# Writing for Outlook

> The strict rules for cold emails sent from Outlook inboxes, with good and bad examples and a plain explanation of spintax.

Source: https://docs.maildeck.co/deliverability/writing-for-outlook/

**Outlook inboxes need short, plain-text emails with no links, no images and no tracking.** Microsoft checks every
message before it delivers it, and it is the strictest of the big providers. Follow the rules below and Outlook gives
you lots of affordable volume. Break them and the inbox gets flagged quickly.

## The rules

| Rule | Why |
|---|---|
| **No open tracking** | Open tracking adds a tiny invisible image (a "pixel") to every email. Outlook spots it before delivery and treats the email as marketing. Turn it off in your sequencer. |
| **No links** | Microsoft's link scanner checks every link in the body. Any link raises the risk of the email being marked. |
| **No images** | Not in the body and not in your signature. Same reason as links. |
| **No prices or "$"** | Dollar signs and money language read as a sales pitch to spam filters. |
| **Keep it short** | About 50 words for the body. Write it like a text message, not a brochure. |
| **Vary your wording** | Use spintax (explained below) so no two emails are identical. |
| **Leave gaps between sends** | Don't fire emails from one inbox back to back. The Cold Email Bible uses at least 61 minutes between sends from the same inbox. |

Two more from the Cold Email Bible:

- **Don't target Outlook with Outlook.** Sending from Outlook inboxes to prospects who also use Outlook (called "ESP
  matching") burns Outlook inboxes fast. Split your list by the provider your prospects use, and send Outlook-hosted
  prospects from Google or SMTP inboxes instead.
- **"Flaggable" means rewrite.** If your sequencer's spam check marks your copy as flaggable, rewrite it from scratch.
  Small edits won't fix it.

> **Note: Google is more relaxed**
> These rules are for Outlook. Google Workspace inboxes can usually handle a link, open tracking and longer emails.
> If you send from both, write a separate Outlook version.

## Good and bad examples

**Bad: too long, has a link, a price and marketing language**

> Hi Sarah, I hope this email finds you well! I wanted to reach out because our award-winning platform helps companies
> like yours increase revenue by 47%. Plans start at just $49/month. Check out our case studies here:
> www.example.com/case-studies. Would you be available for a 30-minute call this week?

**Good: short, plain, one easy question**

> Saw you're hiring BDRs.
>
> Helped a SaaS company replace their SDR team with outbound automation, booked 41 calls in 21 days.
>
> Can show you in 3 mins if it's relevant.

That's under 50 words, with no links, no images and no prices. It sounds like a person wrote it, and the ask is easy
to answer.

### Subject lines

Keep them short, lowercase and human. They should look like an email from a colleague, not a newsletter.

| Sounds human | Sounds like marketing |
|---|---|
| quick q | Increase Revenue by 47% |
| idea, Sarah | Free Trial Available Now |
| ops hire still open? | Exclusive Offer for Acme |
| still looking for SDRs? | Partnership Opportunity |

## What spintax is

Spam filters notice when thousands of emails are word-for-word the same. **Spintax** fixes that: you write several
options for a word or phrase, and your sequencer picks one at random for each email.

You write the options in curly brackets, separated by a straight line. For example:

```txt
{Hey|Hi|Hello} {{firstName}}, {noticed|saw|came across} {your|the} {recent|latest} hiring post.
```

That one line can produce, among others:

```txt
Hey Sarah, noticed your recent hiring post.
Hi Sarah, saw the latest hiring post.
Hello Sarah, came across your recent hiring post.
```

For Outlook, the rule of thumb is to vary **every 2 to 3 words**, including your signature. Check your sequencer's
help pages for its exact spintax format, as tools differ slightly. `{{firstName}}` is a merge tag (a placeholder your
sequencer fills in from your lead list), not spintax.

> **Tip**
> Spintax that changes the meaning is a mistake. Every option should read naturally and say the same thing.

## Quick checklist before you hit send

- Open tracking off and link tracking off in your sequencer.
- No links, no images, no signature logo.
- No "$", no prices, no "free" or "guarantee".
- Body about 50 words, one simple question at the end.
- Spintax on most phrases, including the signature.
- List checked with [EmailShield](https://docs.maildeck.co/leads-verification/emailshield/) and split so Outlook prospects aren't sent from
  Outlook.

## Related

  - [Follow-ups](https://docs.maildeck.co/deliverability/follow-ups/): What to send after the first email.
  - [Safe sending limits](https://docs.maildeck.co/deliverability/sending-limits/): Daily numbers per inbox type.
  - [Inbox types](https://docs.maildeck.co/plans/inbox-types/): Where Outlook fits in your stack.
  - [Common errors](https://docs.maildeck.co/deliverability/common-errors/): If emails start landing in spam.