Free tool
Free email spam checker
This free email spam checker scores an email out of 100 for how likely it is to land in spam, marks the words that count against it, and lists what to change. Paste the subject and the email, plain text or HTML, and add your From address to check its SPF and DMARC. No sign-up, and the email never leaves your browser.
How it works
How does the spam checker score an email?
The spam checker reads an email the way spam filters do, adding points for each problem it finds, up to 100. It's built on the spam score in MagpieCRM, which checks every campaign and sequence email before it sends, with more checks for emails written in other tools.
Read the subject
Capitals, exclamation marks, a price up front, a fake "Re:", salesy words and phrases spam filters look for.
Read the email
Trigger phrases and salesy words, shouting, images and alt text, hidden text, scripts, size, a sign-off and an unsubscribe link.
Follow the links
Shorteners, bare IP addresses, links that show one address and go to another, and how many sites they reach.
Check the sender
With a From address, its domain's SPF and DMARC records, and whether it's a free mailbox.
What it checks
Every check, and what it adds to the score.
Points add up to 100 at most. Under 25 is Low risk, 25 to 59 Medium, and 60 or more High.
| Check | What counts against it | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Capitals, several exclamation marks, a price or discount, a fake "Re:" or "Fwd:", over 70 characters, two or more emoji | 3 to 10 each |
| Trigger phrases | Phrases spam filters look for, in the subject or the email | 6 each in the subject, 3 in the email, up to 15 |
| Salesy words | Words like "free", "deal" or "discount": one in the subject, or several in the email | 4 each in the subject, 2 in the email, up to 8 |
| Shouting | Words in capitals in the email, such as FREE or NOW, or a line of them | 8 |
| Images | Mostly images, little text, no alt text, a template's placeholder images | 2 to 15 |
| Markup | Scripts, forms or iframes; hidden text; over 102 KB, where Gmail clips it; no preview text | 2 to 15 |
| Unsubscribe | No unsubscribe link, unless your email tool adds one | 15 |
| Links | Shorteners, bare IP addresses, a link that shows another address, links to nowhere, five or more websites, over 20 links | 3 to 15 |
| Cold email | Over three links, over 200 words, a newsletter design, no name or company, no sign-off, open or click tracking | 4 to 8 each |
| Sender | No SPF record, or more than one; no DMARC record; a free mailbox address; a domain that doesn't exist | 10 to 15, or High on its own |
Cold email
Why cold email is judged hardest.
Mailbox providers trust mail people asked for. A first email to someone who doesn't know you has no history to go on, so the details count for more: a newsletter-style design reads as marketing, every extra link is one more reason to doubt it, and tracking pixels and redirects mark it as bulk mail.
Google's email sender guidelines also ask anyone sending in bulk to set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC, and to make unsubscribing easy. In MagpieCRM, the spam score runs on every email as you write it, and adds what a pasted email can't show: domain blocklists, your sending reputation this week, warmup, and who it's going to.
- Keep a first email under 150 words
- One link, or none: ask a question instead
- Plain text, written to one person, with their name in it
- Open and click tracking off
- Sent from your own domain, with SPF, DKIM and DMARC
Not yet
What it doesn't do yet.
MagpieCRM is early access software, at version 0.9.136. So you know before you start:
- It can't see your sending reputation or domain blocklists: those come from how your past mail was received. MagpieCRM's spam score checks them in the app.
- DKIM isn't checked: looking it up needs the selector name your email provider uses.
- It's an estimate. Gmail, Outlook and the rest decide for themselves, and only a test send shows where mail really lands.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is this spam checker free?
Yes, with no sign-up and no daily limit. It runs in your browser, so you can check as many emails as you like, and edit one until its score comes down.
What is a good spam score?
Lower is better. Under 25 is Low risk, 25 to 59 Medium, and 60 or more High. A few problems, such as a From domain that doesn't exist, make it High on their own. The score updates as you edit, so you can fix the worst problem first and watch it come down.
Does it check for spam trigger words?
Yes, in the subject and the email: about 100 phrases spam filters look for, such as "act now", "for free" and "risk-free", and words shouted in capitals, such as "FREE" or "NOW". Salesy words like "free" or "deal" count for a little, since they're in plenty of ordinary business email: more in the subject, or when the email has several. Each one is marked in your email, so you can see what to rewrite.
Why does a cold email score higher than a newsletter?
Mail to people who don't know you is judged most strictly. For a cold email, the checker also marks down more than three links, more than about 200 words, a newsletter-style design, no name or company in it, no sign-off saying who's writing, and open or click tracking.
Does it check SPF, DKIM and DMARC?
SPF and DMARC, if you add your From address: the checker looks up its domain's records. DKIM can't be looked up without the selector name your email provider uses, so it isn't checked here.
Do you keep the emails I check?
No. The email is checked in your browser and never sent to MagpieCRM. Only the From address's domain leaves your browser, to look up its DNS records through Cloudflare's public DNS, or Google's if Cloudflare doesn't answer.
Will a low spam score get my email into the inbox?
Not on its own. Gmail, Outlook and the rest also judge your sending history: bounces, spam complaints and how people engage with your mail. A clean email from a sender with a poor reputation can still land in spam, and only a test send shows where mail really lands.
Keep exploring
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