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Cold Email Grader
Paste your cold email and subject line. Get a score out of 100 and exactly what to fix before you hit send.
Send it
- Length. 65 words. Short enough to read on a phone in one go.
- About them. “You” 3× vs “I/we” 1×. It's about the reader.
- Opening line. The first line isn't a throat-clear. Good.
- One clear ask. Ends on one clear question.
- Easy to read. Reading ease 81: plain English.
- Skimmable. Short paragraphs that read well on a phone.
- Links. No links. Easy for the reader, and nothing to click away to.
- No hype words. No words that read like an ad.
- Specific. Has a name, merge field or number that makes it specific.
Subject line: 90/100
- Specific. Make it about them: add their name or company (e.g. {{company}}) or a specific number.
How the cold email grader works
It scores the body of your email on nine checks worth 100 points: length (20), about them (15, “you” vs “I/we”), opening line (15), one clear ask (15), easy to read (10, Flesch Reading Ease), skimmable (10), links (5), no hype words (5) and specific (5). If you add a subject line, it runs our subject line checklist too and counts it for 20% of the final score.
Fix it in this order
Start with the opening line and the ask. They decide whether someone reads past the preview and whether they know what to do next. Then cut length. A cold email that gets a reply usually turns into a call, so have your cold calling scripts ready.
Read next
- Cold email subject line tester
- Follow up email to sales call: 7 templates that get replies
- Cold calling scripts: 12 openers for different sales situations
Frequently asked questions
How long should a cold email be?
Our checklist gives full marks to 50 to 125 words: enough to show you did your homework and say what you do, short enough to read on a phone without scrolling. Go longer only when your own reply data says it works for your market.
What makes a cold email get a reply?
It's about the reader, opens with something specific to them, says what you do in one or two plain sentences, and ends with one easy question. The grader checks each of those.
What is a bad way to open a cold email?
A throat-clear: “My name is…”, “I hope this finds you well”, “I'm reaching out because…”. The first line shows up in the inbox preview, so spend it on them: a trigger like a new hire or expansion, a result, or a specific observation.
What is reading ease?
The Flesch Reading Ease score, a standard formula based on sentence length and syllables per word. Higher is easier. We aim for 60 or above, which reads as plain English.
Is my email saved?
No. The grader runs in your browser. Nothing is stored unless you choose to email the results to yourself.
Does a high score guarantee replies?
No. The score is our editorial checklist, not a prediction. Targeting the right person and having a real reason to reach out matter more than any wording. Test with your own sends.
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