Block a sender directly from your inbox
The fastest way to block an email address in Yahoo Mail is to open the message and use the block button. Open the email from the sender you want to block, then look for the three dots (more options menu) in the top right corner of the message. Click it, and you will see "Block sender" as one of the choices. Click that option, and Yahoo will move all future emails from that address to your spam folder automatically.
Once you block a sender, Yahoo will not show you a notification that their emails arrived. The messages go straight to spam, and you will not see them in your inbox unless you check the spam folder itself. This works for individual email addresses only — if someone sends you mail from a different address, that new address is not automatically blocked.
Key Takeaways
- You can block a sender by opening their email, clicking the three-dot menu, and selecting "Block sender."
- Blocked emails go to your spam folder, and you will not see notifications that they arrived.
- Blocking works on a per-address basis, so a sender using a different email address will not be blocked.
- You can unblock a sender at any time by going to Settings, finding the blocked list, and removing their address.
- If someone is harassing you across multiple addresses, you may need to block each one separately or report them to Yahoo.
Block a sender from the spam folder
If an email has already landed in your spam folder, you can block that sender without opening the message. Go to your spam folder, find the email, and hover over it. A checkbox and a trash icon will appear on the left side. Click the three dots on the right side of that row, and select "Block sender." The address will be added to your blocked list, and any future emails from that sender will also go to spam.
This method is useful if you want to block someone without reading their message. You do not have to open the email to block them — just locate it in spam and use the menu.
Manage your blocked senders list
Yahoo keeps a list of all the addresses you have blocked. To see this list and make changes, click the gear icon in the top right corner of your Yahoo Mail page and select "Settings." In the left sidebar, click "Blocked addresses." You will see every email address you have blocked so far.
From this page, you can unblock any sender by clicking the X next to their address. You can also add a new address to your blocked list without waiting for an email from them — just type the address into the box at the top and click "Block." This is useful if you know someone's email address and want to prevent their messages before they arrive.
The difference between blocking and reporting spam
Blocking and reporting spam are two different actions in Yahoo Mail. When you block a sender, their emails go to spam, but Yahoo does not use that information to improve its spam filters for other users. When you report an email as spam, you are telling Yahoo that the message is unwanted, and Yahoo uses this feedback to train its filters to catch similar messages for everyone.
If you receive a one-time unwanted email from someone, blocking is usually enough. If you are receiving repeated spam from a sender or a pattern of similar messages, reporting as spam helps Yahoo catch those messages for other users too. You can do both — report the email as spam and then block the sender — if you want to take both steps.
What happens when you block someone
When you block an email address in Yahoo Mail, that sender cannot see that you have blocked them. They will not receive a notification, and their emails will not bounce back to them. From their perspective, the email was sent successfully. On your end, their messages straightforward go to spam and do not trigger any notification.
If the blocked sender tries to contact you through a different email address, that new address is not automatically blocked. You will see emails from the new address in your inbox unless you block that address separately. If someone is contacting you from multiple addresses to get around a block, you may want to report the behavior to Yahoo or use a more restrictive filter.
Use filters for more control
If you want more control over how emails are handled, Yahoo Mail also offers filters. Filters let you automatically sort, delete, or move emails based on the sender's address, subject line, or other details. To set up a filter, go to Settings, click "Filters" in the left sidebar, and click "Add new filter." You can create a rule that automatically sends emails from a specific address to spam, deletes them, or moves them to a folder you choose.
Filters are more flexible than blocking because you can set conditions beyond just the sender's address. For example, you could create a filter that only catches emails from a sender if they contain certain words in the subject line. However, for most people, the straightforward block function is enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I block multiple email addresses at once?
No, Yahoo Mail requires you to block addresses one at a time. You can block them quickly by opening each email and using the block button, or by going to Settings and typing each address into the blocked list manually. There is no bulk-block feature.
What if someone creates a new email address to contact me after I block them?
The new address is not automatically blocked. You will need to block that address separately using the same method. If someone is repeatedly creating new addresses to contact you, report the behavior to Yahoo by clicking the three dots on one of their emails and selecting "Report phishing" or "Report spam."
Can I block an entire domain instead of just one email address?
Yahoo Mail does not have a built-in feature to block entire domains. You can only block individual email addresses. If you need to block many addresses from the same domain, you can create a filter that blocks any sender whose address ends with that domain name.
Will the blocked sender know I blocked them?
No. Blocked senders do not receive any notification that you have blocked them. Their emails straightforward go to your spam folder without any bounce-back message or alert to them.
Can I unblock someone after I block them?
Yes. Go to Settings, click "Blocked addresses," find the sender you want to unblock, and click the X next to their name. Their emails will no longer go to spam automatically, and you will see new messages from them in your inbox.