Free email spam checker for cold email copy
This email spam checker reads your subject line and body and scores the copy out of 100. It flags spam trigger words, unfilled merge tags, link shorteners, too many links, capitals, exclamation marks and first emails that run long, then tells you what to change. It is tuned for cold email, needs no sign-up and runs in your browser, so your copy never leaves the page.
- Paste a subject and body on the left. The score updates as you type.
Your email, highlighted
- Merge tag
- Shortener
- Link
- Money
- Urgency
- Overpromise
- Pushy
- Scam pattern
- Capitals
No subject
No body yet
How the email spam checker scores your copy
Every email starts at 100. Each rule below takes points off when it finds a problem, and the result is the copy score. The rules are plain JavaScript that runs on this page. Nothing you paste is uploaded, stored or sent to an AI model.
Most spam checkers were built for newsletters, so they look at words and little else. Cold email fails in other ways: a merge tag that did not fill, a calendar link plus a case study link plus a pricing link, a "Re:" on a first touch. Those carry the most weight here.
| Check | What it flags | Points off |
|---|---|---|
| Subject line | ||
| Fake reply | A subject that starts with Re: or Fwd: on a first email | 15 |
| All capitals | A subject written entirely in capitals | 20 |
| Opening word | A subject that starts with a dollar amount, or with "Buy" | 10 or 8 |
| Punctuation | An exclamation mark, or "!?" and "!!" together | 8, or 16 |
| Emoji and length | An emoji, or a subject longer than 8 words | 4 each |
| Missing subject | No subject at all | 10 |
| Body | ||
| Merge tags | Unfilled tags such as {first_name}, [Company Name] or %FIRSTNAME%, in the subject or body | 15 each, up to 30 |
| Trigger words | Phrases from five groups: money, urgency, overpromise, pushy calls to action, scam patterns. A hit in the subject counts twice | 5 to 8 per hit, up to 24 per group |
| Link shorteners | bit.ly, tinyurl.com, t.co, rebrand.ly and similar | 12 each, up to 24 |
| Link count | 2 links, or 3 and more | 8, or 15 plus 5 per extra link |
| Capitals | 2 or more words of 4+ letters written in capitals | 4 each, up to 20 |
| Exclamation marks | More than one in the body, and runs like !!! or $$$ | 3 per extra mark, up to 12; 5 for runs |
| Length | A body over 150 words, over 250 words, or under 20 | 5, 12 or 3 |
Score = 100 minus the points, never below 0.
Where the rules come from
A few rules mirror what mailbox providers and filters publish. Google's sender guidelines ask senders not to start a subject with Re: or Fwd: unless the message really is a reply or a forward. SpamAssassin, the open source filter that mail-tester runs, has named rules for a subject in all capitals (SUBJ_ALL_CAPS), a subject that starts with a dollar amount (SUBJ_DOLLARS) or with "Buy" (SUBJ_BUY), and a missing subject (MISSING_SUBJECT).
The rest are our own rules for cold email: link count, merge tags, length and the phrase groups. The point values are our weighting too. No filter publishes a list where one word costs a fixed number of points, so treat the score as a guide to what to fix first.
How to read your spam score
Clean
Nothing in the copy itself gives a filter or a reader a reason to doubt it. Send it to a seed address before a big batch.
Minor fixes
One or two small things, usually a long body, an extra link or a single loaded word. Fix them in a minute.
Risky
Several problems stack up. Rewrite the subject and cut links before this goes to a list.
Rewrite
The copy reads like a blast. Start again from one problem, one proof and one question.
The list under the score is sorted by points, so the top line is the fix that moves the score most. Fix that, watch the number change, then work down. Unfilled merge tags and a fake "Re:" sit at the top for a reason: a reader spots them in the inbox before they open anything.
A score of 100 tells you the words are clean. It does not tell you where the email will land, which is the next section's subject.
