Cold Emailing

222 Troublesome spam trigger words to avoid like the plague

Mihaela Cicvaric
LAST UPDATED
May 9, 2024
READING TIME
7 min.

Crafting emails, social posts, or online ads?

Make sure to avoid these 222 spam trigger words.

⚠ Caution: Deploying these words carelessly might flag your content, hurting your reach or killing it entirely.

Spam trigger words to eliminate from your messages

The flashy financier - promising fast earnings

Probably the most spammy words around.

These words promise substantial wealth quickly and effortlessly and are often used in scams.

  1. "$$$"
  2. "Billion dollars"
  3. "Million dollars"
  4. "Cash bonus"
  5. "Double your income"
  6. "Earn $"
  7. "Earn extra cash"
  8. "Money back"
  9. "Money making"
  10. "Potential earnings"
  11. "Serious cash"
  12. "Hidden assets"
  13. "Unsecured credit"
  14. "Unsecured debt"
  15. "Loan approved"
  16. "Loans"
  17. "Money-back guarantee"
  18. "Earn per week"
  19. "Financial freedom"
  20. "Get out of debt"
  21. "No credit check"
  22. "Eliminate bad credit"
  23. "Eliminate debt"
  24. "Income from home"
  25. "Investment decision"
  26. "Lower interest rate"
  27. "Lower your mortgage rate"
  28. "Lowest insurance rates"
  29. "Accept credit cards"
  30. "Additional income"
  31. "Avoid bankruptcy"
  32. "Beneficiary"
  33. "Billing"
  34. "Billing address"
  35. "BONUS"
  36. "Bonus credited"
  37. "Buying judgments"
  38. "Cashcashcash"
  39. "Cashless"
  40. "Check credited"
  41. "Consolidate debt"
  42. "Consolidate debt and credit"
  43. "Cost"
  44. "Credit"
  45. "Low insurance premium"
  46. "Low mortgage rates"
  47. "Lower monthly payment"
  48. "Lower rates"
  49. "Outstanding amount"
  50. "Outstanding values"
  51. "Pennies a day"
  52. "Stock alert"
  53. "Stock disclaimer statement"
  54. "Stock pick"
  55. "XXX amount credited"
  56. "XXX$ credited"

The urgency usher - creating a false sense of urgency

These words are used to pressure people into making decisions quickly...and without giving the product a thorough evaluation.

They don't necessarily indicate a scam, but they sure smell like it. ;-)

  1. "Act immediately"
  2. "Act now"
  3. "Action required"
  4. "Apply NOW"
  5. "Apply Online"
  6. "At no cost"
  7. "Buy Now"
  8. "Buy direct"
  9. "Cancel at any time"
  10. "Cancel now"
  11. "Cancellation required"
  12. "Claim your discount NOW!"
  13. "Claim your prize"
  14. "Click below"
  15. "Click here"
  16. "Exclusive deal"
  17. "Exclusive discount"
  18. "Exclusive offer"
  19. "Expiring soon"
  20. "For instant access"
  21. "Get it now"
  22. "Get started now"
  23. "Hurry up"
  24. "Important information regarding"
  25. "Instant weight loss"
  26. "Limited time"
  27. "Limited time deal"
  28. "Now only"
  29. "Offer expires in X days"
  30. "Once in a lifetime deal"
  31. "Once in a lifetime opportunity"
  32. "Once in lifetime"
  33. "Online biz opportunity"
  34. "Only for today"
  35. "Save up to"
  36. "Sign up free today"
  37. "Stuff on sale"
  38. "Supplies are limited"
  39. "Take action now"
  40. "Time-limited"
  41. "Urgent"
  42. "Vacation offers"
  43. "Weight loss"
  44. "While in stock"
  45. "While you sleep"

The hyperbolic hype - exaggerating rewards

If it sounds to good to be true, it usually is!

These words make unrealistic claims that can mislead people into believing the impossible is within reach.

