Email Content Spam Trigger Words to Avoid

Spam filters are a constant challenge for email marketers, with certain words, phrases, and content patterns commonly triggering these filters and hurting deliverability. This comprehensive guide dives deep into the spam trigger words and practices to avoid, providing detailed explanations, real-world examples, best practices, and alternatives to help you craft emails that consistently reach the inbox.

Understanding Email Spam Filters

Before diving into specific trigger words, it's essential to understand how spam filters work. Most email providers use sophisticated algorithms to analyze incoming messages and determine whether they are likely to be spam. These algorithms look at various factors, including:

• Sender reputation
• Email content and structure
• Recipient engagement
• Authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

The following diagram illustrates the basic process of how an email message is analyzed by spam filters before reaching the recipient's inbox:

Content-Based Spam Triggers

While spam filters consider many factors, the content of your email plays a significant role. Certain words, phrases, and patterns are more commonly associated with spam and can trigger filters. These triggers can be broken down into several categories:

Risky Words and Phrases

Certain words and phrases are particularly risky and should be used sparingly if at all. These include:

HTML Mistakes to Avoid

In addition to risky words, certain HTML practices can also trigger spam filters:

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<p>This is a <strong>bad example with mismatched tags.</p>

The following diagram shows how sloppy HTML and image-heavy emails compare to a well-structured, balanced message:

Subject Line Best Practices

Your email's subject line is the first thing recipients see and plays a crucial role in deliverability. Follow these best practices to avoid triggering spam filters:

• Keep it concise - aim for 50 characters or less
• Avoid ALL CAPS, excessive punctuation!!!!, and special characters (#$%^&)
• Don't use risky words like "Free" or "Act Now"
• Personalize when possible, but don't overdo it
• Set clear expectations about the email content
• Split test subject lines to optimize performance

Subject Line Examples

The following diagram visualizes the impact of subject line practices on deliverability:

Crafting Quality Email Content

Beyond avoiding specific trigger words, crafting high-quality, engaging email content is essential for staying out of the spam folder. Here are some key strategies:

Provide Genuine Value

Every email you send should offer something of value to your audience, whether it's informative content, an exclusive offer, or a personalized recommendation. Avoid sending emails just for the sake of keeping in touch - make sure there's a clear purpose and benefit for the recipient.

Balance Promotion and Information

While promotional content has its place, aim for a healthy mix of informative and sales-focused messaging. A good rule of thumb is the 80/20 principle - 80% valuable content and 20% promotional. This helps build trust and keeps subscribers engaged over time.

Segment Your Audience

Not all subscribers are interested in the same content. Segmenting your email list based on factors like demographics, interests, and past engagement allows you to tailor your messaging and provide more relevant, targeted content. This not only improves engagement but also reduces the risk of being marked as spam.

Here's an example of how you might segment a typical e-commerce audience:

• New Subscribers - Welcome series, onboarding content
• Engaged Shoppers - Personalized recommendations, exclusive offers
• At-Risk/Inactive - Re-engagement campaigns, win-back offers
• VIP/Loyalists - Early access, premium perks, sneak peeks

Implement Permission-Based Practices

Sending emails to people who haven't explicitly opted in is a surefire way to trigger spam complaints. Implement a double opt-in process for your email sign-ups, and make sure subscribers have a clear way to unsubscribe or manage their preferences.

The following diagram outlines a typical permission-based email flow, from initial sign-up through ongoing engagement:

Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Even with solid guidelines in place, deliverability issues can still occur. Regularly monitoring key metrics and knowing how to troubleshoot common problems is essential.

Key Metrics to Watch

Troubleshooting Tips

If you notice issues with deliverability or engagement, here are some steps to take:

1. Review content: Scan recent emails for any risky words, phrases, or formatting that could be triggering spam filters. Make adjustments as needed.
2. Check authentication: Ensure your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records are properly set up and haven't been changed recently.
3. Monitor blacklists: Use a blacklist monitoring service to see if your sending IP or domain has been blacklisted. If so, follow remediation steps ASAP.
4. Improve hygiene: Regularly clean your email list to remove invalid, inactive, or bounced addresses that could hurt your sender reputation.
5. Evaluate frequency: Sending too frequently is a common reason for disengagement. Test different send cadences to find the right balance for your audience.

Implementing Your Strategy

Avoiding spam trigger words and improving email content is an ongoing process. Here's a high-level roadmap for implementing the strategies from this guide:

1. Audit existing content: Review your recent emails and templates for any risky words, phrases, or practices. Create a plan to update or optimize them.
2. Develop guidelines: Use the best practices from this guide to create a set of email content and subject line guidelines for your team. Make sure everyone understands and follows them consistently.
3. Implement technical best practices: Work with your email or IT team to ensure proper authentication, list hygiene, and infrastructure is in place.
4. Continually monitor and optimize: Keep a close eye on key deliverability metrics and watch for any sudden changes or red flags. Adapt your strategy as needed based on audience engagement and performance.

With the right mix of compelling subject lines, quality content, audience segmentation, and technical best practices, you'll be well on your way to the inbox. The following diagram summarizes the key focus areas and their impact on email deliverability:

Conclusion and Next Steps

Email deliverability is a complex and ever-evolving challenge, but by avoiding common spam triggers and focusing on providing genuine value to your subscribers, you can build a strong foundation for your email program. Remember:

• Steer clear of overly promotional language and misleading claims
• Craft engaging subject lines that honestly reflect email content
• Balance promotional and informative content to build trust
• Segment your audience for more relevant, targeted messaging
• Consistently monitor key metrics and troubleshoot issues swiftly