Email Spam Words: Decoding the Secrets and Debunking the Myths

Updated in 2023

First things first, what are these email spam words? Many young email marketers may even not be aware of such a term. So, a long long time ago, I can still remember… spammers used (still do!) powerful words and phrases and catchy keywords to convince their targets, so this mythical list of so-called spam words was born. Savvy marketers kept an eye on the spam messages they were getting. They were identifying keywords and amending the list to help genuine marketers deliver their emails. But are spam words relevant now? Should we avoid the word “free” like the plague? Let’s explore the current state of spam words and see if we can safely throw away the spam words list we printed out 5+ years ago.

The Olden Days of Spam Words List Sharing with Your Email Friends (You Liked)

Quite a few years back, when email marketing was still finding its groove, knowing which words to avoid was like having a secret map to escape the treacherous clutches of the junk folder. It was a delicate dance of dodging spam filters and pleading with the email gods for safe passage. But while genuine marketers were perfecting their email copy, spammers were watching and taking notes. So spam filters relying so much on a spam words list that was being shared publicly was kind of defeating the purpose.

While marketers have been sharing email spam word lists, there was always a significant caveat. No one could guarantee their accuracy. Quite a few years back, I reviewed many spam word lists and analysed my email junk folder to identify potential trigger words. And that was something we had to do to stay in the game and get our emails seen. And we looked cool, we had “the list” 🆒.

Blast from the Past

As a wannabe email historian, I’ll share an example, a blast from the past. Let’s take the word “dear”. It’s such a common word, but, hey, at one point, probably 99% of spam called their targets “dear” (they probably still do 🙈). The SpamAssassin logs indicated that “dear” in the email body copy could have rewarded you with 1.605 spam score. Here’s a screenshot from their log file:

See another example below. No surprise that words and phrases such as “free”, “guaranteed”, or “dear” would be passed on from marketer to marketer as words to be avoided. Anyway, if you ever find some time and interest to dig through old logs, I’ve saved you a link. The very old-but-interesting-to-geek-out SpamAssassin test logs. It’s not just about those spam words, but also other indicators, like implications of sender name, reply address and much more. That said, those logs would probably read better with a drink in your hand (your choice)! Have fun!

What About Now: Are Spam Words Dead?

No surprise that spam filters had to evolve. And will they keep on evolving. That’s a fact. It’s a never-ending battle between the email guardians and the email infiltrators. So while only the elite few within the companies working to enhance the spam filters hold the true knowledge of how much weight the spam words carry now, it’s quite evident that nowadays they account for just a small fraction of spam filter triggers. Spam filters have grown wiser, more sophisticated, and less swayed by those old tricks 🦉. And that, my friends, is a very good thing.

So the answer is yes, it’s time to bid farewell to the spam word paranoia and focus on the true magic of email marketing—captivating content, enticing subject lines, and the art of engaging our beloved subscribers. OK OK, alongside clean HTML code, good email rendering, and proper email sender reputation… you know, the technical stuff too.

Spam Words, RIP

The words you use in your email still matter; how you communicate with your customers matters. Are you sending your emails to the audience that appreciates ALL CAPS ALL DAY LONG, or should you go with a more subtle approach? But worrying about adding “free” to your subject line should be a thing of the past. Unless your sender reputation is already very bad, but that’s a topic for another day.

In the grand scheme of things, spam words are probably nothing more than a drop in the vast ocean of spam filter triggers. They hold little power in the realm of email deliverability these days. So, yes, you can shred the spam words list you printed out many years ago if you haven’t already done so.