  1. "0%"
  2. "0% risk"
  3. "777"
  4. "99%"
  5. "99.9%"
  6. "100%"
  7. "100% more"
  8. "100% free"
  9. "100% satisfied"
  10. "50% off"
  11. "100% money back"
  12. "Best bargain"
  13. "Best offer"
  14. "Best price"
  15. "Big bucks"
  16. "Double your leads"
  17. "Double your cash"
  18. "Double your wealth"
  19. "Earn extra profit"
  20. "Extra cash"
  21. "Extra income"
  22. "Extract email"
  23. "F r e e"
  24. "For just X$"
  25. "For only XXX amount"
  26. "Free bonus"
  27. "Free cell phone"
  28. "Free consultation"
  29. "Free DVD"
  30. "Free gift"
  31. "Free grant money"
  32. "Free hosting"
  33. "Free info"
  34. "Free information"
  35. "Free installation"
  36. "Free instant"
  37. "Free investment"
  38. "Free iPhone"
  39. "Free leads"
  40. "Free membership"
  41. "Free money"
  42. "Free preview"
  43. "Free quote"
  44. "Free sample"
  45. "Free trial"
  46. "Full REFUND"
  47. "Guaranteed deposit"
  48. "Guaranteed income"
  49. "Guaranteed payment"
  50. "Huge discount"
  51. "Incredible deal"
  52. "Instant earnings"
  53. "Instant income"
  54. "Instant offers"
  55. "JACKPOT"
  56. "Lose weight"
  57. "Lose weight instantly"
  58. "Lowest price"
  59. "Lowest price ever"
  60. "Recover your debt"
  61. "Recover your debt instantly"
  62. "Satisfaction guaranteed"
  63. "Save Big Money"
  64. "They keep your Money — no refund!"
  65. "Unlimited"
  66. "Work at home"
  67. "Work from home"
  68. "You are a winner!"
  69. "You have been chosen"
  70. "You have been selected"
  71. "You will not believe your eyes"
  72. "Zero chance"
  73. "Zero percent"
  74. "Zero risk"

The overzealous salesperson - employing suspicious sales speak

Deceptive words and phrases a sleazy door-to-door salesman would use.

If you don't want to get the door slammed into the face of your digital marketing, use these words sparingly or not at all.

  1. "Affordable"
  2. "Auto email removal"
  3. "Bargain"
  4. "Cheap"
  5. "Claims"
  6. "Claims not to be selling anything"
  7. "Claims to be in accordance with some spam law"
  8. "Claims to be legal"
  9. "Clearance"
  10. "Compare rates"
  11. "Confidential"
  12. "Confidentially on all orders"
  13. "Deal breaker"
  14. "Dig up dirt on friends"
  15. "Don't delete"
  16. "Don't hesitate"
  17. "Easy terms"
  18. "Explode your business"
  19. "Fast cash"
  20. "Free access"
  21. "Hidden charges"
  22. "Info you requested"
  23. "Information you requested"
  24. "Join millions"
  25. "Junk"
  26. "Mass email"
  27. "Never before"
  28. "New customers only"
  29. "No extra cost"
  30. "No hidden costs"
  31. "No interests"
  32. "No medical exams"
  33. "No middleman"
  34. "Not intended"
  35. "Not junk"
  36. "Not spam"
  37. "Open this email!"
  38. "Please read"
  39. "Priority mail"
  40. "Prize"
  41. "Profits"
  42. "Promise"
  43. "Pure profits"
  44. "Requires initial investment"
  45. "Risk-free"
  46. "Save big money"
  47. "Sent in compliance"

Why should you avoid spam trigger words?

Let me break it down for you:

Emails missing the mark

When these words sneak into your emails, they often miss the inbox altogether, landing straight in the spam folder.

Result? Your message goes unnoticed.

But wait, there's more (pun intended ;-)...

If your emails land in spam, your sender reputation will suffer, hurting your long term email deliverability.

Social media silence

Using these words in your posts? You might notice a drop in engagement.

Social platforms can push your content down the feed if it gets flagged for suspicious content, leaving it unseen.

Ineffective ads

Yes, you should exercise caution with paid promotions too.  

Ads over-sporting spam trigger words often get the red flag, meaning rejection and wasted advertising dollars.

And in case your ad does get accepted, it will probably scare away potential customers because of the spammy language used.

Bad for SEO

Google isn't a fan either.

These words can hurt your website's chance to shine on search engines, burying it under tons of other content.

Lacking responses

Emails or direct outreach messages sprinkled with these words?

They could be turning people off from replying - instantly killing the conversation.

You can learn more about spam words in this post, where we discuss their impact alongside tips for spam-free outreach.

How to use this spam trigger words list

Context is king

When you come across a word on the list, don't just eliminate it; consider the context.

Use these words judiciously, ensuring they fit naturally into your message.

Focus on authenticity

Rather than avoiding spam trigger words at all costs, aim for authentic, value-driven communication.

Balance and relevance

Strive for a balance between persuasive language and straightforward communication.

Ensure every word contributes to the relevance and clarity of your message.

Monitor engagement

Pay attention to how recipients interact with your content.

High engagement rates can offset the occasional use of a spam trigger word.

