Email spam filters use word analysis as one signal to determine if your email is spam. While modern filters (Gmail, Outlook, SpamAssassin) consider many factors, certain words and phrases still trigger higher spam scores.
Urgency & Pressure Words
Creating artificial urgency is a classic spam tactic. These words trigger filters when used excessively or combined with other signals:
High-Pressure Phrases
high riskDeadline Words
medium riskMoney & Financial Words
Financial promises are heavily scrutinized. These words appear frequently in scam and phishing emails:
Free & Discount
high riskMoney Promises
high riskTransaction Words
medium riskGuarantees & Promises
Bold promises that seem too good to be true trigger spam filters because they usually are too good to be true:
Absolute Claims
high riskExaggerated Claims
medium riskAggressive Calls to Action
Pushy CTAs
high riskFormatting Triggers
It's not just words — how you format them matters too:
Using full caps in subject lines or email body is a major spam signal. SpamAssassin adds significant score for "SHOUTING".
Multiple exclamation marks, question marks, or dollar signs ($$$) trigger filters.
Large red text, unusual fonts, and excessive colors look spammy to filters.
Image-heavy emails with little text are flagged. Keep a 60/40 text-to-image ratio.
Safer Alternatives
| Instead of | Try this |
|---|---|
| FREE | Complimentary, no charge, included |
| CLICK HERE | Learn more, see details, read the guide |
| ACT NOW | When you're ready, at your convenience |
| BUY NOW | Get yours, explore options |
| GUARANTEED | We're confident, our promise |
| LIMITED TIME | Available until [date] |
| Don't miss out | You might be interested in |
| URGENT | Important update, time-sensitive |