Spot the AI Email: 10 Ways to Tell If a Promotional Email Was Written by a Bot

Quick Hook: Inbox Overload? Learn 10 fast ways to spot AI-written or low-quality marketing emails

Too many product choices and not enough time — that’s the daily inbox reality for shoppers in 2026. Marketers use AI to scale messages, and bad actors use it to spoof offers. The result: decision fatigue, misleading pitches, and inbox trust erosion. This guide gives a practical, shopper-focused checklist you can use right now to tell if a promotional email was written by a bot — and how to find the trustworthy offers that are actually worth your time.

Why this matters in 2026 (short version)

Recent platform moves — like Google's rollout of Gemini 3–powered features in Gmail — mean inboxes are smarter at summarizing and filtering messages. At the same time, mass-produced AI copy, sometimes called "slop", has flooded email streams and can reduce engagement or trick consumers. Knowing the telltale signs of AI-generated or low-quality emails helps you avoid scams, spot authentic deals, and save time.

"Slop — digital content of low quality produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence." — Merriam‑Webster, 2025 Word of the Year

How to use this article

This is an inverted-pyramid checklist: most important tips first, then detailed checks, then quick actions. Each of the 10 signs below includes a one-line summary, what to look for, and a simple action you can take in under a minute.

Top 10 ways to tell if a promotional email was written by a bot

1. 1. Subject and preview feel generic or overly optimized

   AI-generated subject lines often lean on high-engagement templates: urgency triggers, too-good-to-be-true offers, or overused personalization tokens (like "Hey {FirstName} — 70% OFF"). They can be clickbait-y and repetitive across different senders.

   Look for: Vague urgency ("Last chance!!!"), repeated punctuation ("!!!"), or suspicious personalization tokens that didn't populate correctly.

   Quick action: Hover (don’t open) in desktop or long-press on mobile to preview without triggering tracking. If it smells like clickbait, skip it.

2. 2. Sender name and email address don’t match brand identity

   Scammers and sloppy automated campaigns sometimes use familiar brand names but a strange reply‑to address (e.g., deals@brand-promo-mailer.net). The displayed sender name can be branded while the real email is not.

   Look for: Mismatch between the friendly sender name and the sending domain; misspelled brand domains (brand.shop vs brandshop); free email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo) for supposedly corporate senders.

   Quick action: Tap the sender to reveal the full address. If it’s not the official domain shown on the company’s website, treat it as suspicious.

3. 3. Links are shortened, obfuscated, or use unrelated domains

   AI tools can assemble email bodies quickly but fail to supervise link hygiene. Shortened links or unexpected redirect domains are red flags for phishing.

   Look for: Bit.ly or tinyurl links, multi-step redirects, and domain names with extra words or characters (brand-offer-check.com).

   Quick action: Long-press (mobile) or hover (desktop) to preview the URL. If it doesn’t point to the merchant’s verified domain, don’t click.

4. 4. The copy is vague, repetitive, or stuffed with keywords

   AI-produced content can be grammatically correct but hollow — lots of adjectives, generic promises, and thin specifics ("amazing deal," "limited time,") without real value details.

   Look for: Repetition, lack of concrete numbers (no product model, no coupon code details), or obvious fill-in-the-blanks phrasing.

   Quick action: Search the email text (copy a sentence into your browser). If the same paragraph appears across dozens of domains, it’s likely mass‑generated — a pattern we've seen discussed in work connecting clearance strategies and AI-driven copy.

5. 5. Inconsistent branding, low-res images, or images-only emails

   High-quality brands maintain consistent visual identity and accessible text. AI or low-effort campaigns sometimes send images with no alt text or use stock photos that don't match the product.

   Look for: Blurry logos, mismatched colors, missing alt text (images-only = cannot read without loading external resources), or generic stock photos with odd filenames.

   Quick action: Disable image loading in settings and read the text-only version. If there’s no readable text, treat it as low-quality or risky.

6. 6. Overemphasis on urgency + pressure to act outside normal channels

   Scams and hot-take AI promos use panic to break rational checks. Phrases like "Only 2 left — click now" combined with directives to pay on a nonstandard page are classic phishing tactics.

   Look for: Immediate deadlines, pressure to reply with personal info, or ask to send payments via nonstandard methods (gift cards, crypto).

   Quick action: If you want the deal, go directly to the brand’s official website or verified app — don’t follow the email’s payment flow.

7. 7. Strange personalization or false familiarity

   AI can stitch together personal details from data, but sometimes it gets the context wrong — referencing purchases you never made or odd events ("Thanks for buying shoes — here's cookware").

   Look for: Wrong product names, incorrect city, or unnatural references to recent browsing that don't match your activity.

   Quick action: If the email claims to reference an account, log in to the brand’s site directly (not via the email link) and check recent orders and communications.

8. 8. Fake awards, nonexistent partnerships, or made-up testimonials

   AI can fabricate awards, badges, or influencer quotes. Low-quality campaigns often display impressive-sounding endorsements that can’t be verified.

   Look for: Vague award names, no link to the awarding body, or testimonials with no verifiable identity.

   Quick action: Search the award or partnership name. If there’s no credible source backing the claim, don’t trust the offer.

9. 9. Missing or broken legal and contact information

   Reputable brands include a physical address, privacy policy links, and an unsubscribe mechanism. AI or mass‑generated spam often forgets these items or includes broken links.

   Look for: No physical address, dead unsubscribe links, or no contact phone/CSR email. The unsubscribe link that redirects to a form asking for details is a red flag (it could be harvesting data).