Try AB testing to monitor your success.

Continuous adaptation

Finally, stay adaptable.

Every platform’s algorithm has different rules to play by, make sure you know them.

In the business of closing leads?

Download our cold emailing ebook to access a treasure trove of conversion boosting tips.

Mihaela Cicvaric
Content Marketing Manager @ lempire | Sharing everything you need to get replies to your cold emails
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Price
Best for
Standout feature
Con
4.9
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star
star
star
star
$30/mo
$75/mo
$2,999/mo
Large, distributed sales teams
AI evaluation precision, gamified KPIs
Lack of tracking system
4.6
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star
star
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Not publicly available
Sales operations and finance teams
Powerful configurability
Limited training resources and complex to navigate
4.4
star
star
star
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Not publicly available
Mid-market and enterprise businesses
Comprehensive incentive management
Potentially high cost and steep learning curve
4.7
star
star
star
star
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$15/user/mo
$40/user/mo
Enterprise: custom price
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
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star
star-half
Not publicly available
Collaborative teams
Connected planning
Complexity and steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
star
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Not publicly available
Companies with complex sales structures
Complex incentive compensation management (ICM) with high efficiency and accuracy
Complexity for smaller teams and potentially high costs
4.7
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star
star
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Not publicly available
Companies who want to automate commission calculations and payouts
Simplicity and ease of use
Lack of features like redirection
4.7
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star
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$30/user/mo
$35/user/mo
Custom: upon request
Businesses that need a comprehensive and user-friendly sales compensation management software
Ease of use and adoption
Lack of ability to configure the product based on user needs
4.8
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with modern sales culture and businesses who want real-time insights
A built-in dispute management and real-time visibility
Users say it works slowly, customer support is slow
4.9
star
star
star
star
star
$30/user/mo
$50/user/mo
Smaller sales teams
Powerful automation
Lesser user base and average user interface
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with scalable needs
Automated Commission Calculations
Lack of filtering by date, no mobile app
ERP vs. CRM
ERP
CRM
Summary
Backbone of a business's internal operations.
Backbone of customer-centric interactions and operations.
Goal
To centralize and streamline core business processes in a company.
To increase customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty, and boost sales.
Focus
Internal operations and processes across departments (finance, accounting, inventory, supply chain, HR, and sales).
All interactions with leads and customers.
Manages
Internal business data like financial data, inventory levels, production details, supply chain, HR info.
All customer data like contact info, purchase history, communication history, customer preferences and more.
Users
Finance, accounting, operations, supply chain, and HR departments.
Customer-facing teams like sales, marketing, and customer service.
Benefits
Streamlines operations, improves data accuracy, enhances decision-making, boosts collaboration, increases productivity.
Improves customer relationships, increases sales, strengthens customer service, personalizes marketing campaigns, provides insights.
Price
$150 per user per year on average.
$10 to $30 per user per month on average.
PRM Tool
Rating
Feature
Pro
Con
Mobile App
Integrations
Free Plan
Pricing
4.65
star
star
star
star
star-half
Org-wide alignment
User-friendly layout and database
Suboptimal as a personal CRM
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-check
Team: $20/month
Business: $45/month
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Social Media Integration
Easy contact data collection
No marketing/sales features
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-xmark
7-day trial
$12/month
4.75
star
star
star
star
star-half
Block Functions
High customization capability
Not a dedicated CRM
square-check
Limited
square-check
Plus: €7.50/month
Business: €14/month
N/A
Open-source
Open-source flexibility
Requires extensive manual input
square-xmark
Limited
square-check
Self-hosted
$9/month or
$90/year
3.1
star
star
star
Simple iOS app
Ideal for non-tech-savvy users
iPhone only
square-check
iOS only
Limited
square-xmark
1-month trial
$1.49/month or
$14.99/month
3.6
star
star
star
star-half
Smart Contact Management
Feature-rich and flexible
Reported bugs
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
7-day trial
Premium: $13.99/month
Teams: $17.99/month
4.4
star
star
star
star
star-half
Customizable Interface
Customizable for teamwork
Pricey for personal use
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
Standard: $24/member
Premium: $39/member
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Integrated Calling
Integrated Calling
