender reputation, and following email marketing best practices.

Remember that spam filters are constantly evolving, so regularly review your email content and stay updated on the latest trends in email deliverability to ensure your messages reach their intended destination.

Key Takeaways

✓ Spam filters analyze both content and context
✓ Avoid excessive use of salesy language
✓ Test your emails before sending campaigns
✓ Focus on providing value to your subscribers

Additional Resources

Want to Test Your Emails?

Use our free spam analyzer tool to check your email content before sending.

What is an SPF Record?

An SPF (Sender Policy Framework) record is a type of DNS (Domain Name System) record that identifies which mail servers are permitted to send email on behalf of your domain. It's a critical email authentication method that helps protect your domain against spoofing and prevents your emails from being marked as spam.

Analogy: Think of an SPF record as a guest list for an exclusive event. Only the people (mail servers) on the list are allowed to enter (send emails from your domain).

When an email is received, the receiving mail server checks the SPF record of the sending domain to verify that the email came from an authorized server. If the sending server isn't listed in the SPF record, the email may be rejected or marked as spam.

Why is an SPF Record Needed?

Prevent Email Spoofing

Without SPF, attackers can easily forge the "From" address in emails to make them appear to come from your domain, leading to phishing attacks and damage to your reputation.

Improve Email Deliverability

Email providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo use SPF to verify sender authenticity. Proper SPF configuration increases the likelihood that your emails reach the inbox.

Build Sender Reputation

Consistently passing SPF checks helps build a positive sender reputation, which is crucial for successful email marketing campaigns and business communications.

Meet Industry Standards

SPF is part of the DMARC standard, which many organizations now require for accepting emails.

How SPF Improves Email Deliverability

Email service providers use complex algorithms to determine whether an email should be delivered to the inbox, spam folder, or rejected entirely. SPF plays a crucial role in this decision-making process.

When your domain has a properly configured SPF record, receiving mail servers can verify that your emails are legitimate. This verification builds trust and improves your sender score, which directly impacts deliverability rates.

Email sent from your domain

↓

Receiving server checks your SPF record

↓

Email authenticated → Higher deliverability

Note: SPF is just one component of email authentication. For maximum deliverability, it should be used in conjunction with DKIM and DMARC.

Understanding SPF Record Syntax

An SPF record is a TXT record in your DNS with a specific syntax. Here's a breakdown of the components:

v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com include:servers.mcsv.net ~all

Component	Description	Example
v=spf1	SPF version identifier	Mandatory prefix for all SPF records
include	Authorizes another domain's SPF record	include:_spf.google.com
ip4	Authorizes an IPv4 address or range	ip4:192.168.0.1
ip6	Authorizes an IPv6 address or range	ip6:2001:db8::/32
a	Authorizes the domain's A record IPs	a
mx	Authorizes the domain's MX record IPs	mx
~all	Soft fail for unauthorized servers	Emails from other servers are marked as suspicious
-all	Hard fail for unauthorized servers	Emails from other servers are rejected

How to Set Up SPF Records in Major DNS Providers

Cloudflare

Log in to your Cloudflare account and select your domain.
Navigate to the "DNS" section in the dashboard.
Click "Add record" and select "TXT" as the record type.
For the name, enter your domain (usually "@" for the root domain).
In the content field, enter your SPF record (e.g., v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all).
Set the TTL (Time to Live) to "Auto" or your preferred value.
Click "Save" to create the record.

Note: Cloudflare may take a few minutes to propagate the DNS changes globally.

Namecheap

Log in to your Namecheap account and go to the "Domain List".
Click "Manage" next to the domain you want to configure.
Select "Advanced DNS" from the navigation menu.
Find the "HOST RECORDS" section and click "Add New Record".
Select "TXT Record" from the type dropdown.
For the host, enter "@" for the root domain or your subdomain.
In the value field, enter your SPF record.
Set the TTL to the recommended value (usually 1800 seconds).
Click the save icon (checkmark) to create the record.

GoDaddy

Sign in to your GoDaddy Domain Portfolio.
Click on your domain to access the Domain Settings page.
Under "Additional Settings", select "Manage DNS".
In the "Records" section, click "Add" to create a new record.
Select "TXT" as the record type.
For the host, enter "@" for the root domain.
In the "TXT Value" field, enter your SPF record.
Set the TTL to the desired value (1 hour is typical).
Click "Save" to add the record.

AWS Route 53

Log in to the AWS Management Console and open the Route 53 console.
In the navigation pane, choose "Hosted zones".
Select the hosted zone for your domain.
Choose "Create record".
Leave the record name blank for the root domain or enter a subdomain.
Select "TXT - Text" as the record type.
In the value field, enter your SPF record enclosed in quotes.
Set the TTL value as needed.
Click "Create records" to save.

Google Domains

Sign in to Google Domains with your account.
Select the domain you want to manage.
Click on "DNS" in the left navigation menu.
Scroll down to the "Custom resource records" section.
In the first field (@ for root domain or subdomain name), leave blank for root or enter subdomain.
Set the type to "TXT".
In the "TTL" field, enter the time in seconds (3600 is typical).
In the "Data" field, enter your SPF record.
Click "Add" to save the record.

SPF Record Best Practices

Do's

Use the ~all mechanism initially for soft fails
Regularly review and update your SPF record
Use the include mechanism for third-party email services
Keep your SPF record under 10 DNS lookups (limit is 10)
Test your SPF record using online validation tools

Don'ts

Don't create multiple SPF records for the same domain
Avoid using +all (pass all) as it defeats the purpose
Don't forget to include all email sending services you use
Avoid exceeding the 10 DNS lookup limit
Don't set TTL values too high when testing or making changes

Important: DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally, though it's usually much faster. Always verify your SPF record after making changes.

Testing Your SPF Record

After setting up your SPF record, it's crucial to verify that it's working correctly. Here are some methods to test your SPF configuration:

Command Line

Use dig or nslookup commands to check your TXT records

Online Tools

Use websites like MXToolbox, SPF Record Testing Tools

Send Test Emails

Send emails to accounts on different providers and check headers

nslookup -type=TXT yourdomain.com

Conclusion

Implementing a proper SPF record is a fundamental step in securing your domain's email communications and improving deliverability. While the initial setup might seem technical, most DNS providers have simplified the process with user-friendly interfaces.

Remember that SPF is just one part of a comprehensive email authentication strategy. For maximum protection and deliverability, consider implementing DKIM and DMARC as well.

Final Tip: Regularly audit your SPF record, especially when adding new email marketing services or changing your email infrastructure. This ensures your record remains accurate and effective.