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Cold email spam checker

Paste your cold email. Anything that could land it in spam gets marked as you type, with the fix beside it.

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See how a real cold email gets graded, then paste yours.

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How your score works

Two scores, each starting at 100 and losing points for what we find. Your grade is half of each, and every rule we use is right here.

Spam risk

50% of your grade

What filters see

The content signals inbox filters and corporate gateways like Microsoft Defender, Proofpoint and Mimecast still score. Most B2B buyers sit behind one.

  • Blockers{{first_name}}
    caps grade at D

    Unfilled merge tags, spintax, a fake Re: or Fwd:, link shorteners, disguised characters.

  • Trigger phrasesact now
    up to 54 pts

    240 phrases, weighted by severity and counted 1.5x in the subject. Strong ones stack.

  • Links3 links
    up to 15 pts

    One is fine. Two or more in a first email costs you.

  • ShoutingFREE!!!
    up to 12 pts each

    ALL CAPS words and stacked !!! or ??. Acronyms like SDR are fine.

  • Leftovers and claims50% off
    up to 12 pts each

    HTML fragments, attachments, heavy formatting, hype numbers, a busy subject, no way to opt out.

  • Signature4 social icons
    up to 10 pts

    Filters read it too. A name and one link is plenty; a row of icons, logos and badges is not.

and

Reply quality

50% of your grade

What people see

These don't trip filters. They decide whether a busy person replies, and replies are the best signal your domain can earn.

  • A reason it's for themSaw you're hiring
    up to 20 pts

    Something you noticed about them: a hire, a launch, a post.

  • One easy askWorth a look?
    up to 20 pts

    One question beats a demo request from a stranger, or three asks.

  • No clichesHope this finds you well
    up to 20 pts each

    They waste the line the inbox shows first.

  • Length125 words
    up to 20 pts

    About 125 words or fewer. Under 20 says too little.

  • Easy to readgrade 5
    up to 15 pts each

    Short sentences, a short subject, paragraphs that fit a phone.

  • About them, not youyou > we
    up to 12 pts each

    More "you" than "we", no "leading provider", no hedging.

Then the grade

  1. F0-59Likely filtered or ignored
  2. D60-69Fix the blockers
  3. C70-79Fix a few lines
  4. B80-89Small fixes
  5. A90-100Ready to send

Hard limits, however good the rest is

  • Any high-severity issueB at best
  • Heavy trigger phrases, or a nameless email with nothing about themC at best
  • Any blocker, two strong trigger phrases, or two serious spam issuesD at best
  • High spam risk, disguised words, or asking for a login next to a linkF

Spam trigger words, by category

The exact list this checker scores against, built for cold B2B email. No single common word sends you to spam on its own: "free trial" is fine, "100% FREE!!!" is not. Stacking these, putting them in the subject, and pairing them with hype is what costs you.

StrongNotableMild

Last reviewed November 2026

Why it hurts
Money and savings promises are the oldest spam pattern. They read as a bulk offer, not a note from one person to another.
Say this instead
Swap the promise for one specific, sourced proof point, like "Acme cut ramp time 30%. Happy to share how."
  • 100% free (Strong)
  • risk-free (Strong)
  • free money (Strong)
  • make money (Strong)
  • earn money (Strong)
  • extra cash (Strong)
  • cash bonus (Strong)
  • double your revenue (Strong)
  • double your income (Strong)
  • money-back guarantee (Strong)
  • million dollars (Strong)
  • investment opportunity (Strong)
  • financial freedom (Strong)
  • passive income (Strong)
  • guaranteed returns (Strong)
  • zero risk (Strong)
  • no hidden fees (Notable)
  • no hidden costs (Notable)
  • no cost to you (Notable)
  • pay nothing (Notable)
  • free gift (Notable)
  • full refund (Notable)
  • money back (Notable)
  • huge savings (Notable)
  • save big (Notable)
  • lowest price (Notable)
  • best price (Notable)
  • special discount (Notable)
  • exclusive discount (Notable)
  • get paid (Notable)
  • cut your costs in half (Notable)
  • boost revenue by (Notable)
  • increase sales by (Notable)
  • at no cost (Mild)
  • free trial (Mild)
  • free consultation (Mild)
  • free quote (Mild)
  • free access (Mild)
  • no credit card required (Mild)
  • discount (Mild)
  • cheap (Mild)

Why are my emails going to spam?

Usually not because of a word. Inbox providers decide mostly on who is sending and how, and only then on what the email says. Work down this list in order.

Google email sender guidelinesYahoo sender best practices

  1. Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

    These DNS records prove you're allowed to send for your domain. Since February 2024, Gmail and Yahoo require SPF or DKIM from every sender, and SPF, DKIM, and DMARC from bulk senders, and Outlook.com has enforced similar rules for high-volume senders since May 2025. Without them, good copy won't save you.

  2. Sender reputation and volume

    A new domain or inbox has no reputation, so a sudden jump to hundreds of emails a day looks like a spammer. Warm up over a few weeks, keep daily volume steady, and keep spam complaints under 0.3%, the line Gmail and Yahoo draw (aim for under 0.1%).

