---
title: "Cold Email Checker: Grade Your Cold Email Free | Prosyo"
description: "Free cold email checker: grade length, readability, reader focus, opening line, call to action, links and spam words, with a specific fix for each."
url: "https://prosyo.com/nl/tools/cold-email-grader/"
image: "https://prosyo.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/cropped-Prosyo-Icon-Transparent-1.png"
language: "nl"
---

Free Tools

# Cold Email Grader

Grade a cold email on length, readability, “you” focus, links, call to action and spam risk.

Cold Email Grader Instant · free

## What is a cold email grader?

A cold email grader reviews your email the way an experienced outbound reviewer would, before a single prospect sees it. It checks the things that consistently separate cold emails that get replies from ones that get ignored: length, readability, how much the email is about the reader versus about you, the opening line, the call to action, links, spam-trigger words and paragraph length.

This free cold email grader gives your email a score out of 100 and a letter grade, shows the key numbers (word count, reading grade, reading ease and number of questions), and lists every check with a specific fix. Add your subject line and it is scored too, using the same rules as the [Subject Line Tester](https://prosyo.com/tools/subject-line-tester/). Everything runs in your browser; your copy is never uploaded.

## Key takeaways

- Keep first cold emails between 50 and 125 words.
- Aim for a reading grade of 8 or below, with short sentences.
- Write more about the reader (“you”) than about yourself (“we”).
- Open with something specific to them, never “I hope this finds you well”.
- End with one easy question, use no more than one link, and skip spam-trigger words.

## How to use the cold email grader

1. **Paste your subject line** (optional) and **the email body**. Keep merge fields such as `{{first_name}}` as they are.
2. **Press “Grade my email”.**
3. **Read the score and tiles**: words, reading grade, reading ease and questions.
4. **Work through the amber and red checks.** Each one says what to change.
5. **Grade again** after editing. Most emails gain 15 to 30 points in one rewrite.

## What the grader checks, and why

### Length: 50 to 125 words

Cold emails are read on phones, between meetings, by people who did not ask to hear from you. Short emails get read; long ones get skimmed or saved for a “later” that never comes. Between 50 and 125 words is enough for one specific observation, one clear reason to care and one question. Over 150 words costs significant points.

### Readability: grade 5 to 8

The grader estimates the Flesch-Kincaid reading grade and Flesch reading ease from sentence length and syllables per word. Lower grades mean easier reading. Plain, short sentences are not “dumbing down”; they are respect for a busy reader’s attention. Aim for a reading grade of 8 or below and average sentences under 20 words.

### “You” focus

The grader counts “you” and “your” against “I”, “we”, “our” and “us”. Cold emails that talk mostly about the sender (“We are a leading provider… our platform… we help…”) read like brochures. Emails about the reader’s situation read like a conversation. Aim for more “you” than “we”.

### The opening line

The first line is also the inbox preview text. Generic openers such as “I hope this email finds you well”, “My name is…” or “I am reaching out because…” waste it. The grader flags them. Open instead with something specific to the reader: a post they wrote, a role they are hiring for, a product they launched, a problem common to their situation.

### One clear question

The best cold emails end with one low-effort question: “Worth a short chat next week?”, “Is this a priority this quarter?”, “Who handles this at Acme?”. The grader checks that your final paragraph asks something. A statement ending (“Let me know if you are interested”) gives the reader nothing easy to answer.

### Links: one at most

Every link asks a stranger to click, and links (especially several, or shortened ones) are a spam signal for many filters. The first email works best with no links; if you need one, link to your own domain.

### Spam-trigger words

Words like “free”, “guaranteed”, “act now” and “click here” make cold email read like promotion. The grader flags them; the [Spam Word Checker](https://prosyo.com/tools/spam-word-checker/) highlights each one and suggests alternatives.

### Paragraphs

Walls of text are hard to read on a phone. Keep paragraphs to one to three sentences, with a blank line between them. Paragraphs over 60 words are flagged.

## How to read your score

| Score | Grade | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 85 to 100 | A–B | Ready to send. The structure is right; results now depend on targeting and relevance. |
| 65 to 84 | B–C | Good, with a few tweaks. Usually one or two clear fixes. |
| Below 65 | D–F | Rewrite before sending. Typically too long, too much about you, or no clear ask. |

The score measures structure and style against cold email best practice. It cannot judge whether your offer fits the person, which matters more than anything else on this page.