Worked example: from 16 to 100
Here is a first-touch email an agency might send to a B2B SaaS team, run through the checker. It is the sample loaded in the tool above, so you can edit it and watch the score move.
Re: Quick question about Northwind
Hi {first_name},
I noticed your team is hiring SDRs, so I figured outbound is a priority right now.
We help B2B SaaS companies double your demo calls with GUARANTEED results, and the first month is 100% free.
Click here to see the case study: https://bit.ly/demo-case
Pricing is here: https://www.example.com/pricing
Or grab time on my calendar: https://www.example.com/book
This offer won't last, so act now!
Best,
Sam
SDR hiring at Northwind
Hi Ana,
Saw Northwind is hiring two SDRs. That usually means the pipeline target just went up.
We run outbound for B2B SaaS teams. For a payroll software client, we took over the lists and the copy so their reps only had to take the calls.
Worth a short call to see if the same setup fits Northwind?
Sam
| What the checker found | Points | The fix in the rewrite |
|---|---|---|
| Unfilled merge tag {first_name} | 15 | Real first name, checked in the lead list |
| Subject starts with "Re:" | 15 | A plain subject about their hiring |
| 3 links in the email | 15 | No links, a question instead |
| 1 link shortener | 12 | Gone with the links |
| Overpromise: "double your", "guaranteed" | 10 | One named client and what changed |
| Money: "100% free" | 6 | No offer in the first email |
| Urgency: "act now" | 6 | No deadline |
| Pushy: "click here" | 5 | "Worth a short call?" |
84 points off in total, so the first draft scores 16. The rewrite trips no rule.
Spam trigger words list, grouped
Spam trigger words are phrases that show up far more in junk mail than in normal business email, so filters and readers both treat them as a warning. One "free" in a normal sentence is a small risk. A subject and body packed with them is a big one. These are the phrases the checker looks for, with what to write instead.
| Group | Phrases the checker flags | Write this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Money | free, 100% free, free trial, cash, make money, extra income, discount, lowest price, cheap, no cost, no fees, credit card, risk-free, money back, refund, bonus, prize, $$$, half price | The outcome in plain words: "fewer missed demo requests", "a booked calendar for your reps" |
| Urgency | act now, urgent, limited time, expires, don't miss, last chance, hurry, now or never, today only, while supplies last, immediately, instant access, final notice, ASAP | Nothing. A cold email has no real deadline, so leave the timing to the reader |
| Overpromise | guarantee, guaranteed, 100%, no risk, miracle, amazing, incredible, unbelievable, best ever, once in a lifetime, life-changing, revolutionary, double your, triple your, 10x, skyrocket, massive results, no catch, secret | One specific detail: a named client type, what you did, what changed |
| Pushy calls to action | click here, click below, click now, buy now, order now, sign up free, call now, apply now, get started now, visit our website, see for yourself, shop now | A question they can answer in a line: "Worth a look?", "Who handles this on your side?" |
| Scam patterns | winner, congratulations, you have been selected, dear friend, dear sir, dear madam, this is not spam, no obligation, verify your account, password, wire transfer, claim your | Their first name and a reason you wrote to them |
"Feel free" is not flagged. Matching ignores case.
Subject lines matter most, because they are read first by the filter and the person. Keep them to 2 to 5 plain words that look like a colleague wrote them. If you write sequences for several clients, the step-by-step cold email sequence guide covers what each touch should say so none of them lean on these phrases.
What a copy check cannot tell you
Words are one input. Mailbox providers also look at who is sending, from where, and how recipients react. A perfect copy score from a mailbox with no authentication or a burned domain still lands in spam. Check these too.
Authentication
Google requires every sender to Gmail accounts to set up SPF or DKIM. Senders of more than 5,000 messages a day to Gmail need SPF, DKIM and DMARC, and Google asks all senders to keep the spam rate shown in Postmaster Tools below 0.3%.
Sender reputation and spam lists
If your sending IP or domain sits on a blocklist, mail can be refused outright. A seed test reports this: mail-tester reviews your mail server and sending IP, and lists a free IP reputation check among its tools.
