How the cold email grader scores your email
Nine checks add up to 100 points. Each one looks for a pattern that decides whether a stranger reads a cold email or deletes it. Every check that falls short comes with a suggested fix.
| Check | Points | What earns them |
|---|---|---|
| Opening line | 10 | A first line built on something specific about the reader, such as a hire or a launch. Openers like "I hope this email finds you well" or "my name is" lose points. |
| Personalisation | 10 | Merge fields such as {{company}} in the body, with extra credit for one in the subject line. |
| Length | 15 | 35 to 75 words after the greeting. Under 15 words or over 150 scores close to nothing. |
| Subject line | 15 | Four words or fewer. Generic subjects such as "quick question" and ALL CAPS lose most of the points. |
| Call to action | 15 | One low-effort question, such as "Worth a quick chat?". Asking for a 30-minute call or asking several questions costs points. |
| Language focus | 10 | More "you" and "your" than "I" and "we". |
| Value and proof | 10 | A concrete result (a number or a named outcome) plus proof you have delivered it for someone else. Buzzwords like "best-in-class" cost points. |
| Deliverability | 10 | No spam trigger words, HTML, ALL CAPS words or stray links. Calendar, LinkedIn and Loom links are fine. More than one exclamation mark costs a point. |
| Readability | 5 | Short sentences, plain words and at least two short paragraphs. |
What the grades mean
- A+: 90 to 100 points
- A: 80 to 89 points
- B: 70 to 79 points
- C: 60 to 69 points
- D: 45 to 59 points
- F: below 45 points
Aim for 80 or more before a sequence goes out. Below 45 the grader tells you not to send, because an email that weak is more likely to hurt your sender reputation than to get a reply.
Questions about the grader
Is the cold email grader free?
Yes. The score, the grade and every fix appear as you type, with no account and no email address needed. The only form on the page is optional and sends our cold email templates to your inbox.
Do you store the email I paste?
No. The scoring runs in your browser, so your subject line and body never reach our servers. If you ask for the templates, we receive your email address along with your score and grade.
What is a good score for a cold email?
80 or higher (an A) means the grader found no major problem. Between 60 and 79 there is usually one weak check to fix, most often the subject line or the call to action.
Does a high score guarantee replies?
No. The grader reads the copy. Replies also depend on who is on your list, when the email lands and whether it reaches the inbox at all. Check your sending setup with the deliverability grader before you send.
Why does the grader mark links down?
Links in a first cold email make it look like a campaign and give spam filters one more thing to score. Calendar, LinkedIn and Loom links pass because people expect them.
Want the copy written for you? See how we write outbound messaging.