Are spam trigger word lists still relevant for email deliverability?

Email marketer from Constant Contact states that trigger words aren't as critical as they used to be, and that focusing on clear, concise messaging and delivering value is more important. They advise avoiding excessive capitalization, multiple exclamation points, and other outdated spam tactics.

Email marketer from an Email Marketing Forum responds by suggesting that while trigger words aren't the biggest issue, overly salesy or aggressive language can still raise red flags. ForumUser42 explains that focusing on providing value and building trust with your audience is more effective than worrying about a list of specific words.

Email marketer from Moosend states that spam words can still trigger spam filters, but suggests that deliverability is impacted most by engagement and sender reputation.

Email marketer from Mailchimp shares that while avoiding overtly spammy language is helpful, modern spam filters are more intelligent and focus on factors like authentication, engagement, and sender reputation. They suggest focusing on building a healthy list and sending relevant content.

Email marketer from Omnisend notes that spam trigger words still matter, but are not the only thing that matters. They also say that avoiding certain words can prevent triggering peoples' 'spam radar'.

Email marketer from Hubspot warns against using caps and lots of exclamation points in email. They also suggest reviewing content for known spam words.

Email marketer from Litmus shares that modern spam filters are sophisticated and consider a wide range of factors beyond just trigger words. Litmus explains that authentication, sender reputation, engagement, and content relevance play a larger role in deliverability. They advise focusing on building a healthy email program.

Email marketer from ZeroBounce says that using spam words is not the most important thing to look out for, but suggests that senders should still ensure that they are not using misleading subject lines.

Email marketer from Sendinblue responds that while spam trigger words aren't the primary factor, they can still contribute to spam filtering. They advise avoiding common spam phrases, focusing on permission-based lists, and maintaining good sender reputation.

Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that organizations may implement custom content filters with spam trigger words, often copied from online lists, to block specific types of emails.

Email marketer from Reddit suggests that trigger words are less important now, saying that sender reputation, authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), and engagement are the most important factors. Bad reputation and non-authenticated emails will get flagged regardless of content.

Expert from Spam Resource explains that focusing on spam trigger words is often a waste of time. Al Iverson suggests deliverability professionals should instead focus on authenticating email properly, sending wanted email, sending mail people engage with, sending the same volume every day, and keeping complaint rates low.

Expert from Word to the Wise shares that the idea that 'free' is a spam trigger is a myth. Laura Atkins suggests that people should test the word 'free' and see if it impacts deliverability.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that most SpamAssassin rules aren't about specific words, but about distinctive features of content. Word-related rules often contribute to broader metarules analyzing multiple data points.

Expert from Email Geeks explains that while organizations can choose to implement their own content filters, deliverability experts primarily focus on the global filters set by outsourced providers, as individual organizational choices are beyond their control.

Expert from Email Geeks shares that some spam word lists come from actual spammers. She mentions the advice to "never use FREE in the subject line" has been around since the late 90s.

Expert from Email Geeks points out that using certain emojis in the 'from' address can negatively impact deliverability with some providers, though emojis are not words.

Expert from Email Geeks clarifies that Bayesian filtering is not based on specific words.

Documentation from Microsoft Support explains that their junk email filters consider many factors, including sender reputation, content analysis, and user feedback. It notes that while certain phrases can contribute to a message being flagged, it's the combination of factors that determines whether an email goes to the junk folder. Microsoft recommends ensuring proper authentication and a good sending history.

Documentation from SpamAssassin Wiki explains that SpamAssassin uses a scoring system where rules are assigned weights. While some rules may look for specific words, they are often part of a larger set of tests, and the overall score determines whether a message is considered spam. They mention that focusing solely on avoiding certain words is an oversimplification.

Documentation from Google Workspace Admin Help explains that Google uses sophisticated algorithms to identify spam, and while certain words can contribute to a message being flagged, it's the overall context and sender reputation that are most important.

Documentation from RFC, which outlines rules about email, shares that certain phrases and content can trigger spam alerts. Using multiple colours and fonts can have a negative impact.