The fastest way to stop unwanted email is to block the sender directly in your email program
Most email services let you block a sender with one click. When you block someone, their messages go straight to spam or a blocked folder instead of your inbox. You will not see them, and the sender does not get a notification that you blocked them. The exact steps depend on which email service you use — Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, or your work email — but the principle is the same in all of them.
Blocking works best for email you can identify: a person you know, a company you recognize, or a message with a clear return address. If the sender is spoofing their address (pretending to be someone else) or using a new address each time, blocking one address will not stop the next one. In those cases, you need a filter instead.
Key Takeaways
- Blocking a sender sends their future messages to spam automatically, and takes less than a minute in Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, or most other email services.
- If the same sender keeps using different email addresses, a filter rule that blocks by subject line or content is more effective than blocking individual addresses.
- Unsubscribe links in legitimate marketing email usually work, but only use them if you recognize the company — scammers use fake unsubscribe links to confirm your address is real.
- Never reply to spam, mark it as spam instead — replying tells the sender your address is active and leads to more email.
- If you gave your address to a service and now regret it, check their privacy settings or contact them to remove yourself rather than blocking, because they may have your address on file for account recovery.
How to block a sender in Gmail
Open the message from the sender you want to block. Click the three-dot menu icon in the top right of the message. Select "Block [sender's name]" from the dropdown. Gmail will move that sender's future messages to spam automatically.
If you have already deleted the message, you can still block the sender. Go to your Spam folder, find a message from that sender, open it, and use the same three-dot menu to block them. You can also block someone by right-clicking their name in the sender line and choosing "Block" from the context menu.
How to block a sender in Outlook (web and desktop)
In Outlook on the web, open the message and click the three-dot menu at the top right. Select "Block" or "Junk" depending on your version. In Outlook desktop (the Windows or Mac process), right-click the sender's name in the message header and choose "Block Sender." Their future messages will go to your Junk folder.
If you use Outlook.com, you can also manage your blocked senders list directly. Go to Settings, then Mail, then Junk Email, and add addresses manually to the "Blocked Senders" list. This is useful if you want to block someone before they send you anything.
How to block a sender in Yahoo Mail
Open the message from the sender you want to block. Click the three-dot menu icon. Select "Block sender." Yahoo will move their future messages to spam. You can also block someone by clicking their name in the sender line and choosing "Block" from the card that appears.
To manage your blocked list, go to Settings, then Security and Privacy, then Blocked addresses. You can add addresses manually here or remove someone from the blocked list if you change your mind.
When blocking one address is not enough
If you keep getting email from the same sender but they use a different address each time, blocking individual addresses will not stop them. Instead, create a filter rule that catches messages by subject line, content, or sender domain. In Gmail, this is called a filter. In Outlook, it is called a rule. In Yahoo Mail, it is called a filter.
For example, if you keep getting messages with "You have won a prize" in the subject line from different addresses, create a filter that sends anything with that phrase to spam automatically. The filter will catch future messages even if the sender address changes. Most email services let you create filters from the Settings menu or by right-clicking a message and selecting "Filter" or "Create rule."
Unsubscribe links and when to use them
Legitimate marketing email — from retailers, newsletters, or services you signed up for — usually includes an unsubscribe link at the bottom. Clicking it removes you from their mailing list. This is faster and cleaner than blocking, because it tells the company you do not want their email instead of just hiding it.
Do not click unsubscribe on email you do not recognize or do not trust. Scammers use fake unsubscribe links to confirm that your address is real and active, which leads to more spam. If you do not recognize the sender and did not sign up for their list, mark the message as spam instead. Your email service will learn from this and filter similar messages in the future.
Why you should not reply to spam
Replying to spam — even to say "stop sending me email" — tells the sender that your address is real and monitored. This makes your address more valuable to spammers and leads to more email, not less. The same is true for clicking links in spam messages or opening attachments.
The only action that helps is marking the message as spam or junk. This trains your email service's filter to catch similar messages, and it tells the sender's email provider that the message is unwanted. Over time, this feedback helps the system get better at filtering.
Blocking email from services you signed up for
If you gave your address to a service — a shopping site, a social network, a bank — and now you are getting too much email from them, do not block them when ready. Blocking can interfere with account recovery emails, password resets, and security alerts. Instead, log into your account on their website and look for email preferences or notification settings. Most services let you turn off marketing email while keeping transactional email (receipts, alerts, password resets) turned on.
If you want to remove your address from their system entirely, look for an "unsubscribe" or "manage preferences" link at the bottom of their email. If you cannot find one, contact their customer service and ask them to remove your address from their mailing list. Keep a record of when you asked — if they keep emailing you after that, you have documentation that they ignored your request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the person I blocked know that I blocked them?
No. When you block someone, they do not get a notification. Their messages straightforward go to spam or a blocked folder instead of your inbox. They will not know unless they notice you stop responding and they try a different email address.
Can I unblock someone after I block them?
Yes. In Gmail, go to Settings, Filters and Blocked Addresses, and unblock them. In Outlook, go to Settings, Junk Email, and remove them from the Blocked Senders list. In Yahoo Mail, go to Settings, Security and Privacy, and remove them from Blocked addresses. Their old messages will not reappear in your inbox, but new messages from them will arrive normally.
What if someone is harassing me through email?
Blocking stops their messages from reaching you, but if the harassment is serious or ongoing, save the messages as evidence and report them to your email provider. You can also report the sender to your local police or to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center if the email involves threats, extortion, or fraud.
Will blocking someone stop them from seeing my email address in a group message?
No. Blocking only affects messages sent directly to you. If you are both in a group email thread, they can still see your address and your replies. If you want to remove yourself from a group conversation, look for an option to "mute" or "leave" the thread instead.
Can I block an entire domain, like all email from a company?
Most email services do not have a built-in "block domain" feature, but you can create a filter that blocks all messages from a domain. In Gmail, create a filter with the rule "from:@companydomain.com" and set it to skip inbox or delete. In Outlook, create a rule that blocks all mail from that domain. This is useful if a company keeps emailing you from different addresses within the same organization.