550+ Email Spam Trigger Words to Avoid: Keep Your Mails Out of the Spam Folder [+ Alternatives]

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning”

– Philip Kotler

From the quote of Philip Kotler, the father of Digital Marketing, we can clearly understand the importance of “unhappy customers”. But again, as long as they are ‘customers’.

So, you want to engage with your clients but again, you don’t want to spam their mailbox and lose them forever. Do you? 

If your answer is No, let’s take a look at what you can do to keep your mail out of the spam folder and keep your ‘customer’ as ‘your customers’. And the easiest way of all is to write an email without spam words. 

But first, you need to know what spam trigger words are.

Let’s dive in then!

What are Spam Trigger Words?

Spam trigger words are the keywords and phrases that notify email providers (Gmail, Yahoo, Zoho, iCloud, etc) that a mail can be spam. After the email service gets a notification, the mail is sent to the receiver’s spam folder. And then your email is lost in the darkness of the spam folder, forever!

Some of the common email spam words are “free”, “act now”, “get rich quick”, “winner” etc. Though many email marketers use these words frequently, you don’t want to be one of them if you want your mail to reach your customers. Stay with us and find out how to prevent this tragedy from happening to you! 

Also Read: Why Do Emails Go to Spam (And How to Prevent It)

Traits Every Spam Triggering Words or Phrase Have

More than 46.8% of emails sent and received in December 2023 were spam! – Statista

It Is never possible to make a comprehensive list of all email spam trigger words or phrases. But the spam-triggering words or phrases have some common characteristics, by which mail can be easily distinguished.

Some of the traits are:

Manipulative Words

While what email marketing requires the most is CTA (Call for Action) for its target customers, overdoing it might make it seem fake. You can take advice from Aesop’s Fables Shepherd Boy’s story and keep it to a minimum. Urging them too much will cause your company’s email marketing KPIs to decrease. 

Some words that hold this trait are-  Urgent, Act now, Immediately, etc.

Outlandish Claims

Email marketing contains the key idea that ‘you have to sell your product’. But you should know the difference between selling and overselling. Claiming something improbable will only result in mistrust. 

Some words with this common trait are- Once in a lifetime, Reverse aging, Money-back guarantee,  No hidden costs, Free money, etc. 

Inappropriate Greetings

Every email marketing strategy starts with warming your clients up. While this process is lengthy, you shouldn’t try to make it fast by ‘pretending’ to be their friends. It’s 2024, and customers know you are not their ‘friends’. 

When you address your customers ‘Dear’, their mailbox instantly knows you’re lying. Therefore, try to avoid- Dear, Hello (with no name included), etc words as greetings.

Needy and Spammy Subject Lines

Being reliable is the first rule of thumb to be a good marketer. You may end up in the spam box if you are overly polite or needy to your recipient or email provider. So, rather than using ‘please open this mail’, ‘click here’, and ‘can we have a moment of your time?’ try to be honest and concise. 

Words that Say Your Email Isn’t Spam

No liar ever says he is a liar. So why would an email say it is ‘not spam’ if it is not spam?

So, rather than using ‘Not spam’, ‘Not junk’, or ‘Spam free’, try to let the mail speak for you. This will keep your mail directly crash-landing into your client’s spam folder. 

Filtering spam-triggering words helps emails land safely, however, sorting through traits can be tedious. Skip the hassle by avoiding common spam triggers for a quick solution. 

To find out, take a quick look! 

Types of Spam Trigger Words

Why go through a tiring process when you can avoid certain words and save your emails from being marked as ‘spam’?

We assembled around 550+ spam words below. To make things easier, we’ve neatly organized them into categories, so you can focus solely on the niche that matters to you.

Sales & Marketing

Sales and marketing is the sector that uses the most spam mail, which accounts for 36% of all spam mail around the globe! –Mailmodo

You don’t wanna be another of this 36%, do you?  Then, here are a few words you need to skip in your newsletter or your mail. 

