Paste your cold email subject and body. The checker highlights about 230 known spam-trigger phrases plus patterns (ALL CAPS words, repeated punctuation, multiple dollar signs). A subject-line trigger is weighted 3x heavier than a body trigger. Aim for a score of 80 or higher. The entire check runs in your browser, and nothing is sent to any server.
Spam Word Checker
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All checks run in your browser against a bundled wordlist. Your email copy is never sent to any server.
How the Score Works
The checker starts at 100 and deducts:
- 15 points per spam phrase in the subject line (3x weighted)
- 2 points per spam phrase in the body
- 12 points per pattern flag in the subject (ALL CAPS, excessive punctuation, multiple dollar signs)
- 2 points per pattern flag in the body
When phrases overlap (for example "limited time offer" also contains "limited time" and "offer"), only the longest match at that spot counts.
Score bands: 80-100 safe · 60-79 borderline · below 60 rewrite recommended.
Trigger Categories
The bundled wordlist covers about 230 phrases drawn from common spam-word lists, across these categories:
- Urgency markers: "act now", "limited time", "offer expires", "urgent"
- Money/greed: "make money", "extra income", "free money", "double your income"
- Free/no-cost claims: "100% free", "free trial", "no obligation", "no hidden costs"
- Health/miracle: "lose weight", "miracle", "cures", "reverses aging"
- Financial bait: "refinance", "consolidate your debt", "pre-approved", "no credit check"
- Adult/scam: "xanax", "viagra", "meet singles"
- Deceptive language: "not spam", "why pay more", "hidden charges"
Rewrite Patterns That Work
- "Free" → "complimentary", "included", or drop it. "Get a free audit" → "Get a complimentary audit"
- "Act now" → specific date. "Act now" → "Let me know by Friday"
- "Guarantee" → a specific, true result. "We guarantee results" → "We cut onboarding from six weeks to two for a team your size"
- "Risk-free" → drop it and state the refund policy. "Risk-free trial" → "30-day refund if it isn't a fit"
- ALL CAPS → sentence case. "EXCLUSIVE OFFER" → "A quick offer for you"
- Exclamation stacks → single period. "URGENT!!!" → "Quick note."
Related: Use the Cold Email Calculator to size your mailboxes and domains. Publish SPF, DKIM, and DMARC before sending, and confirm them with the Domain Health Checker. Clean copy works best from warmed mailboxes: Winnr includes built-in email warming at $0.60 per mailbox per month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this tool tell me if my email will land in spam?
Not directly. Spam filtering depends on many signals beyond word choice, including sender reputation, DNS authentication, and recipient engagement. Spam-trigger words in subject lines and bodies are one of those signals, and this tool catches them in seconds. Use it alongside correct SPF, DKIM, and DMARC and properly warmed mailboxes.
What is a spam trigger word?
A phrase that spam filters associate with unsolicited commercial email. Classic examples: "FREE", "act now", "guarantee", "no obligation", "risk-free", "$$$", "make money". Modern filters rely far more on reputation and engagement than on word lists, but these phrases still add risk, especially in the subject line.
Is this checker AI-powered?
No. It uses a curated static list of about 230 trigger phrases plus pattern checks (ALL CAPS words, repeated punctuation, multiple dollar signs). The same input always gives the same score.
What's a good spam score?
80-100 is low risk. 60-79 is borderline, so review the flagged phrases. Below 60, rewrite before you send.
Why is the word "FREE" a spam trigger?
"FREE" in all caps or at the start of a subject line is one of the oldest spam signals and appears on nearly every spam-word list. It is associated with get-rich-quick schemes and unsolicited promotions. Alternatives that keep the meaning: "complimentary", "included", or dropping the word entirely.
Does this tool send my email anywhere?
No. The entire check runs in your browser using a bundled wordlist and pattern checks. Nothing is sent to Winnr's servers or any third party, and your email copy stays on your device.
Why are subject-line triggers weighted 3x?
Subject lines are what recipients and filters see first, so this tool counts a trigger there three times as heavily as the same trigger in the body. A clean body does not make up for a spammy subject line.
Can I still use urgency language in cold email?
Sparingly. One soft time reference ("by Friday") is usually fine. Stacking urgency phrases ("ACT NOW", "limited time", "offer expires") adds up to a strong spam signal. Prefer specific dates and times over generic urgency.