  3. List quality

    Bounces tell providers you bought a list. Verify every address before you send, and stop emailing anyone who bounced or asked you to stop.

  4. Links, images, and tracking

    Every link is checked against reputation lists, and link shorteners hide where they go. Open-tracking pixels and shared tracking domains add risk for little value, since Apple Mail Privacy Protection makes open rates unreliable anyway.

  5. The words and formatting

    The only layer this checker sees. It matters most at corporate email gateways, which still score content, and through replies: an email that reads like a template gets ignored or reported, and that history follows your domain.

How many cold emails can you send per day?

There's no official number, but deliverability teams converge on a conservative range: keep a warmed-up inbox to roughly 30 to 50 cold emails a day, and start a new inbox far lower, ramping up over two to four weeks. Spread the volume across a few inboxes rather than pushing one hard, and send at a human pace, minutes apart, during business hours.

RegieGO is built that way by default: emails go from your own Gmail or Outlook, a few minutes apart, capped at 20 a day, during business hours in each prospect's time zone.

Before and after: one cold email, graded

The same pitch, written two ways. Load either one into the checker above to see every flag.

BeforeGrade F, 13 out of 100. Spam risk high, reply quality 25.

RE: URGENT - Quick question about your revenue!!

Hi {{first_name}}, I hope this email finds you well! My name is Jordan and I'm reaching out because we are a leading provider of revolutionary AI sales software. Our platform helps companies like yours 10x your pipeline and DOUBLE YOUR REVENUE with guaranteed results!!! This is a LIMITED TIME OFFER: sign up now and get 50% off. Click here to learn more: bit.ly/3xYz9Q or check out our case studies at example.com/customers and watch the demo at example.com/demo. Do you have 15 minutes this week for a quick call? Let me know ASAP! Thanks in advance, Jordan

AfterGrade A, 100 out of 100. Spam risk low, reply quality 100.

new sdr class at brightline

Hi Priya, Saw Brightline is hiring six SDRs in Austin this quarter. Teams that hire a whole class at once usually lose the first month to research: new reps building lists and guessing at what to say to each account. Northwind was in the same spot last spring. Their new reps booked first meetings in week two instead of week six, because every account came with the research already done. Worth comparing notes before your class starts? Best, Sam Not the right person? Reply "no" and I won't follow up.

What changed

  • A plain, lowercase subject about them, with no fake Re: and no shouting.
  • Filled-in name, no link shortener, and no links at all in a first touch.
  • Opens with a reason to write to Priya, not with "I hope this finds you well".
  • One proof point from a similar team instead of "10x your pipeline".
  • One easy question, and a plain line to opt out.

Cold email subject lines that stay out of spam

  • 2 to 4 words, written like a note from a colleague: "new sdr class at brightline".
  • About them, not you: their team, their news, their goal.
  • No Re: or Fwd: unless it's a real reply, no emoji, no prices or percentages, no ALL CAPS.
  • Never promise in the subject what the email doesn't deliver.

30 cold email subject linesEmail subject line best practicesEmail deliverability best practices

Spam checker FAQ

Why are my emails going to spam?

Usually because of authentication, sender reputation, or volume before wording: missing SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records, a new or overworked inbox, bounces from unverified addresses, or spam complaints. Content is the last layer. This tool checks that layer, and the guide above covers the rest.

How do I keep my emails from going to spam?

Set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, warm up new inboxes, verify every address, keep daily volume modest and steady, use few or no links in a first email, and give people an easy way to say no. Then run the copy through this checker.

What are spam trigger words?

Phrases that filters associate with scams and bulk promotions, like "act now", "risk-free", or "you have been selected". They add risk in context rather than deciding the outcome alone. The full list we use is above, by category.

Does the word "free" trigger spam filters?

Not on its own. "Free trial" in a normal sentence is fine. "FREE!!!" in a subject line, or "100% free" stacked with urgency and a discount, is what gets scored. That's why this checker weighs phrases and context instead of banning single words.

How many cold emails can I send per day per domain?

There's no official limit. A conservative practice is roughly 30 to 50 a day from a warmed-up inbox, much less from a new one, ramped over two to four weeks and spread across a few inboxes. Steady, human-paced sending matters more than the exact number.

Do I need DMARC for cold email?

Yes, in practice. Gmail and Yahoo require it from bulk senders, and a domain without it is easier to spoof and easier to distrust at any volume. A policy of p=none is the minimum starting point, alongside SPF and DKIM.

How long should a cold email be?

Shorter usually wins, though cold email studies disagree on the exact number. Aim for one clear reason you're writing to them and one easy question, in about 125 words or fewer. Our reply quality score takes points off above 125 words and below 20.

Is my email private, and does a good score guarantee the inbox?

Your email never leaves your browser: nothing is sent to us, stored, or logged. Our analytics record only the grade, score ranges, and which checks fired, never your text. A high score means your words won't be the reason you land in spam, but placement also depends on your domain, authentication, and volume, which no text checker can see.

Your email's ready. Who's it going to?

RegieGO finds buyers that match your ICP, researches each account, and drafts each email for you to review. 250 free credits, no credit card.

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