   Quick action: Try the unsubscribe link in a controlled way — or better yet, manage subscriptions through your account page on the brand's official site.

10. 10. Mismatched reply behavior and automation artifacts

    AI emails often have weird reply-to behavior: automated auto-replies, bounce messages that don’t match the sender, or a reply address that forwards to a third party.

    Look for: Nonfunctional reply addresses (no-reply@…), bounce messages to different domains, or quick, generic automated replies after you contact them.

    Quick action: Call the brand’s verified customer service number or use live chat on their official site to validate the message — and maintain a quick checklist or routine like a weekly planning/template to manage your shopping inbox without impulse clicks.

Practical checks you can run in under 2 minutes

• Reveal the full sender address and compare to the brand’s official domain.
• Hover/preview links without clicking — check the actual destination URL.
• Search a suspicious sentence in quotes to find duplicate use across the web.
• Open the brand’s site or app directly and look for the same deal.
• Turn off images and read the text-only version; if it’s empty, be cautious.

What a trustworthy promotional email usually shows

Not all AI-written emails are bad — many reputable brands use AI to scale communications responsibly. Here’s what authentic, high-quality promotional emails typically include:

• Sender uses a verified company domain and consistent branding.
• Clear, specific offer details (product model, coupon code, expiration time with time zone).
• Valid contact info: a working support email, phone number, and physical address.
• Functional unsubscribe link and links that go directly to the brand’s domain or recognized partners.
• Signed by a human (customer success manager, marketing contact) or at least an explicitly monitored address.

Deeper dive: How modern inbox AI and marketing AI are changing the game (2025–2026)

By late 2025 and into 2026, inbox providers like Google started integrating advanced models (e.g., Gemini 3) that summarize messages and surface important actions. That helps users skim faster but also encourages marketers to produce cleaner, human-reviewed content — the kind of publishing and review process discussed in longer playbooks on modular publishing workflows. On the flip side, AI copy generators can create large volumes of similar emails, increasing "slop" in the ecosystem (clearance + AI patterns).

Regulators and platforms are increasingly pushing for transparency. Expect more labeling, watermarks, and platform-level features that highlight auto-generated content in 2026. For shoppers, that means a short-term period where both smarter filters and more mass-produced emails coexist — making your personal detection skills still essential.

Short case study: How a quick check saved a shopper from a scam

Anna got an email claiming to be from a major appliance brand offering a "Factory-Refurb TV — 70% off — Today Only!" The subject used aggressive urgency, the sender was "Brand Deals" but the address was brand-promo2026@gmail.com, and the link pointed to a foreign domain with multiple redirects. Anna hovered the link, searched the company site and found no such deal. She reported the email and saved herself from losing money.

Tools and features that help (what to use in 2026)

• Gmail and other major providers' AI summaries and spam labels — use them, but don’t rely on them exclusively. See how Gmail’s rewrite features are influencing design and trust signals (read more).
• Built-in preview/hover features — preview links and sender details before clicking.
• Reputation lookups — a quick search for the sender domain or the deal text often reveals scam reports or duplicates.
• Two-factor verification on shopping accounts — prevents account takeover even if you accidentally click a link. Combine this with secure habits and traveler-focused security tips (practical security guides).
• Browser safe-browsing and link scanners — use when you must visit an unfamiliar URL.

Advanced strategies for cautious shoppers

If you’re regularly targeted (or you manage a household inbox), add these steps to your routine:

• Whitelist: Subscribe only to trusted brands and use a dedicated shopping email address for marketing sign-ups.
• Inbox rules: Auto-filter newsletters into a "Shopping" folder to process them in batches and reduce impulse clicks.
• Verify offers on social channels: Brands often post deals on verified social profiles — cross-check there.
• Use a password manager: It can help detect fake login pages by refusing to autofill credentials on unrecognized domains.

What to do if you think an email is a scam

1. Don’t click links or download attachments.
2. Forward the email to the brand’s verified fraud/abuse address (check official website).
3. Report phishing to your email provider (Gmail/Outlook/etc.) and to government consumer protection pages if applicable.
4. Delete the email and consider blocking the sender if it's persistent.
5. If you already clicked and entered info, change passwords, enable MFA, and contact your bank if financial details were shared.

Printable 10‑point inbox checklist (copyable)

• 1. Check sender domain vs brand site
• 2. Preview links before clicking
• 3. Read for vague, repetitive copy
• 4. Verify personalization accuracy
• 5. Confirm offer on brand’s official site
• 6. Look for legit contact info and physical address
• 7. Avoid images-only emails — disable images and read text
• 8. Search suspicious sentences in quotes for duplicates
• 9. Watch for fake awards/testimonials
• 10. Use trusted payment methods and never send gift cards or crypto

Future predictions — inbox authenticity through 2028

Expect continued platform pressure for transparency. By 2027–2028 we’ll likely see clearer marks for AI-generated content, stronger sender authentication standards, and more consumer tools to verify claims automatically. For shoppers, the best defense will be simple: insist on verifiable details, prefer direct-to-brand channels for purchases, and keep using these practical checks.

Final quick takeaways

• AI in marketing is not inherently bad, but mass-produced, unreviewed copy lowers trust and hides scams.
• Use the 10-point checklist as your first filter — it only takes a minute to weed out most risky emails.
• When in doubt, go straight to the brand’s verified site or contact their official support.

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If you found this checklist useful, make it stick: copy the 10‑point checklist to your notes app or print it and keep it near your inbox. Sign up for our weekly inbox‑trust newsletter to get short, practical checks and alerts about the latest phishing trends and AI slop cleanup tips. Stay safe, save time, and keep the real deals coming.

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