The spam-triggering keywords in sales and marketing are:

% Satisfied	%	off
Acceptance	Accordingly	Act
Now	Affordable	All
New	As	seen on
Auto email removal	Avoid	Bargain
Be amazed	Bonus	Brand new pager
Bulk email	Buy	Buy direct
Buying judgments	Cable converter	Call
Call free	Call now	Can’t live without
Cancel at any time	Casino	Celebrity
Chance	Claims not to be selling anything	Clearance
Click	Click below	Click here
Click to remove	Compare	Compare
Compare rates	Compete for your business	Copy accurately
Copy DVDs	Deal	Direct email
Direct marketing	Do it today	Don’t delete
Don’t hesitate!	Dormant	Email harvest
Email marketing	Explode your business	F r e e
Fantastic deal	For just $(insert whatever amount)	For Only
Form	Free	Free consultation
Free DVD	Free hosting	Freedom
Get	Get it away	Get it now
Gift certificate	Give it away	Guarantee
Guaranteed	Have you been turned down?	Have you been turned down?
Here	Hidden	Home
Increase sales	Increase traffic	Increase your sales
Incredible deal	Internet market	Internet marketing
It’s effective	Join millions	Join millions of Americans
Laser printer	Leave	Lifetime
Lifetime access	limited time	Limited time offer
Long distance phone offer	Lose	Luxury car
Mail in order form	Maintained	Marketing
Marketing solutions	Mass email	Medium
Member	Miracle	Month trial offer
More Internet Traffic	Multi level marketing	Never
New domain extensions	No age restrictions	No cost
No disappointment	No gimmick	No inventory
No middleman	No obligation	No purchase necessary
No questions asked	No selling	No strings attached
No-obligation	Notspam	Now
Now only	One hundred percent free	One hundred percent guaranteed
One time mailing	Online marketing	Open
Opportunity	Opt in	Order
Order now	Order shipped by	Passwords
Performance	Print form signature	Print out and fax
Priority mail	Prize	Prizes
Problem	Produced and sent out	Promise you
Quote	Quotes	Removal instructions
Remove	Reserves the right	Reverses
Rolex	Sale	Sales
Sample	Satisfaction	Save $
Save big money	Search engine listings	Search engines
See for yourself	Serious only	Shopping spree
Sign up free today	Solution	Stainless steel
Stop	Strong buy	Stuff on sale
Subscribe	Success	Teen
The best rates	The following form	They’re just giving it away
This isn’t a scam	This isn’t junk	This isn’t spam
This won’t last	Undisclosed recipient	Unlimited
Unsolicited	Unsubscribe	Urgent
Vacation	Vacation offers	Visit our website
Warranty	We hate spam	We honor all
Web traffic	Weekend getaway	While supplies last
While you sleep	Who really wins?	Will not believe your eyes
Win	Winner	Winning
Won	You are a winner!	You have been selected
% free	Accept credit cards	Access
Ad	Amazing	Auto email removal
Being a member	Best price	Billing address
Bulk email	Cancel at any time	Cannot be combined with any other offer
Cards accepted	Dear [email/friend/somebody]	Dig up dirt on friends
Direct email	Direct marketing	Email harvest
Email marketing	Free gift	Free leads
Free preview	Free sample	Free trial
Full refund	Get started now	Gift certificate
Give it away	Great offer	If only it were that easy
Important information regarding	Increase traffic	Info you requested
Information you requested	Internet market	Internet marketing
Maintained	Marketing	Marketing solutions
Mass email	Member	Member stuff
Message contains	Message contains disclaimer	MLM
Multi level marketing	Multi-level marketing	Name brand
No catch	No disappointment	No hidden
Not intended	Obligation	Offer
Online marketing	Order status	Please read
Safeguard notice	Satisfaction	Satisfaction guaranteed
Search engine listings	Search engines	Sent in compliance
Solution	Special promotion	Supplies are limited
Talks about hidden charges	Tells you it’s an ad	Terms and conditions
The following form	This isn’t junk	This isn’t spam
Trial	We hate spam	Web traffic
Weekend getaway	As seen on	Bargain
Be amazed	Bonus	Buy direct
Buying judgments	Call	Call free
Can’t live without	Cheap	Claims not to be selling anything
Clearance	Click to remove	Collect
Compare rates	Compete for your business	Deal
Don’t hesitate!	Explode your business	F r e e
Fantastic deal	For just $(insert whatever amount)	For Only
Free DVD	Free hosting	Get it now
Guarantee	Guaranteed	Have you been turned down?
Increase sales	Increase your sales	Incredible deal
It’s effective	Join millions	Join millions of Americans
Lifetime	limited time	Limited time offer
Long distance phone offer	Mail in order form	Money back
New domain extensions	No cost	No gimmick
No inventory	No middleman	No obligation
No questions asked	No selling	No strings attached
No-obligation	Now	Now only
One hundred percent free	One hundred percent guaranteed	Opportunity
Order shipped by	Problem	Promise you
Quote	Quotes	Sale
Sales	Save $	Save big money
See for yourself	Serious only	Sign up free today
Strong buy	Stuff on sale	Success
The best rates	They’re just giving it away	This isn’t a scam
This won’t last	Unlimited	Urgent
Warranty	We honor all	While supplies last
While you sleep	Will not believe your

Which Words Can You Use as Alternatives in Sales Mail?

