No one likes to receive spam emails. They will do all they can to prevent or reduce the amounts of spam emails that can get through their inbox.
Spam Filter Rules
Users of popular email providers such as Gmail and Yahoo! Mail can ease their mind as those providers will take care the spam filter.
Other users who use self-hosting emails on their own server will setup their own spam filter. One of the most popular spam filter that they most likely use is SpamAssassin. SpamAssassin is an Open Source anti-spam platform, a project of the Apache Software Foundation (ASF).
SpamAssassin will scan incoming emails before it reaches inbox and analyse it against their spam filter rules. Each rules will add points or scores to the emails. Once the scores total exceed the maximum score allowed, SpamAssassin will mark the emails as Spam.
The emails that SpamAssassin considers as spam will get ***SPAM*** stamp inserted to the email's subject. It can looks very bad for your online store if your innocent emails get those 'spam' stamp inserted to the email subjects.
According to the SpamAssassin Rules details that is released on PCCC site, below I compile some possible common emails from an online store that can be marked as spam if they contain the suspicious words. Avoid using those suspicious words on your online store emails to reduce the chance of your emails be marked as spam.
Words to avoid on Gift Cards Emails
The rule name: KAM_GIFT
The rule description: Gift Card Scams
Score: 3.5
Words to avoid on your online shop's gift cards emails' body:
- activate my
- best price
- card will be yours free
- claim my credit
- claim your free
- complimentary gift(s) card
- do you need a new
- enter promo code
- extra deals
- member incentive program
- offering you this
- promotional points
- redeem before
- shopping online
- sign up today
- to unsubscribe from this
- your customer id
Words to avoid on your online shop's gift cards emails' header (the sender's info / the 'from' info):
- coupon
- exclusive
- gift card
- reward
- voucher
Words to avoid on Gift Certificate Emails
The rule name: KAM_GIFTCERT
The rule description: Gift Certificate Spams
Score: 1.5
Words to avoid on your online shop's gift certificate emails' body and header:
- gift certificate
- our gift to you
Words to avoid on Password Validation Emails
The rule name: KAM_PASSWORD
The rule description: Message tries to phish for password
Score: 1.5
Words to avoid on your online shop's password validation emails' body and header:
- password
- validate your email
Words to avoid on Invoice Emails
The rule name: KAM_INVOICE
The rule description: Spam for invoices
Score: 4.5
Words to avoid on your online shop's invoice emails' body and header:
- billing
- invoice
- past due
Words to avoid on Account Emails (Registration Email, Order Info / Confirmation Email, etc.)
The rule name: KAM_ACCOUNTPHISH
The rule description: Spam that tries to get account information
Score: 4.0
Words to avoid on your online shop's account emails' header:
- acknowledgment
- activate
- buying from
- click to activate
- document
- download failed
- help desk
- notification message
- of order
- order confirm
- order status
- recover
- status approved
- update your
- your account
- your order
Words to avoid on your online shop's account emails' body:
- account confirmed
- billing information
- claim your order
- complete your account
- detailed order
- fill the form
- for activation
- order details
- order information
- personal data
- problems with your
- update your account
- update your information