## A cold email structure that works

1. **Observation (1 sentence):** something specific and true about them. “Saw Acme just opened a London office.”
2. **Relevance (1–2 sentences):** why that matters, framed around a common problem. “Teams expanding into a new region usually need first meetings before the local team is fully hired.”
3. **What you do (1 sentence):** plainly, without adjectives. “We help sales teams book first meetings from LinkedIn and email without adding headcount.”
4. **Ask (1 sentence):** one easy question. “Worth a short chat next week?”

That is four or five sentences, usually 50 to 90 words, and it scores well here because it is short, readable, about them and ends with a question.

## Before and after

**Before** (around 40/100):

*Hi Priya, I hope this email finds you well. My name is Sam and I am the founder of SalesCo, a leading AI-powered sales engagement platform trusted by hundreds of companies worldwide. Our revolutionary platform helps businesses like yours increase sales and boost revenue with cutting-edge automation, advanced analytics and seamless integrations with all major CRMs. I would love to schedule a 30-minute demo to show you how we can transform your sales process. Check out our website at https://… and our case studies at https://…. Let me know if you are interested!*

**After** (around 90/100):

*Hi Priya, saw Acme is hiring two SDRs this quarter. Teams at that stage often spend months ramping before new hires book meetings consistently. We help sales teams get first meetings from LinkedIn and email while the team is still growing. Worth a short chat next week?*

The rewrite is a third of the length, opens with Priya’s situation instead of the sender, removes every superlative and both links, and ends with one easy question.

## Common reasons cold emails score badly

- **Starting with yourself.** Move your introduction to the end, or remove it; your signature already says who you are.
- **Listing features.** Pick the one outcome most relevant to this person.
- **Asking for too much.** A 30-minute demo is a big ask from a stranger; a short chat or a yes/no question is not.
- **Adding proof links.** Save case studies for the follow-up or the reply.
- **Template smell.** If the email would make sense sent to anyone, it will be treated like it was.

## Grading follow-ups

Follow-ups should be even shorter: 20 to 70 words, adding one new reason to reply each time (a different angle, a useful resource, a sharper question) rather than “just checking in”. Grade each step of your sequence separately. The AI [Follow-Up Generator](https://prosyo.com/tools/follow-up-generator/) writes options that add something new.

## Opening lines that work, by source of insight

| What you know | Opening line example |
| --- | --- |
| A LinkedIn post they wrote | “Your post about SDRs spending half their week on research stuck with me.” |
| A job opening | “Saw Acme is hiring a Head of Partnerships.” |
| Funding news | “Congrats on the Series A; the plan to double the sales team caught my eye.” |
| A product launch | “Noticed Acme Insights launched last week.” |
| A tool they use | “Teams moving from spreadsheets to a CRM often hit this…” (avoid naming their stack if it would feel intrusive) |
| A shared context | “We both spoke at SaaStr London.” |
| Only their role and industry | “Heads of sales at logistics companies keep telling us the same thing about…” |

The last row is the weakest, but it is still far better than a generic greeting because it shows you understand their world. The AI [Icebreaker Generator](https://prosyo.com/tools/linkedin-icebreaker-generator/) writes options from whatever context you have.

## Calls to action, from easiest to hardest

1. **Interest check**: “Is this on your radar this quarter?”
2. **Referral**: “Who handles this at Acme?”
3. **Permission**: “Mind if I send a two-minute video showing how?”
4. **Short call**: “Worth 15 minutes next week?”
5. **Demo**: “Can I show you a 30-minute demo?”

The easier the ask, the more replies you get. Many teams use an interest check or permission ask in the first email and save the meeting ask for when the prospect replies.

## Grading a whole sequence

Grade each step separately, then read the sequence top to bottom as the prospect would:

- Does every step add something new, or repeat the first email?
- Do follow-ups get shorter rather than longer?
- Is there a clear final step that closes the loop politely?
- Would the sequence make sense if the prospect only read one email?
- Is the spacing reasonable, with a few days between steps?

The AI [Sequence Generator](https://prosyo.com/tools/outreach-sequence-generator/) builds a complete LinkedIn and email sequence you can then grade step by step.

## Plain text beats designed emails for cold outreach

Cold emails should look like a message from one person to another: plain text, no logos, no images, no buttons, no colourful signatures. Designed HTML emails look like marketing, are more likely to be filtered as promotions, and often load tracking images that privacy features block anyway. A simple signature with your name, role, company and website is enough.