Email marketing is crucial for Sales, and it’s tough to write a mail without using any of these words. But, it is not impossible. For example: 

• Instead of %, $, use ‘percentage’, ‘dollar’
• Try to use ‘Reasonable’, and ‘On the house’, as alternatives to ‘cheap’, ‘free’, ‘No cost’, etc spam words. 
• Instead of ‘Call’  you can use ‘Contact’ as an alternative. 

The simplest tip of all, you can always use synonyms. This will not only keep your mail out of the spam folder but also will give your email a unique brand tone.

Financial

While ‘sales’ aims to expand the organization’s customer base, ‘ finance’ focuses on profitability.

Additionally, financial communication walks a tightrope between compelling and spammy. While the focus on profitability makes financial terms inherently persuasive, it also makes them vulnerable to spam filters.

 Some email spam words you need to skip are: 

#1	$$$	Additional income
Apply Online	Avoid bankruptcy	Be your own boss
Beneficiary	Big bucks	Billion
Billion dollars	Calling creditors	Cash
Cash bonus	Casino	Cents on the dollar
Check	Check or money order	Collect child support
Consolidate debt and credit	Consolidate your debt	Cost
Costs	Credit	Credit bureaus
Credit card offers	Discount	Double your
Double your income	Earn	Earn $
Earn extra cash	Earn per week	Easy terms
Eliminate bad credit	Eliminate debt	Expect to earn
Extra income	Fast cash	Finance
Financial freedom	Financially independent	For free
For just $xxx	Free grant money	Free investment
Free money	Get out of debt	Get paid
Hidden assets	Hidden charges	Home based
Home employment	Home Based business	Income
Income from home	Investment	Investment decision
Leave	Loans	Lower interest rate
Lower interest rates	Lower monthly payment	Lower your mortgage rate
Lowest insurance rates	Make $	Make money
Million	Million dollars	Money
Money making	Mortgage	Mortgage rates
Multi-level marketing	Nigerian	No credit check
No fees	No investment	Off shore
One time	Online biz opportunity	Only $
Pennies a day	Potential earnings	Pre-approved
Price	Prices	Print form signature
Profits	Pure Profits	Refinance
Refinance home	Refinanced home	Risk free
Save up to	Serious cash	Social security number
Stock alert	Stock disclaimer statement	Stock pick
Subject to cash	Subject to credit	They keep your money – no refund
Thousands	Unsecured credit	Unsecured credit/debt
Unsecured debt	US dollars	US $
Why pay more?	Winner	Winning
Work at home	Work from home	Your income

Which Words Can You Use as Alternatives in Finance Mail?

If you read the ‘Sales and marketing’ section in this article, you will see spam words from ‘sales and marketing’ are very similar to the spam words used in the ‘ finance’ section. But using alternatives to these email spam-triggering words in the finance sector is tricky. 

But, we have not one, but a few tricks for you! Those are- 

• try a few approaches such as using synonyms
• Instead of ‘work from home’ you can use remote job’
•  Instead of ‘stock Alert’, ‘Stock-Pile’ etc. stock related words, mention the scenario and statistics of the stock market of that day, or month
• always hyperlink in the stats

 This will make your email more believable and definitely out of the spam folder. 

E-commerce

With e-commerce, anybody can shop from home while casually surfing through Netflix. This convenience is a goldmine for business. 

 But, the goldmine might just backfire to black-hole by crash landing in a spam box if you are not careful enough about the word choice in your mail!

Some email spam words you must avoid when it comes to e-commerce mail are- 

AS SEEN ON	BUY	BUY DIRECT
Buying judgments	Clearance	Confidentially on all orders
Internet marketing	Order	Order status
Order today	Orders shipped by	Orders shipped by
Orders shipped by shopper	Outstanding values	Sample
shopper	Wants credit card	Will not believe your eyes
Winning	Winner	What are you waiting for?
While supplies last	You have been selected	You are a winner
You are the winner!!!!

