What does it mean when an email has a high spam score?
Tags: spam, email, hosting
Published: 2023-09-23 12:41:15

In today's digital age, email communication is a fundamental part of our daily lives. From personal conversations to critical business correspondence, we rely on email for a wide range of purposes. However, there's one common nuisance that we all encounter from time to time: spam emails. These unsolicited messages clutter our inboxes and can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from legitimate emails. To help users identify and filter out spam, email services use a scoring system known as a "spam score." But what exactly does it mean when an email has a high spam score? Let's dive into the world of spam filtering and email security to find out.

## Understanding the Spam Score
An email spam score is a specific number that is assigned to each email indicating the characterization and category of that particular email whether it is spam or not, and the likelihood of your email being delivered to the inbox of your recipients. It was recently introduced in 2015 but it is not the only factor that helps clean or identify spam.

## Common Factors That Contribute to a High Spam Score
Several factors can cause an email to receive a high spam score:

**1. Suspicious Sender Information**
If the sender's email address appears untrustworthy or uses deceptive techniques, such as misspelling a well-known domain, the spam score goes up.

**2. Spammy Subject Lines**
Emails with subject lines that contain excessive capitalization, special characters, or phrases commonly associated with spam (e.g., "Get Rich Quick!") are more likely to have a high spam score.

**3. Content and Language**
The actual content of the email is crucial. Emails containing phishing attempts, malicious links, or inappropriate content are flagged as spam.

**4. Attachments and File Types**
Attachments that are executable files or uncommon file types may trigger a high spam score.

**5. Sending Patterns**
Unusually high email sending rates from a specific sender or IP address can raise suspicions.

**6. Blacklisted Sources**
If the sender's domain or IP address is listed on email blacklists, it can significantly increase the spam score.

## The Impact of a High Spam Score
When an email has a high spam score, it faces several consequences:

**1. Diverted to Spam Folder**
Emails with high spam scores are often redirected to the recipient's spam or junk folder rather than the primary inbox.

**2. Risk of Being Deleted**
In some cases, emails with exceptionally high spam scores may be automatically deleted by the email provider to protect users from potential threats.

**3. Reduced Deliverability**
Emails with high spam scores can negatively impact the sender's reputation, potentially leading to reduced deliverability for future emails.

## Protecting Your Emails from SPAM
Thobson offers different [spam solutions](https://thobson.com/spam-solutions) to stop spam from bothering your emails. Just like CudaConnect, Security Gateway, and Barracuda, we use smart filters to keep your inbox clean and safe. Our strong security checks, tips for users, and a special quarantine system protect your emails from spam and scams. When you pick CudaConnect, you're choosing an easy way to keep your emails secure in today's digital world.

A high spam score indicates that your message is regarded as junk mail and isn’t likely to make it to your recipient’s inbox. On the other hand, a low score means that your message is perceived as trustworthy and will arrive at its intended destination. Your spam score is determined by individual spam filters, and there is no standard set of criteria used to arrive at this number. Consequently, your score and your chances of delivery might differ somewhat from one service to the next.

You can always check your spam scores on any emails in Outlook or Webmail or absolutely any email client that you use this is a common practice.  Here are some tips that might help you avoid being marked as spam:

1. Use a reputable email service provider.
2. Keep your email list clean and up-to-date.
3. Use double opt-in.
4. Avoid using URL shorteners.
5. Use a recognizable sender name and email address.
6. Avoid using spam trigger words or excessive linking.
7. Refine your email content.
8. Set up proper email authentication.