# Spam words in newsletters: what filters actually look for

Source: https://www.tryletterhead.com/blog/spam-words-newsletters.html

A real result from the email spam test, run on our own newsletter.

No list of banned words sends a newsletter to spam. Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook don't publish one. They weigh who you are, how your domain is set up and how readers react far more than any single word. Words matter when they stack into a pattern that looks like a scam or a sales blast.

To see what your own issue looks like to a filter, paste its HTML into the free [email spam test](../tools/email-spam-test.html).

## Do spam trigger words still matter

Less than the lists suggest. A filter that blocked every email containing "free" or "offer" would block half of all legitimate mail, so that's not how modern filtering works. Reputation, authentication and engagement come first. Content counts as a pattern: misleading subject lines, money and prize words piled together, a wall of links with little text around them.

That's why deleting one word rarely fixes anything. If an issue lands in spam, check your setup and your list before you rewrite your copy.

## What happened when we tested our own newsletter

The Letterhead newsletter announcing our free tools went through our own spam test before we wrote this. It rated bounce risk as elevated, for two reasons:

- **"Free" appeared seven times.** The check's own note says this is harmless on its own, but it adds up when stacked with prize wording or a restricted topic.

- **21 links in about 465 words.** That's roughly 20 words per link, the shape of a link farm.

Fair on both counts. "Free" was the plain truth about the tools, so we'd keep it where it's needed and cut the repeats. The link density is the bigger fix: fewer stories per send, or longer blurbs for each.

## What do filters weigh more than words

Signal
What it means
What to check

Authentication
SPF, DKIM and DMARC pass and line up with your From domain
Your sending domain's records

Complaints
Readers marking your issue as spam
Your spam rate in Google Postmaster Tools

Engagement
Readers who open, click and reply, or delete without reading
Segment readers who've stopped opening

List quality
Bounces, typos and abandoned addresses
Check signups before they join your list

Content patterns
Misleading subjects, link density, image-only issues
The issue itself, before you send

Google's sender guidelines ask bulk senders to keep their reported spam rate below 0.1% and never let it reach 0.3%. Complaints are the signal you can move fastest, by making it easy to unsubscribe and sending only what readers signed up for.

_Free tool · Email spam test_

Check your issue before a filter does.

Paste your email's HTML to rate bounce risk, find links that won't work and see whether Gmail will clip it. No signup.
[Test your email](../tools/email-spam-test.html)

## Which words and patterns are worth watching

- **Subject lines that promise what the issue doesn't deliver.** This is the content signal most likely to earn complaints.

- **Money and prize words piled up.** "Free", "winner", "cash" and "act now" in one paragraph is a pattern. One "free" isn't.

- **ALL CAPS and runs of punctuation** in the subject line.

- **Link shorteners, and link text that doesn't match where the link goes.**

- **Image-only issues** with little or no text for filters and screen readers to read.

## How do you write about free things without sounding like spam

Say what's free and why. "Free to read" or "no admission charge" is clearer than a bare "FREE". Name your publication in the From line and the opening sentence, so readers know it's you. And keep "free" where it's the plain truth. Readers trust a publisher who says what something costs.

For the setup side of staying out of spam, see [how to avoid spam filters](../blog/avoid-spam-filters-newsletters.html). For the full pre-send routine, see [how to spam test a newsletter](../blog/newsletter-spam-test.html).

In Letterhead, the bounce risk and link checks run on every issue before you schedule it.
[Book a test drive](../lp/test-drive.html)

#deliverability #spam #writing

_Keep reading_

## More on this topic.
[How to Avoid Spam Filters and Improve Newsletter Deliverability
Learn how to avoid spam filters for newsletters with practical tips on sender reputation, content, and technical setup to keep your emails in the inbox.
Read the post](../blog/avoid-spam-filters-newsletters.html)[Why Is My Newsletter Going to Spam?
The usual reasons a newsletter lands in spam, in the order to check them: authentication, who you're sending to, complaints, sudden changes and content. With a free check for each.
Read the post](../blog/why-newsletter-going-to-spam.html)[The Ultimate Guide to a Newsletter Spam Test
A newsletter spam test helps you spot issues before you send. Learn how to improve deliverability and keep your emails out of the spam folder.
Read the post](../blog/newsletter-spam-test.html)

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