Which Words Can You  Use as Alternatives in E-commerce Mail?

We all agree on the part that e-commerce is nothing less than a goldmine when it comes to business. But you consider keeping it as a goldmine for your organization or company, you better start using alternatives of the spam triggering words. For example: 

• Rather than saying ‘Will not believe your eyes’,  try to use ‘Spectacular’, ‘Amazing’, ‘Incredible’ etc words. 
• Instead of ‘As seen on’ try using ‘Recommended by’, ‘Featured In’ etc, and always try to present your product with client’s reviews. 
• As an alternative to ‘Order’ and the other words related to ‘Order’, try to use ‘Purchase’
• Instead of using words like ‘lottery’, ‘Winner’  try saying ‘Giveaway’ and try to hint toward an impartial selection process. 

And there is another strict reminder that- Never ever ask for a credit card number directly. Show them other payment options and let them choose. Following these tips will not only increase reliability but also build a long-term connection.

Medical

Healthcare is a booming industry and so is the spam email related to the healthcare industry.

Health-related spam is the second most common which is around 27%! – National Library of Medicine

 You want your ‘Patients’ or ‘Customers’ to be constant to you, not to be ‘Driven away’ by too much spamming. 

Check these as spam trigger words, and next time when you send your clients any mail, consider avoiding these: 

Anti-aging formula	CURES BALDNESS	DIAGNOSTICS
Eradicate cancer now	FAST	Human
Growth hormone	Insurance Lose weight	Instant pain relief
Life	Lose	Lose weight fast
Medicine	No medical exams	No age restrictions
Online pharmacy	Removes wrinkles	Reverses aging
Revolutionary diet	Secret formula	Stop
Xanax	Weight Spam	Weight Loss
snoring	Valium Viagra	Vicodin

Which Words Can You Use as Alternatives in the Medical Sector Mails?

Okay, so get it in your mind very clearly. Your clients need service, not false hope. So, don’t give them anything unrealistic.  

But what can you do? Don’t worry, we have a remedy for you. Try using the alternative solution stated below- 

• In place of email spam triggering words like- ‘Reverse aging’, ‘No age restrictions’, ‘Eradicate Cancer now’, ‘Growth Hormone’, ‘Removes wrinkles’, ‘Secret Formula’, give them personalized solutions or tests based on their medical history.
• Rather than suggesting ‘online pharmacies’, you can extend your service by mentioning ‘Home delivery’ of required meds or tests
• In the case of ‘Life’, ‘Human’ etc words, your target is human, that is why you are mailing them. No need to remind them that they are human.
• Try to mention specific medicines instead of just saying ‘Medicine’

Following these tips will guarantee your emails land in inboxes. About fostering trust and growth in the healthcare industry – it all hinges on your exceptional service. 

Legal

As the legal field is surging digitally, online resources and consultations are making legal help accessible. This creates a large potential client pool for lawyers, but competition is fierce. Some resort to tempting tactics like misleading subject lines or “guaranteed win’. 

But this backfires in the trust-based legal world. Spam lands in inboxes and damages reputations. So, to save your law firm or organization’s mail reputation, try to skip the words listed below- 

Buy direct	Claims	Claims to be in accordance with some spam law
Claims to be legal	Certified	Clearance
Collect child support	Confidentiality	Home mortgage
Loans	Lower interest rate	Lower interest rates
Lower monthly payment	Lower your mortgage rate	Lowest insurance rates
Lowest interest rate	Lowest rate	Lowest rates
No hidden fees	No interest	No investment

Which Words Can You Use as Alternatives in the Legal Sector Mail?

Every legal firm can not be another ‘Better Call Saul’ and you don’t have to be. Just building clear communication and trust is more than enough to create a surge of clients.

 Try to follow the points below to skip the spam words:

• instead of ‘Lowest insurance rates’, try using ‘Competitive Insurance’, ‘Get Affordable Coverage’ etc phrases
• In the case of ‘No hidden fees’, you can use ‘Transparent Pricing’, or ‘Upfront Costs’. This will build trust and credibility. 
• In place of  ‘Lower monthly payment’ try to use ‘Affordable Options’, or ‘Budget-Friendly Plans’. 
• Instead of ‘Claims’ use ‘Features’, or ‘Benefits’ that need to be backed by data. 
• In case of the spam word ‘Certified’, try to use ‘Accredited’, ‘Trusted’, or ‘Recognized’ and use a relevant authority as a reference. 

