Editor’s note: Spam filters are much more sophisticated than the subject line triggers listed in this post. For a more up-to-date guide to email marketing, check out our free guide to creating email newsletters, which are actually read here.
Writing the subject lines for your emails can be one of the most stressful steps in email marketing. Is it engaging? Too short? Too long? Too boring? Is that why people are going to hit “delete”? Or will they open it? Will it even reach them or trigger SPAM filters? It is the last of these problems that we can help with today.
SPAM filters can be triggered for various reasons, so that your e-mail skips the inboxes of the recipients and lands directly in their SPAM box. One of the easiest ways to avoid SPAM filters is to carefully choose the words that you use in the subject line of your email. Trigger words are known to cause problems and increase the likelihood that your email will fall into a SPAM trap. By avoiding these words in your email subject lines, you can dramatically increase your chances of going beyond SPAM filters.
The next time you sit down to write an email subject line, read the full list below and make sure you don’t use words that could get you in trouble. You may want to bookmark this list so that you can refer to it every time you compose an email subject line. Back, SPAM filter!
Email Spam Words to Avoid
trade
| As seen at | to buy | Buy directly |
| Buy judgments | Leeway | assignment |
| order status | Orders shipped from | Buyers |
personally
| Dig up dirt on friends | Meet singles | Score with babes |
employment
| Extra income | Be your own boss | Compete for your business |
| Double yours | Earn $ | Earn extra cash |
| Earn per week | Expect to earn | Extra income |
| At home | Home work | Home work |
| Income from home | Make $ | earn money |
| make money | Online business opportunity | Online degree |
| opportunity | Potential revenue | University diplomas |
| While you sleep | Work from home | To work from home |
Financial – general
| $$$ | Affordable | bargain |
| Beneficiaries | Best price | Lot of money |
| cash register | Cash bonus | Cash cash |
| Cent on the dollar | Cheap | Check |
| Expectations | Collect | Compare prices |
| costs | recognition | Credit bureaus |
| Discount | To earn | Simple terms |
| Free | Quick money | For only $ XXX |
| Hidden assets | Hidden fees | income |
| Incredible deal | insurance | investment |
| Loans | Lowest price | Million dollars |
| money | money back | mortgage |
| Mortgage rates | No costs | No fees |
| One hundred percent free | $ Only | Pennies a day |
| price | Profits | Pure profit |
| Quote | Refinancing | Save $ |
| Save a lot of money | Save up to | Serious money |
| Subject to credit | You keep your money – no refunds! | Unsecured credit |
| Unsecured Debt | U.S. dollar | Why pay more |
Financial business
| Accept credit cards | Cards accepted | Check or money order |
| Credit card offers | Explode your business | Full reimbursement |
| Investment decision | No credit check | no hidden costs |
| No investment | Requires an initial investment | Sent in accordance |
| Stock alarm | Disclaimer statement | Stock selection |
Financially – personally
| Avoid bankruptcy | Calling creditors | Collect child support |
| Consolidate Debt and Loans | Consolidate Your Debt | Eliminate Bad Credit |
| Eliminate debt | Financially independant | Get out of debt |
| Get paid | Lower interest rate | Lower monthly payment |
| Lower your mortgage rate | Lowest insurance rates | Pretested |
| Home refinancing | Social security number | Your income |
General
| adoption | Corresponding | Avoid |
| chance | Resting | freedom |
| Here | Hidden | At home |
| leaving | Lifetime | To lose |
| Groomed | medium | wonder |
| never | Passwords | problem |
| Remove | Turn back | sample |
| satisfaction | solution | Stop |
| success | Teen | wife |
Best regards
| Dear [email/friend/somebody] | friend | Hello |
marketing
| display | Automatic email removal | Bulk email |
| click | Click below | Click here |
| Click to remove | Direct email | Direct marketing |
| Email harvest | Email Marketing | Form |
| Increase sales | Increase the traffic | Increase your sales |
| Internet market | Internet marketing | marketing |
| Marketing solutions | Bulk email | member |
| Monthly trial offer | More internet traffic | Multi-level marketing |
| No spam | One-time mailing | online marketing |
| to open | register | performance |
| Removal instructions | sale | sales |
| Search engine lists | search engines | Subscribe to |
| The following form | This is not rubbish | This is not spam |
| Unknown recipient | Sign out | Visit our website |
| We hate spam | Web traffic | Won’t believe your eyes |
Medical
| Cures baldness | diagnosis | Fast Viagra delivery |
| Human growth hormone | Life insurance | Lose weight |
| Weight loss spam | medicine | No medical examinations |
| Online pharmacy | Removes wrinkles | Reverses aging |
| Stop snoring | Valium | Viagra |
| Vicodin | Weight loss | Xanax |
numbers
| # 1 | 100% free | 100% satisfied |
| 4U | 50% discount | billion |
| Billion dollars | Join millions | Join millions of Americans |
| million | One hundred percent guaranteed | Thousands |
Offers
| be a member | Billing address | Call |
| Cannot be combined with other offers | Confidential for all orders | deal |
| Financial freedom | gift voucher | give away |
| guarantee | Have you been rejected | If it just could be that easy |
| Important information about | In accordance with the law | Long distance offer |
| Mail in order form | Message contains | Name brand |
| Nigerians | No age restrictions | No catch |
| No application forms | No disappointment | No experience |
| No gimmick | No inventory | No middleman |
| No obligation | No purchase required | No questions asked |
| No sale | No strings attached | No obligation |
| Not intended | Obligation | Offshore |
| offer | Per day | Per week |
| Priority mail | price | Prices |
| Produced and shipped | Reserves the right | shopping spree |
| Things for sale | Terms and Conditions | The best prices |
| You just give it away | attempt | unlimited |
| Unsolicited | vacation | Vacation offers |
| guarantee | We honor everyone | Weekend getaway |
| What are you waiting for? | Who really wins? | victory |
| winner | Win | won |
| You are a winner! | You have been selected | You are a winner! |
Calls to action
| Cancel anytime | Compare | Copy exactly |
| Receive | Give it away | Print form signature |
| Print and fax | See for yourself | Register for free today |
Free
| Free | Free access | Free cell phone |
| Free advice | Free DVD | Free gift |
| Free scholarship | Free hosting | Free installation |
| Free instant | Free investment | Free leads |
| Free membership | Free money | Free offer |
| Free preview | Free priority mail | Free offer |
| Free sample | Free trial | Free website |
Descriptions / adjectives
| Everything of course | All things new | Amazing |
| Certified | Congratulations | Drastically reduced |
| Fantastic deal | Free | Guaranteed |
| It is effective | Excellent values | Promise you |
| Real thing | Risk free | Satisfaction guaranteed |
Sense of urgency
| access | Trade now! | Apply now |
| apply online | Call for free | Call now |
| Can’t live without it | Do it today | Do not delete |
| Do not hesitate | For instant access | Only for |
| To you | Get it now | get started now |
| Great offer | Info that you requested | Information you have requested |
| Immediate | limited time | For new customers only |
| Now | Now only | Offer expires |
| Once in a lifetime | once | Just |
| Order now | Order today | Please read |
| special offer | The stock is limited | Take action now |
| Time limited | Urgent | While stocks last |
Nouns
| Addresses on CD | drink | bonus |
| Brand new pager | Cable converter | casino |
| celebrity | Copy DVDs | Laser printer |
| Legal | Luxury car | New domain extensions |
| phone | Rolex | Stainless steel |