Inbox placement
Only a real send shows where an email lands. A seed test gives you an address, you send your email to it, and you get a report. mail-tester allows 3 free tests within 24 hours, keeps free results for 7 days and runs SpamAssassin. Its own FAQ notes that a perfect score can still land in spam, because providers adapt to each user.
Why you should never delete spam emails unread
Filters misfile good mail too, and a prospect's reply can be one of those messages. Microsoft advises reviewing the Outlook Junk Email folder regularly for legitimate messages. In Gmail, open More in the left menu, then Spam, and mark anything real as not spam: Gmail then stops sending that sender's mail to Spam.
Choosing or switching the tool that sends? Our comparison of cold email software for agencies lays out pricing and what each sender includes.
Clean copy gets replies. Then they need answers
Once the copy passes and the campaign is live, the work moves to the replies. Revbound pulls every reply from Instantly, Smartlead, Email Bison, PlusVibe, SendKit and ArcSend into one inbox and sorts them with AI: interested, meeting requested, out of office, referral, not interested. It drafts or sends the answer, offers times that are actually free on your Cal.com or Google Calendar, and books the meeting when the lead says yes.
The leads who go quiet get followed up for about two months, and out-of-office replies get a note when the person is back. If you write your own nudges, our cold email follow up templates and timing post has 8 to start from. Plans start at $49 a month with the AI included, and every plan on the Revbound pricing page starts with a 3-day free trial.
Email spam checker questions
How do I check if my email will go to spam?
Run two checks. First, check the copy: paste the subject and body into a copy checker such as the Revbound email spam checker, which scores it out of 100 and lists what to fix. Then send the email to a seed test address, such as mail-tester's, which reviews your authentication and sending IP. No tool can promise the inbox, because providers also weigh sender reputation.
What words trigger spam filters?
Phrases common in junk mail: money words (free, cash, discount), urgency (act now, limited time), overpromises (guaranteed, 100%, double your), pushy calls to action (click here, buy now) and scam phrases (congratulations, winner, dear friend). One such word in a normal sentence is a small risk. Many of them together, especially in the subject, are a big one.
Is mail-tester free?
Yes, up to a limit. mail-tester allows 3 free tests within 24 hours and keeps free results for 7 days. More tests come in paid packs or monthly plans. It tests a real send, including authentication and sending IP, while a copy checker only reads the words.
Do links in cold emails hurt deliverability?
Links give filters more to judge, and a shortened link hides where it goes, which is a phishing pattern. The Revbound email spam checker takes points off from the second link and for every shortener. On a first cold email, a question usually works better than a link, and it gives the reader a reason to reply.
How can I check if my email is on a spam list?
Run a seed test or a blocklist lookup on your sending IP and domain. mail-tester's report reviews your mail server and sending IP, and it lists a free IP reputation check among its tools. A copy checker cannot see spam lists, because they track senders, not words.
Where do I check for spam emails?
In Gmail, open More in the left menu, then Spam. In Outlook, open the Junk Email folder. Check them regularly, because filters also misfile legitimate mail, and a reply from a prospect can end up there.
Is the Revbound email spam checker free and private?
Yes. The Revbound email spam checker is free with no sign-up, and it runs entirely in your browser. The subject and body you paste are never uploaded, stored or sent to an AI model.
What is a good spam score for a cold email?
On the Revbound email spam checker, 90 to 100 is Clean and 70 to 89 needs minor fixes. Anything under 70 should be rewritten before it goes to a list. Other tools use other scales: mail-tester, for example, scores a real send out of 10.
mail-tester, Gmail, Outlook and SpamAssassin are trademarks of their owners, and Revbound is not affiliated with them. Check limits on the mail-tester FAQ and the rules in Google's email sender guidelines.
Your copy passed. Now book the meetings
Revbound answers interested leads with times that are free on your calendar and books the call when they say yes. Every feature, free for 3 days.