188 Spam Words to Avoid: How to Stay Out of Email Spam Folders

Every email marketer’s worst nightmare: the spam folder. Nearly one in five emails get caught by a spam filter and sent to the spam folder.

Spam filters check for red flags like:

• The use of certain words
• Links to sketchy websites
• Messages in ALL CAPS
• Colorful and different-sized fonts
• Broken HTML code
• Emails without an unsubscribe button

In this article, we’re focusing on the first one: the use of certain words and phrases, aka spam trigger words.

Keep reading to learn:

• What are spam trigger words?
• 188 spam words and phrases to avoid
• 6 deliverability tips to stay out of the spam folder

Spam trigger words are keywords or phrases that email providers see as red flags. You’ll often find these words in emails that people mark as spam.

As the saying goes, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Spam filters catch suspicious words and phrases associated with:

• Scams
• Gimmicks
• Schemes
• Promises
• Free gifts

An important note before we share the list of words: Context matters.

Spam filters have become more advanced in recent years. They won’t automatically send you to spam for saying “limited time” or “get started now” — if you’re using those words responsibly.

If you...

• Stuff a ton of spam keywords into your email
• Use all caps, bright red font, and lots of exclamation points
• Already have a low delivery rate

...you’re going to be in trouble.

If you...

• Use one or two of the words and phrases in context
• Code your emails well
• Have a low bounce rate

...you’ll be fine.

With all of the above in mind, here’s the list of spam words.

Avoid spam words that make exaggerated claims and promises

1. #1
2. 100% more
3. 100% free
4. 100% satisfied
5. Additional income
6. Be your own boss
7. Best price
8. Big bucks
9. Billion
10. Cash bonus
11. Cents on the dollar
12. Consolidate debt
13. Double your cash
14. Double your income
15. Earn extra cash
16. Earn money
17. Eliminate bad credit
18. Extra cash
19. Extra income
20. Expect to earn
21. Fast cash
22. Financial freedom
23. Free access
24. Free consultation
25. Free gift
26. Free hosting
27. Free info
28. Free investment
29. Free membership
30. Free money
31. Free preview
32. Free quote
33. Free trial
34. Full refund
35. Get out of debt
36. Get paid
37. Giveaway
38. Guaranteed
39. Increase sales
40. Increase traffic
41. Incredible deal
42. Lower rates
43. Lowest price
44. Make money
45. Million dollars
46. Miracle
47. Money back
48. Once in a lifetime
49. One time
50. Pennies a day
51. Potential earnings
52. Prize
53. Promise
54. Pure profit
55. Risk-free
56. Satisfaction guaranteed
57. Save big money
58. Save up to
59. Special promotion

Avoid spam words that create unnecessary urgency and pressure

1. Act now
2. Apply now
3. Become a member
4. Call now
5. Click below
6. Click here
7. Get it now
8. Do it today
9. Don’t delete
10. Exclusive deal
11. Get started now
12. Important information regarding
13. Information you requested
14. Instant
15. Limited time
16. New customers only
17. Order now
18. Please read
19. See for yourself
20. Sign up free
21. Take action
22. This won’t last
23. Urgent
24. What are you waiting for?
25. While supplies last
26. Will not believe your eyes
27. Winner
28. Winning
29. You are a winner
30. You have been selected

Avoid spam words that look like shady, spammy, or unethical behavior

1. Bulk email
2. Buy direct
3. Cancel at any time
4. Check or money order
5. Congratulations
6. Confidentiality
7. Cures
8. Dear friend
9. Direct email
10. Direct marketing
11. Hidden charges
12. Human growth hormone
13. Internet marketing
14. Lose weight
15. Mass email
16. Meet singles
17. Multi-level marketing
18. No catch
19. No cost
20. No credit check
21. No fees
22. No gimmick
23. No hidden costs
24. No hidden fees
25. No interest
26. No investment
27. No obligation
28. No purchase necessary
29. No questions asked
30. No strings attached
31. Not junk
32. Notspam
33. Obligation
34. Passwords
35. Requires initial investment
36. Social security number
37. This isn’t a scam
38. This isn’t junk
39. This isn’t spam
40. Undisclosed
41. Unsecured credit
42. Unsecured debt
43. Unsolicited
44. Valium
45. Viagra
46. Vicodin
47. We hate spam
48. Weight loss
49. Xanax

Avoid spam words that are jargon or legalese (and everything else)

1. Accept credit cards
2. Ad
3. All new
4. As seen on
5. Bargain
6. Beneficiary
7. Billing
8. Bonus
9. Cards accepted
10. Cash
11. Certified
12. Cheap
13. Claims
14. Clearance
15. Compare rates
16. Credit card offers
17. Deal
18. Debt
19. Discount
20. Fantastic
21. In accordance with laws
22. Income
23. Investment
24. Join millions
25. Lifetime
26. Loans
27. Luxury
28. Marketing solution
29. Message contains
30. Mortgage rates
31. Name brand
32. Offer
33. Online marketing
34. Opt in
35. Pre-approved
36. Quote
37. Rates
38. Refinance
39. Removal
40. Reserves the right
41. Score
42. Search engine
43. Sent in compliance
44. Subject to…
45. Terms and conditions
46. Trial
47. Unlimited
48. Warranty
49. Web traffic
50. Work from home

Here are more strategies for improving email deliverability and making it into your subscribers’ inboxes.

