Cold Email Spam Score: How to Check Before Hitting Send

Cold emailing is one of the most effective B2B sales strategies—when done right. But there's a fine line between reaching prospects and landing in spam. Here's how to check your cold emails before sending.

Why Cold Emails Get Marked as Spam

Cold emails face extra scrutiny because recipients don't know you. One wrong move—a pushy subject line, too many links, or generic greetings—and your email is flagged.

The Cold Email Spam Score

Your spam score is calculated based on multiple factors. Keep it under 5 for good deliverability:

• 0-3: Excellent - Should reach inbox
• 4-7: Risky - May hit spam filters
• 8+: Spam territory - Won't reach inbox

What Increases Your Cold Email Spam Score

1. Generic Greetings

"Dear Sir/Madam" or "To whom it may concern" scream mass email. Always personalize.

2. Too Many Links

Limit to 1-2 links maximum in cold emails. More looks spammy.

3. Attachments

Never send attachments in first cold emails. They trigger spam filters and scare recipients.

4. Pushy Language

Avoid: "Limited time offer", "Act now", "Free trial expires soon"

5. No Personalization

Reference something specific about their company or role. Generic templates fail.

How to Check Cold Email Spam Score

Before sending any cold email:

• Test your subject line for spam triggers
• Check email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
• Verify HTML is clean and simple
• Count your links (2 maximum)
• Ensure personalization tokens work
• Test from your actual sending domain

Cold Email Best Practices

Subject Line

• Keep under 50 characters
• Reference their company or role
• Ask a question or state clear value
• Avoid salesy language

Email Body

• Personalized greeting with their name
• Reference something specific about them
• Clear value proposition in first sentence
• Keep under 150 words
• One clear call-to-action
• Professional signature with company info

Follow-up Strategy

• Wait 3-4 days before first follow-up
• Reference your previous email
• Add new value or insight
• Max 3 follow-ups total

Testing Your Cold Emails

SPAMRUN is built for sales teams sending cold emails. Check every email before sending to ensure maximum deliverability. For just $9.99/month, check unlimited emails and never worry about spam folders again.