You can block a sender in Yahoo Mail in about 30 seconds

Open the email from the person you want to block. Look for the three dots (⋯) in the top right corner of the message and click it. Select "Block sender" from the menu. Yahoo will move that person's future emails to your spam folder automatically, and you won't see notifications when they arrive.

If you've already deleted the email, you can still block the sender. Go to your Settings (the gear icon in the top right of your inbox), select "Accounts," then "Security and privacy," then scroll down to "Blocked addresses." Type in the email address you want to block and click "Add address." Either method works equally well.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking a sender sends their future emails to your spam folder instead of your inbox, but they won't know they're blocked.
  • You can block someone from an open email using the three-dot menu, or add addresses manually in your Settings.
  • Blocking is different from unsubscribing — use unsubscribe for newsletters you signed up for, and block for unwanted contact.
  • If someone is harassing you, blocking is a first step, but save the emails as evidence and contact Yahoo support if the behavior escalates.

What happens when you block someone

When you block an address, Yahoo routes all future emails from that sender directly to your spam folder. You won't see them in your inbox, and you won't get a notification that a message arrived. The blocked person does not receive any notification that they've been blocked — from their side, they'll just see that you're not responding.

Blocking only affects new emails. Old messages from that sender stay in your inbox unless you delete them yourself. If you want to remove them, you'll need to search for their address, select those emails, and delete them manually.

Blocking versus unsubscribing

If you receive marketing emails from a company you once bought from or signed up with, look for an "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the email first. Clicking that removes you from their mailing list — it's the proper way to stop legitimate business emails. Unsubscribe works because the sender actually wants to honor the request.

Block someone when unsubscribe isn't an option, when you don't recognize the sender, or when someone is contacting you repeatedly after you've asked them to stop. Blocking is for unwanted contact, not for newsletters.

How to manage your blocked list

You can see all the addresses you've blocked and remove blocks if you change your mind. Go to Settings (gear icon), select "Accounts," then "Security and privacy," and scroll to "Blocked addresses." This list shows every address you've blocked. To unblock someone, click the X next to their address.

Yahoo doesn't limit how many addresses you can block, so add anyone who's bothering you. If you block someone and later realize it was a mistake — maybe a friend changed email addresses and you didn't recognize it — you can unblock them the same way.

When blocking isn't enough

If someone is sending you threatening messages, sexually explicit content, or repeated contact after you've asked them to stop, blocking is a necessary first step. But also save those emails as evidence. Don't delete them — instead, create a folder, move the messages there, and keep them.

If the harassment continues from new email addresses after you've blocked the original one, contact Yahoo support directly. You can report the sender through the email itself by clicking the three dots and selecting "Report phishing" or "Report spam," even if you've already blocked them. Yahoo takes patterns of harassment seriously and may take action on their end.

Blocking doesn't hide your replies

If you've already replied to someone before blocking them, they can still see those old messages in their inbox. Blocking only stops new incoming mail — it doesn't erase your conversation history on their end. If you're concerned about something you've already sent, blocking won't undo it.

For this reason, if you're blocking someone because of a conflict or safety concern, think twice before sending a final message. A straightforward "Please don't contact me again" can be appropriate, but then block when ready after. Don't engage in back-and-forth after you've decided to block.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I blocked them?

No. They won't receive a notification, and Yahoo doesn't tell them. They'll straightforward notice their emails aren't getting responses, but they won't know for certain that you've blocked them.

Can I block an entire domain, like all emails from a company?

Yahoo doesn't have a built-in feature to block entire domains at once. You'll need to block individual email addresses. If you're receiving many unwanted emails from the same company, block the main address they're using, and block additional addresses as they contact you.

What if someone creates a new email address and contacts me again after I block them?

Block the new address the same way. If this pattern continues, report it to Yahoo support — repeated contact from multiple addresses after you've blocked someone may may have access to as harassment, and Yahoo can investigate.

Can I block someone without opening their email?

Not directly from the inbox list. You need to open the message first to access the block option. However, you can add addresses manually in Settings without ever opening an email from them, which is useful if you know an address you want to block in advance.