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Email Subject Line Tester

Score an email subject line out of 100 against four simple, well-known heuristics: length, all-caps, repeated punctuation, and a short list of classic spam-trigger words.

How to use this tool

  1. 1

    Type or paste your subject line into the input box.

  2. 2

    Read the 0-100 score that appears instantly as you type.

  3. 3

    Review the checklist below it for length, all-caps, punctuation, and matched spam words.

  4. 4

    Edit the wording and watch the score update live until you are happy.

How does this subject line score work?

This is a lightweight, rule-based heuristic checker, not a real inbox-placement test. It starts every subject at 100 and subtracts points for four patterns. Length outside 20-60 characters costs 20 points, because very short lines underperform and longer ones get truncated in mobile previews (most clients show roughly 30-50 characters before cutting off). A subject written entirely in capitals (and longer than five characters) costs 30 points, since shouting in all caps is a long-standing spam signal. Two or more consecutive ! or ? characters cost 15 points. Finally, each match against a built-in list of ten classic trigger words and phrases (free, guarantee, act now, click here, cash, winner, prize, viagra, casino, make money) costs 10 points. The matching is a plain case-insensitive substring check, so guarantee inside guaranteed still counts, and there is no detection of personalization, emojis, sender reputation, or modern Bayesian filtering. Treat the number as a quick sanity nudge toward shorter, calmer copy, then validate real deliverability with a seed-list test or a tool like Mail-Tester or GlockApps.

Common use cases

  • Quickly sanity-checking a newsletter subject before scheduling a campaign in Mailchimp or Klaviyo.

  • Trimming a subject line down to fit the roughly 30-50 character mobile preview window.

  • Catching an accidental ALL-CAPS subject that slipped in from a copied headline.

  • Spotting leftover '!!!' or '???' before a marketing blast goes out.

  • Teaching a junior marketer why words like 'FREE' and 'ACT NOW' have a spammy reputation.

  • A/B brainstorming two subject variants side by side to see which scores cleaner.

Frequently asked questions

Does a high score guarantee my email reaches the inbox?
No. This tool only checks four surface-level text patterns. Real deliverability depends on SPF, DKIM, DMARC authentication, sender reputation, list hygiene, and the recipient's spam filter, none of which this tool can see. Use it as a copy nudge, then test with a seed list or a service like Mail-Tester.
How is the score calculated?
Start at 100. Subtract 20 if the subject is under 20 or over 60 characters, 30 if it is entirely uppercase and longer than 5 characters, 15 if it contains two or more consecutive ! or ? marks, and 10 for each matched spam word. The result is clamped so it never drops below 0.
Which spam words does it check for?
A fixed list of ten: free, guarantee, act now, click here, cash, winner, prize, viagra, casino, and make money. The check is a case-insensitive substring match, so it is not a comprehensive or industry-standard spam dictionary, just common examples.
Why does the length check seem to disagree with the green check mark?
Two different ranges are used. The scoring penalty only kicks in below 20 or above 60 characters, while the checklist shows a green tick only for the tighter 30-50 character sweet spot. So a 25-character subject loses no points but still shows a caution icon.
Does it detect emojis, personalization, or clickbait?
No. There is no emoji handling, no merge-tag or first-name personalization detection, and no semantic clickbait analysis. It only measures raw length, caps, repeated punctuation, and the ten listed words.
Is my subject line sent anywhere?
No. The entire check runs locally in your browser with plain JavaScript. Nothing you type is uploaded, stored, or logged on a server.

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