Complex phase (CP) steels have very high ultimate tensile strengths, resulting from the use of specific alloying elements, which improve the hardenability but cause difficulties when applying a zinc coating by means of continuous hot‐dip galvanizing. The galvanizability of a cold rolled 1000MPa complex phase steel was investigated by monitoring the surface chemistry before dipping and evaluating the quality of the zinc coatings applied by a laboratory hot‐dipping simulator. Two steel compositions with different Cr levels were used. The influence of the most important production parameters, the annealing temperature and the dew point of the annealing atmosphere, was investigated. Both steel compositions were galvanizable, but both the surface appearance and zinc coating adhesion were improved when low Cr contents were used. At a low dew point of ‐30°C, Cr, Mn and Si segregated to the surface and the presence of Mn2SiO4 could be demonstrated. At high dew point of +10°C, less oxides were present at the steel surface. There was no effect of the annealing temperature on the coatability.