250+ Words That’ll Land Your Email in the Spam Folder

What causes email to be flagged as spam?

Some reasons why emails wind up in the spam folder include the use of improperly misleading subject titles and marketing emails that are sent to recipients who haven’t opted in. Low-engagement approaches to email marketing and campaigns that target inactive addresses can also end up in the spam filter. So can the numerous possible violations of the CAN-SPAM Act. Email spam trigger words are also a fast path right to the spam folder.

Using spam words in your email content is one of the most common email marketing mistakes to avoid, as it will prevent your content from being delivered to a wide portion of your target audience. Instead, use thoughtful and well-crafted content that engages your audience to ensure higher open rates and conversions.

What are email spam trigger words?

Craig Klein, CEO of SalesNexus, an online CRM and email marketing firm, compiled an excellent list of more than 250 words that, when included in your company’s emails, can result in them being classified as spam by your recipient’s spam filter.

“This is not the definitive or an entire list of words that activate spam filters,” said Klein in his blog post on SalesNexus’s website. “It does give you a general idea of what to avoid in your email marketing. Obviously, anything salacious or that has sexual or pornographic words will get you blocked and could get you in trouble with your ISP (internet service provider). In addition, don’t use $, !, * or any symbols, particularly in the subject line. Things like mon$y or nak*d just don’t make it. The folks that create the filters are way too sophisticated for that type of silliness.” 

[Read related article: Transactional Emails to Help You Close the Deal]

Klein’s list, compiled by the marketing services director of SalesNexus, Steven Greene, includes no-brainers like “online pharmacy” and “money — no refund!” But other terms on the list are phrases you might use every day. They include “click to remove,” “click below” and “marketing solutions.”

The full list of email spam trigger words

The list of email spam triggers includes these 250+ terms.

