Definition
A spam score checker evaluates your email against hundreds of spam filter rules used by major ISPs. It assigns a score — typically 0 to 5, where 0 is clean and 5 is almost certain spam. It checks content triggers, HTML coding, link quality, authentication setup, and sending reputation.
Common Checks
- Content analysis: Trigger words, excessive punctuation, ALL CAPS, spammy phrases
- HTML quality: Code-to-text ratio, hidden elements, excessive use of images
- Link analysis: Number of links, linked domain reputation, use of URL shorteners
- Authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configuration
- Infrastructure: Reverse DNS, sending IP reputation, matching HELO/EHLO
Tools
Mail-Tester (mail-tester.com), Litmus Spam Testing, GlockApps, and MxToolbox provide spam scoring. Most ESPs also include basic spam checks in their pre-send workflows. A score of 0-1 is clean, 1-2 needs review, and 3+ should not be sent without changes.
Related Glossary Terms
AOL Mail for Email Marketers
AOL Mail is a legacy email provider with specific deliverability requirements and rendering quirks, now operating as part of the Yahoo+AOL network under shared infrastructure.
BIMI
BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification) is an email standard that allows brands to display their logo next to their emails in supported email clients. It requires DMARC enforcement at quarantine or reject policy.
Bounce Rate Threshold
A bounce rate threshold is the percentage of hard or soft bounces at which email platforms and ISPs begin to penalise sender reputation, typically around 2-5%.
Bounce Rate
Email bounce rate is the percentage of emails that were rejected by the receiving server before reaching the recipient. It is a key indicator of list health and data quality.
Email Deliverability
Email deliverability is the ability to land in the recipient's inbox rather than the spam folder. It depends on sender reputation, authentication, list quality, and content practices.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an email authentication method that uses digital signatures to verify that an email was not tampered with during transit and comes from a authorised domain.