Email spam checker
Test your draft before your list sees it. Send the exact email to a one-off address and we score it out of 10, listing every phrase, link and setting that counts against you.
The short version
- Send the real campaign, not a test line: same subject, same body, same sending account.
- Every lost point appears as its own finding, with what to change.
- Content findings you can fix in the editor; sender findings need a DNS or platform change.
How the spam score is built
The score starts at 10. Each problem we find in your message or its sender becomes a finding, and each finding costs points. You see them all, which is the point: a number you can't trace back is a number you can't fix.
| Finding | Where it comes from | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger phrases | Wording filters link with spam, such as urgent money offers | Rewrite the line in plain terms |
| Link-to-text ratio | A body that is mostly links | Add real text around fewer links |
| Image-only body | One large image with little or no text | Put the message in text, keep images as support |
| No unsubscribe link | Bulk mail with no way out | Add a visible link and a List-Unsubscribe header |
| Failed SPF, DKIM or DMARC | Your domain's DNS and your platform's signing | Fix the record or the signing domain |
| Listed IP | Your sending IP on a public blocklist | Find the cause, then request delisting |
Words are only one part of spam filtering
Our spam word checker is handy while you're still writing: paste text, see the risky phrases. The spam checker goes further because it reads a delivered message, so it sees what the receiving server sees, including the headers your platform adds.
If sender checks fail, the DMARC checker and blacklist checker show the detail. If a missing unsubscribe header is the finding, this fix guide shows where to add it.
Your list matters as much as your wording. Bounces and complaints drag your domain's reputation down for every later send, so run the list through the bulk verifier before a campaign. Unknowns are never billed.
Spam checker questions
How do I check if my email will go to spam?
Send the exact email to a test address before your real send. ZapBounce's spam checker reads the message as it arrives and reports the content problems, the sender checks and a spam score out of 10, with each lost point explained.
What makes an email look like spam?
Filters weigh the sender first: failed SPF, DKIM or DMARC, and a blocklisted IP. Then the message itself: pushy trigger phrases, a body that is mostly links or one big image, and a missing unsubscribe link on bulk mail.
Is a spam checker the same as a spam word checker?
No. A spam word checker scans pasted text for trigger phrases. A spam checker reads a real sent message, so it also sees your authentication results, your sending IP, your links and images and your headers.
Why does my email go to spam even with a good score?
Because your reputation counts as much as the message. Gmail and Microsoft track complaints and bounces from your domain over time, so mailing old or unchecked addresses can undo a clean test. Verify the list, then keep your complaint rate low.
Clean copy, clean list, then send
Remove the addresses that would bounce before your campaign goes out. Credits never expire, and every account gets 100 free a month.