1. 4U
2. Accept credit cards
3. Act now! Don’t hesitate!
4. Additional income
5. Addresses on CD
6. All natural
7. Amazing
8. Apply online
9. As seen on
10. Auto email removal
11. Avoid bankruptcy
12. Be amazed
13. Be your own boss
14. Being a member
15. Big bucks
16. Bill 1618
17. Billing address
18. Billion dollars
19. Brand new pager
20. Bulk email
21. Buy direct
22. Buying judgments
23. Cable converter
24. Call free
25. Call now
26. Calling creditors
27. Cancel at any time
28. Can’t live without
29. Cash bonus
30. Cashcashcash
31. Casino
32. Cellphone cancer scam
33. Cents on the dollar
34. Check or money order
35. Claims not to be selling anything
36. Claims to be legal
37. Claims you are a winner
38. Click below
39. Click here link
40. Click to remove
41. Click to remove mailto
42. Compare rates
43. Compete for your business
44. Confidentially on all orders
45. Congratulations
46. Consolidate debt and credit
47. Copy accurately
48. Copy DVDs
49. Credit bureaus
50. Credit card offers
51. Cures baldness
52. Dear email
53. Dear friend
54. Dear somebody
55. Different reply to
56. Dig up dirt on friends
57. Direct email
58. Direct marketing
59. Discusses search engine listings
60. Do it today
61. Don’t delete
62. Drastically reduced
63. Earn per week
64. Easy terms
65. Eliminate bad credit
66. Email harvest
67. Email marketing
68. Expect to earn
69. Fantastic deal
70. Fast Viagra delivery
71. Financial freedom
72. Find out anything
73. For free
74. For instant access
75. For just $ [some amount]
76. Free access
77. Free cell phone
78. Free consultation
79. Free DVD
80. Free grant money
81. Free hosting
82. Free installation
83. Free investment
84. Free leads
85. Free membership
86. Free money
87. Free offer
88. Free preview
89. Free priority mail
90. Free quote
91. Free sample
92. Free trial
93. Free website
94. Full refund
95. Get it now
96. Get paid
97. Get started now
98. Gift certificate
99. Great offer
100. Guarantee
101. Have you been turned down?
102. Hidden assets
103. Home employment
104. Human growth hormone
105. If only it were that easy
106. In accordance with laws
107. Increase sales
108. Increase traffic
109. Insurance
110. Investment decision
111. It’s effective
112. Join millions of Americans
113. Laser printer
114. Limited time only
115. Long distance phone offer
116. Lose weight spam
117. Lower interest rates
118. Lower monthly payment
119. Lowest price
120. Luxury car
121. Mail in order form
122. Marketing solutions
123. Mass email
124. Meet singles
125. Member stuff
126. Message contains disclaimer
127. Money back
128. Money making
129. Month trial offer
130. More internet traffic
131. Mortgage rates
132. Multi level marketing
133. MLM
134. Name brand
135. New customers only
136. New domain extensions
137. Nigerian
138. No age restrictions
139. No catch
140. No claim forms
141. No cost
142. No credit check
143. No disappointment
144. No experience
145. No fees
146. No gimmick
147. No inventory
148. No investment
149. No medical exams
150. No middleman
151. No obligation
152. No purchase necessary
153. No questions asked
154. No selling
155. No strings attached
156. Not intended
157. Off shore
158. Offer expires
159. Offers coupon
160. Offers extra cash
161. Offers free (often stolen) passwords
162. Once in lifetime
163. One hundred percent free
164. One hundred percent guaranteed
165. One time mailing
166. Online biz opportunity 
167. Online pharmacy
168. Only $
169. Opportunity
170. Opt in
171. Order now
172. Order status
173. Orders shipped by priority mail
174. Outstanding values
175. Pennies a day
176. People just leave money laying around
177. Please read
178. Potential earnings
179. Print form signature
180. Print out and fax
181. Produced and sent out
182. Profits
183. Promise you …!
184. Pure profit
185. Real thing
186. Refinance home
187. Removal instructions
188. Remove in quotes
189. Remove subject
190. Removes wrinkles
191. Reply remove subject
192. Requires initial investment
193. Reserves the right
194. Reverses aging
195. Risk free
196. Round the world
197. S 1618
198. Safeguard notice
199. Satisfaction guaranteed
200. Save $
201. Save big money
202. Save up to
203. Score with babes
204. Section 301
205. See for yourself
206. Sent in compliance
207. Serious cash
208. Serious only
209. Shopping spree
210. Sign up free today
211. Social security number
212. Special promotion
213. Stainless steel
214. Stock alert
215. Stock disclaimer statement
216. Stock pick
217. Stop snoring
218. Strong buy
219. Stuff on sale
220. Subject to credit
221. Supplies are limited
222. Take action now
223. Talks about hidden charges
224. Talks about prizes
225. Tells you it’s an ad
226. Terms and conditions
227. The best rates
228. The following form
229. They keep your money — no refund!
230. They’re just giving it away
231. This isn’t junk
232. This isn’t spam
233. University diplomas
234. Unlimited
235. Unsecured credit/debt
236. Urgent
237. US dollars
238. Vacation offers
239. Viagra and other drugs
240. Wants credit card
241. We hate spam
242. We honor all
243. Weekend getaway
244. What are you waiting for?
245. While supplies last
246. While you sleep
247. Who really wins?
248. Why pay more?
249. Will not believe your eyes
250. Winner
251. Winning
252. Work at home
253. You have been selected
254. Your income

How to avoid spam filters

If you can’t avoid using one or two of the above phrases in an email, you can still bypass the spam filter. To do so, take the following steps:

• Provide full context in your emails.
• Personalize your emails — e.g., address recipients by name.
• Contact only recipients who have opted in to your emails.
• Include a way to opt out of future emails.
• Design emails using clean code and standard fonts.

Spam filters are much more sophisticated than in the past, so using one or two spam trigger words won’t automatically send your email to the spam folder. Follow the above steps and make sure messages are carefully worded to avoid sensational language and extreme punctuation. That way, your emails will be sure to reach their target.

Avoid spam trigger words for email marketing success

If your emails keep being sent straight to the spam folder, bookmark this list and use it to make sure you haven’t included any spam trigger words. This list is not comprehensive, so make sure your emails are carefully worded, specific, engaging and sent to recipients who have opted in. 

In addition to avoiding spam trigger words, use best practices in creating an email list, avoid common email marketing mistakes, use the right customer segmentation, and choose one of the best email marketing software solutions, such as the one described in our iContact review. These best practices help guarantee your emails will be successful. If you follow them, your days of hitting the spam folder might soon be in the past.