## Six short cold email templates that grade well

Each one is under 90 words, opens with the reader, says plainly what you do and ends with one easy question. Replace the bracketed parts with real, specific details; a template that could be sent to anyone will be treated like it was.

### 1. The trigger email

*Hi {{first_name}}, saw [company] is [hiring X / opening a new office / launching Y]. Teams at that point usually [common challenge]. We help [role] [specific outcome] without [common cost]. Worth a short chat next week?*

### 2. The post reply

*Hi {{first_name}}, your post about [topic] made a point I rarely see: [their point]. We see the same with [similar companies]: [one-sentence insight]. We built [product] to [outcome]. Curious whether it matches what you are seeing?*

### 3. The peer problem

*Hi {{first_name}}, most [role]s at [industry] companies we talk to say [specific problem] eats [time or money]. We help them [outcome] in [timeframe]. Is that a priority for [company] this quarter?*

### 4. The referral ask

*Hi {{first_name}}, I am trying to reach whoever owns [area] at [company]. We help teams [outcome]. Would that be you, or could you point me to the right person?*

### 5. The resource offer

*Hi {{first_name}}, we put together [a short checklist / a 2-minute video] on [topic] for [role]s at companies like [company]. Want me to send it over?*

### 6. The final follow-up

*Hi {{first_name}}, I have not heard back, so I will assume [topic] is not a priority right now. If that changes, just reply here and I will pick it up. Thanks either way.*

## Deliverability comes first

A perfect email is useless if it lands in spam. Before you send, check your sending domain with the [Domain Health Checker](https://prosyo.com/tools/domain-health-checker/), clean your list with the [Email Verifier](https://prosyo.com/tools/email-verifier/), and plan sensible daily volumes with the [Volume and Inbox Calculator](https://prosyo.com/tools/cold-email-volume-calculator/).

## How Prosyo helps

Prosyo researches every prospect first and writes each opener from what they actually posted, said or did, so emails start specific instead of generic. It runs LinkedIn and email in one sequence from your own accounts, stops when someone replies and drafts every answer with your meeting link. [Start a 7-day free trial](https://prosyo.com/pricing/), no card required.

## Related free tools

These tools are often used together with the Cold Email Grader. All of them are free, and the checkers and calculators run instantly in your browser.

- [Cold Email Generator](https://prosyo.com/tools/cold-email-generator/): Get three short, specific cold emails with subject lines, written by AI from your offer and audience.
- [Subject Line Tester](https://prosyo.com/tools/subject-line-tester/): Score a cold email subject line and preview it in desktop and phone inboxes.
- [Spam Word Checker](https://prosyo.com/tools/spam-word-checker/): Highlight every spam-trigger word in your email by category, with plainer alternatives.
- [Icebreaker Generator](https://prosyo.com/tools/linkedin-icebreaker-generator/): Personal opening lines from whatever you know about a prospect, written by AI.

## Frequently asked questions

### How long should a cold email be?

Between 50 and 125 words for a first email: one specific observation, one reason to care and one question. Follow-ups can be shorter.

### What reading level should a cold email have?

Grade 8 or below, with average sentences under 20 words. Easy reading gets more replies from busy people reading on phones.

### How should a cold email start?

With something specific to the reader, such as a recent post, a hire, a launch or a common problem in their situation. Avoid openers like I hope this finds you well or My name is.

### What is the best call to action for a cold email?

One low-effort question, such as Worth a short chat next week? or Is this a priority this quarter? Avoid asking for a long demo in the first email.

### Should I put links in a cold email?

Preferably none in the first email, or one link to your own domain. Several links look promotional and can hurt deliverability.

### Should I personalise every cold email?

At least the first line. A specific opening based on something real about the person or company lifts replies far more than inserting a first name. If you cannot find anything specific, write to a clearly defined segment with a problem they share.

### How many follow-ups should a cold email sequence have?

Commonly two to four after the first email, spaced a few days apart, each shorter than the last and each adding something new. Always stop when someone replies.

### What score should a cold email get before I send it?

Aim for 85 or above on this grader. That means the structure is right: short, readable, about the reader and ending with a clear question. After that, results depend on targeting and relevance.

### Is my email stored when I grade it?

No. The grader runs entirely in your browser, and nothing you paste is sent to our servers.

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