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Spam filter content triggers checklist for 2026

Short answer

A complete spam filter content triggers checklist has 4 setup items and 2 things to audit against. Work through setup in order, then schedule a quarterly review.

Setup checklist#

  • ☐ Keep a healthy text-to-image ratio and always include a plain-text part.
  • ☐ Link to your own domain; avoid shorteners and tracking domains with poor reputation.
  • ☐ Make link text match the destination.
  • ☐ Test rendering and spam scores before sending.

Audit checklist#

  • ☐ Confirm you are not: image-only emails.
  • ☐ Confirm you are not: tracking links on a shared domain used by spammers.

Ongoing monitoring#

  • ☐ Weekly: review provider dashboards (Postmaster Tools, SNDS) and bounce logs
  • ☐ Monthly: re-run the setup verification after any vendor or DNS change
  • ☐ Quarterly: full audit against this checklist

Frequently asked questions#

Are spam trigger words still a thing?

Much less than a decade ago. Modern filters are statistical and reputation-weighted. Deceptive intent matters more than any single word.

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