And, always be clear about your service and back it up with data and legal documents. This will not only keep your mail out of your client’s spam box but also create a safe space between you and your client.

Current Events 

Knowing about current events lets us stay Informed, and build diverse Perspectives: They can offer a curated selection of news from various sources -giving you a broader picture, and are extremely convenient when they are directly delivered to mailboxes. 

But it won’t have even the slightest impact when the newsletters go to the spam box, in place of your inbox!

So, you might want to skip these words listed below, if you wish to reach the client’s inbox:

Cash Prize	Click right away!	Just for selected few
NEW PRODUCT ALERT!!!	Private island giveaway	SAVE SAVE SAVE!!!

Which Words Can You Use as Alternatives in Current Event Newsletter/ Mail?

In today’s digital world, information bombards us constantly. But while avoiding spam is important, staying up-to-date on current events is just as crucial. But which words can you use as alternatives? The answer is given below: 

• In place of ‘cash prize’, you can mention ‘exclusive Offers’
• ‘Click right away’ is a very inefficient term. In place of ‘click right away’, say clearly what is your CTA (call for action). You can always direct them to your website, by saying “Learn more’ and hyperlink ‘learn more’. 
• For any urgency or anything else ‘SAVE SAVE SAVE!!!’, try to explain through one lined subject that presents the danger of skipping your mail. 

Following the steps will help you to write a current event newsletter that doesn’t contain email spam trigger words.  

Science 

Who isn’t curious about the latest scientific discoveries? Human beings are curious by nature. 

This is why most of us sign up for Science newsletters. But, often the recipient’s spam folder is swapped by this sort of newsletter. You might end up losing your subscribers if all your mail goes to their spam folder. 

To save your mail from landing up in spam folder jail, try to avoid these words- 

Act Now	Breakthrough	Miracle
Revolutionary	Guaranteed	Secret Formula
Risk-Free	Instant Results	Unlimited
Cure	Exclusive Offer

Which Words Can You Use as Alternatives in Science Newsletters?

In the case of a science newsletter or mail, your recipient wants genuine information. So, giving them impossible click baits will result in mistrust in email provider service, and boom! Your mail lands in the client’s spam folder. 

Therefore try following the steps below 

• Instead of  ‘Miracle’, ‘revolutionary’, etc spam words with words like ‘Amazing’, ‘Innovative’,’ Radical’, etc words. 
• As a replacement for email spam triggering the word ‘Risk-free’, try to use, ‘Minimal Side Effects’,
• Use ‘Potential solution’ as a substitute for ‘secret formula’. 
•  Try to replace ‘Instant result’, and email spam triggering words with ‘Rapid Effect’, ‘Long Lasting Results’, etc words. 

This will let the recipient know about your intention, service and research more clearly. At the same time, this will help to build a community of loyal subscribers. 

A Few ‘Must Do’ to Keep Your Mail Out of Customers Spam Folder 

Just skipping the spam-triggering word in your mail is never enough. A few more must-do will secure your mail’s position in the recipient’s inbox. Those are- 

• Don’t send mail without their permission
• Optimize for mobile
• Avoid subjects with spam-triggering words 
• Check up on your sender’s reputation and spam score 
• Don’t send too many emails 
• Send targeted and relevant content 
• Keep an unsubscribe option 
• Send personalized mails
• Maintain a clean email list 
• Use a reputable email service provider (ESP)
• A/B test your subject lines

And, definitely Track your results. Keep track of your email open rates, unsubscribe rates, click rates, and click-through rates. These data can help you identify areas where you can improve your email marketing efforts.

Keep Mail Out of Spam Folder with Stealth and Precision- Like a Ninja 

Armed with this knowledge, we can guess, you’re now a spam-free email writer/ maestro. But, remembering 550+ spam words every time you write an email can be tough!

So, here’s a solution: Bookmark this blog. The next time you compose emails, open it up and take suggestions. Alternatively, you can use a tool like Mail Tester to check your email copy score. It’ll help to decrease the email bounce rate and keep your emails away from spam folders.

Moreover, by applying the alternatives you’ll learn the secrets to outsmarting spam filters and ensuring your inbox remains a haven for legitimate emails.

So, grab your metaphorical shuriken and prepare to dodge the spam folder!

Frequently Asked Questions

Before wrapping it up, let’s dive into some frequently asked questions about email spam triggers.