Free tool
Spam Word Checker for Cold Email
Paste a subject line and email body. The checker highlights trigger words as you type, then checks capital letters, exclamation marks, links, personalization and length.
Nothing you type leaves your browser. Use placeholders like {{firstName}} the way you would in your sending tool.
Highlighted preview
strong trigger mild trigger ALL CAPS
What this checker can and cannot tell you
This is a writing hygiene check, not a deliverability guarantee. Modern spam filters at Google and Microsoft judge your sender reputation, your authentication (SPF, DKIM and DMARC), and how recipients engage with your mail far more than any single word. A clean email sent from a new, unwarmed domain with broken DNS records will still land in spam. A plain email that uses the word "free" once, sent from a healthy domain to a well targeted list, usually lands fine.
Words matter at the margins. A message packed with hype, capital letters, exclamation marks and links looks like the bulk mail filters were trained on, and it also reads badly to a busy buyer. That is what this tool helps you catch.
How the risk label works
Each strong trigger phrase adds one point and each mild trigger word adds half a point. Points are also added for capitalized words in the subject, more than one capitalized word in the body, exclamation marks, more than one link, a missing personalization placeholder, and a body over 150 words. Under 2 points is low, 2 to 4.5 is medium, and 5 or more is high.
The word list starts from our list of spam trigger words. We removed everyday words such as "here" and "call" that appear in nearly every business email, because flagging them would bury the useful results.
What to fix first
- Your infrastructure. Separate sending domains, authenticated and warmed inboxes, and sane daily volume. Our guide to cold email infrastructure walks through the setup.
- Your list. Verified addresses and a tight audience keep bounces and complaints low, which protects reputation.
- Your copy. Short, specific, one link at most, no tracking pixels if you can avoid them, and a question the reader can answer in one line.
Want this handled for you?
Koldify, the team behind Nerdy Joe, builds and runs done-for-you cold email programs, from domains and warmup through copy and reply handling. See our cold email services or book a 30-minute call with David.
Want to price the DIY route first? Try the cold email cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Do spam trigger words really send cold email to spam?
Rarely on their own. Google and Microsoft weigh sender reputation, SPF, DKIM and DMARC authentication, and recipient engagement much more heavily than individual words. Trigger words add risk at the margins, especially when they pile up with capital letters, exclamation marks and links.
Is my email text sent anywhere?
No. The checker runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you paste is uploaded or stored.
Why does the checker want a personalization placeholder?
Thousands of identical messages are a strong bulk mail signal, and generic copy gets fewer replies. A placeholder such as {{firstName}} or {{company}}, plus a line written for that segment, makes each message different and more relevant.
How long should a cold email be?
Most cold emails that get replies are under 150 words. Short emails are easier to read on a phone and easier to answer in one line.
My email scored low risk but still lands in spam. Why?
The problem is almost always outside the copy: a new or unwarmed domain, missing or broken authentication records, a list with bad addresses, or too much volume per inbox. Start with sending infrastructure and list quality.