A list of 550+ trigger words to avoid in 2022

Email has become a highly regulated and controlled technology over the last decade, with new protocols and mechanisms between senders and recipients added each year.

How Words Trigger Spam Filters

You don’t need to know the technical ins and outs of email marketing if you’re just firing off mail to your friends or coworkers, but if you’re running an email campaign (especially one with multiple email sequences and autoresponders), you do.

If you’re wondering why so many of your emails end up in spam folders, there’s a simple explanation – spam words. Spam detection mechanisms use smart algorithms that track every aspect of your messages, including the aspects that have nothing to do with actual spam.

Some words will trigger spam filters even if your sender reputation is pristine. Explore our list of spam trigger words to learn about which words might cause your email to be marked as spam.

Avoid using the following spam trigger words in your email:

Please keep in mind that eliminating email spam trigger phrases will not ensure 100% deliverability, since there are still a variety of circumstances that can trigger spam filters.

Here's a brief list to double-check if you've missed some of our recent posts on how to improve your email marketing data and what rules to follow:

  1. In the email subject line, use proper personalisation and double-check that your personalization tags are working.

  2. Emojis should be used sparingly in subject lines.

  3. Large attachments should not be included in email campaign messages.

  4. Excessive HTML formatting should be avoided.

  5. Before sending, check the repute of your domain.

  6. Verify emails frequently to improve deliverability and protect the sender's reputation.

Good luck for your upcoming campaign.