Run a spam check

Spam checkers scan your email content to check for… well… spamminess.

ActiveCampaign runs a Spam Check on every campaign and automation email you create. Our Spam Check tool scans the content of your message and gives you a list of issues that triggered at least one rule for “spamminess.”

Because email content can be nuanced — especially when it comes to spam words — Spam Check won’t stop you from sending your email. Plus, Spam Check only scans the content of your message. It doesn’t know anything about the reputation of your domain or the makeup of your list.

Learn more about Spam Check in this article.

Practice good email list hygiene

Good email hygiene means regularly cleaning out inactive email subscribers.

How does good data hygiene help your deliverability?

• If you have a lot of unengaged subscribers, your open rates will be lower
• Your open rates and engagement rates affect your sender reputation
• Your sender reputation affects your deliverability
• Low deliverability means your emails could be marked as spam — no spam words necessary

If your emails aren’t landing in recipients’ inboxes, your marketing efforts are going to waste. This is why email deliverability is so important. In Emailtooltester’s 2024 deliverability test, ActiveCampaign came first among competitors with an average deliverability rate of 89.6%.

Choose a tool that ensures your emails successfully land in your email list's inboxes.

Once you remove unengaged subscribers, keep your remaining list engaged (and your deliverability high) with consistent, high-quality campaigns.

How can you clean your email list?

1. Use engagement automations to track who opens your messages (and who ignores them)
2. When a contact hasn’t engaged for 60 days (or the time period that makes sense for you), trigger a “last chance” engagement email
3. Remove contacts who don’t interact with the “last chance” email campaign

You can learn more about how to set up re-engagement emails in this post (And if you use ActiveCampaign, you can set all of this up to run automatically).

Don’t break the law

The CAN-SPAM Act governs commercial email, aka any email sent by a business trying to promote or sell a product or service.

The rules of CAN-SPAM:

• Don't use false or misleading information
• Don't use a deceptive subject line
• Tell subscribers where you're located
• Give subscribers a simple way to opt out of your emails
• Honor all opt-outs quickly

Penalties for not following the law can add up to $16,000 per email, so it's important to follow the rules. To learn more about the CAN-SPAM Act, visit the Federal Trade Commission website.

Consider a double opt-in

To stay un-spammy, only send emails to people who give consent to receive your campaigns. Double opt-in requires new subscribers to verify their email address, so they can’t give you a fake one.

A typical double opt-in process looks like this:

1. A potential subscriber visits your website
2. A form on your website offers a lead magnet in exchange for their email address
3. After your new subscriber gives you their email address, they get a confirmation email
4. If they confirm their email address, they get their lead magnet – and have officially gone through double opt-in

This helps lower your bounce rate and keep your delivery rates high.

Make your emails more engaging

The more people who open and engage with your email campaign, the better your sender reputation and deliverability. Two quick tips for creating more engaging emails:

1. Write better subject lines. (If you need some help, check out our subject line generator.)
2. Use segmentation and dynamic content. Serving up different messaging to different recipients can get more contacts to engage with your emails.

Be smart about your cold email marketing

Cold email marketing promotes your business, product, or service to someone that you don’t have an existing relationship with.

People who receive your email marketing expect your emails because they have opted in. No one signs up to receive cold emails, so you need to make sure your cold email marketing is:

• Targeted
• Personalized
• Relevant
• 1-to-1

Unlike typical email marketing to opted-in contacts, you can’t blast cold emails to a list of prospects. If you do, you’re not sending cold emails. You’re sending spam.

The key to avoiding spam filters and junk mailbox

You’re not sending spam on purpose. I trust you. But a spam filter can still snatch your email before it can land in your subscriber’s inbox.

Here’s a recap of spam words and phrases to use with caution:

• Words that make exaggerated claims and promises
• Words that create unnecessary urgency and pressure
• Words that look like shady, spammy, or unethical behavior
• Words that are jargon or legalese

Avoid spam words and keep your deliverability high with the tips in this post, and you’ll be well on your way to steering clear of spam filters.