Too sales-oriented & pricey
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
Startup: $59/user/month
Professional: $329/user/month
4.8
star
star
star
star
star
Business Card Scanning
Business Card Scanning
Mobile only
square-check
Limited
square-check
$9.99/month
4.45
star
star
star
star
star-half
160+ app integrations
Comprehensive integrations
No free app version
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
$29.90/month or
$24.90/month (billed annually)
Capterra Rating
Free Trial
Free Plan
Starting Price (excluding the free plan)
Maximum Price (for the most expensive plan)
Best for
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-check
€15/month/seat billed annually
€792/month/3 seats billed annually + €45/month for each extra seat
Versatility and free plan
4.2
star
star
star
star
square-check
30-day
square-xmark
But it offers reduced price to authorised nonprofit organisations
€25/user/month
€500/user/month billed annually (includes Einstein AI)
Best overall operational CRM
4.3
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-xmark
square-check
Limited to 3 users
Comprehensive incentive management
€52/user/month billed annually
Small-medium businesses and automation
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-xmark
€14/seat/month billed annually
€99/seat/month billed annually
Sales teams and ease of use
4.1
star
star
star
star
square-xmark
square-check
Limited 10 users
$9.99/user/month billed annually
$64.99/user/month billed annually
Free plan for very small teams up to 10
CRM goal
Increase the sales conversion rate for qualified leads from marketing automation campaigns by 10% in the next 6 months.
SMART Breakdown
1. Specific: It targets a specific area (conversion rate) for a defined segment (qualified leads from marketing automation).
2. Measurable: The desired increase (10%) is a clear metric, and the timeframe (6 months) allows for progress tracking.
3. Achievable: A 10% increase is possible based on historical data and potential improvements.
4. Relevant: Boosting sales from marketing efforts aligns with overall business objectives.
5. Time-bound: The 6-month timeframe creates urgency and a clear target date.
Actions
Step 1: Refine lead qualification criteria to ensure high-quality leads are nurtured through marketing automation.
Step 2: Personalize marketing automation campaigns based on lead demographics, interests, and behavior.
Step 3: Develop targeted landing pages with clear calls to action for qualified leads.
Step 4: Implement lead scoring to prioritize high-potential leads for sales follow-up.
Step 5: Track and analyze campaign performance to identify areas for optimization.
Outcomes
Increased sales and revenue
Improved marketing automation ROI
Marketing and sales alignment
Data-driven marketing optimization
Table
CDP Software
CRM Software
Approach
Data-centric
Customer-centric
Focus
Interactions across various channels and touchpoints, both online and offline.
Sales, marketing, and customer service interactions.
Functionality
Automatically collects, organizes, tags, and makes data available in real-time.
Helps businesses track customer interactions, sales pipelines, prospects, and service requests.
Goals
Personalized customer experiences across all channels.
Better customer relationships, streamlined processes, and improved profitability.
Benefits
Data integration, management, and accessibility, allowing for detailed analysis and segmentation.
Better communication within teams and with customers by organizing information about customer interactions and history.
Data Handling
Handles both identified and anonymous data, stitches together various data points.
Deals primarily with identified customer data.
Use Cases
Personalized marketing campaigns, targeted advertising, content customization across multiple channels.
Managing campaigns and leads, enhancing customer service, providing better customer support, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Examples
Insider, Bloomreach, Salesforce Marketing Cloud CDP
HubSpot, Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional, and Zoho CRM
CRM
Free plan
Best feature
Best for
Con
1. HubSpot CRM
square-check
Sales automation
Sales teams
Up to 1,000 contacts
2. Insightly
square-check
Custom fields
Basic needs
Not enough info about the free plan
3. Agile CRM
square-check
Deal and sales pipeline tracking
Small teams
Up to 10 users
4. Zoho CRM
square-check
Lead and contact management
Businesses of all sizes
Limited to 3 users
5. ClickUp
square-check
Unlimited tasks and unlimited members
Personal use
Up to 100MB storage
6. EngageBay
square-check
Live chat
Small and midsize enterprises
Up to 1,000 branded emails per month
7. Bitrix24
square-check
Unlimited users and 5 scrum teams
Big teams
Up to 5GB of cloud storage
8. FreshSales
square-check
Easy to use and simple setup
Beginners
Up to 3 users
9. Mailchimp
square-check
Very beginner friendly
Marketing teams
Send up to 500 branded emails per month
Type of Affiliate Marketing
Unattached
Related
Involved
Format
Paid advertising
Social media or YouTube channels
Dedicated website or blog
Focus
Quick income
Your niche
Your audience
Engagement with your audience
square-xmark
square-check
square-check
square-check
square-check
Very close connection with your audience
Pro
Little effort
Higher credibility thanks to your niche
Long-lasting and scalable
Con
Paid ads cost a lot
Potential for bias since you don’t use the thing you promote
Require time, effort, and dedication

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