Blocking a contact stops their emails from reaching your inbox

When you block a contact in Gmail, their messages skip your inbox and go straight to spam. You won't see notifications when they email you, and they won't know they're blocked — Gmail sends no alert to them. If you change your mind later, you can unblock them just as easily.

Blocking is different from unsubscribing. Unsubscribe removes you from a mailing list (like a newsletter). Blocking stops one specific person or email address from reaching you at all, even if they send individual messages.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocked emails go to your spam folder automatically, and you won't see notifications from that sender.
  • You can block a contact in three clicks from any email they sent you, or from your contacts list.
  • Blocking only affects emails from that exact address — if someone uses a different email, those messages still arrive normally.
  • You can unblock a contact anytime by finding them in your blocked list and removing the block.

How to block someone from an email they sent you

Open the email from the person you want to block. Look at the top right of the email — you'll see a three-dot menu icon (it looks like three dots stacked vertically). Click it.

A dropdown menu appears with several options. Click Block [sender's name]. Gmail will ask you to confirm — click Block again. That's it. From now on, emails from that address go to spam.

How to block someone from your contacts list

If you want to block someone without opening an email from them, go to your contacts. Click the Gmail menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left, then select Contacts.

Find the person you want to block and click their name to open their contact card. Click the three-dot menu at the top right of their card and select Block. Confirm the block when Gmail asks.

What happens when you block someone

All emails from that address go to your spam folder. You won't get a notification badge or alert when they email you. If you have Gmail open, you won't see their messages arrive. The blocked person can still send emails — they just won't know the messages aren't reaching you.

Blocking only affects that one email address. If the person emails you from a different address, those messages come through normally. Blocking also doesn't delete any emails they already sent you — those stay in your inbox unless you delete them yourself.

How to unblock a contact

Open Gmail settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right and selecting See all settings. Click the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab.

Scroll down to the section labeled Blocked addresses. You'll see a list of everyone you've blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and click Unblock next to their name. Their emails will now come to your inbox again.

When blocking doesn't work the way you expect

If someone keeps emailing you from different addresses, blocking one address won't stop them all. You may need to block multiple addresses, or consider reporting them as spam or harassment instead. Gmail's spam filter can also learn to catch similar messages over time.

If you blocked someone but still see their emails, check that you blocked the right address. Email addresses are case-sensitive in some systems, and small differences (like a period or number) create a different address entirely. Go back to your blocked list and verify the exact address you blocked.

The difference between blocking, unsubscribing, and reporting spam

Blocking stops one person's emails from reaching you. Unsubscribing removes you from a mailing list — use this for newsletters or marketing emails where there's an unsubscribe link at the bottom. Reporting as spam tells Gmail the sender is unwanted and helps train Gmail's filters to catch similar messages for everyone.

If someone is harassing you or sending threatening messages, reporting as spam is often better than blocking alone, because it alerts Gmail to the behavior. Blocking is best for people you straightforward don't want to hear from — like an ex, a former coworker, or someone whose emails you're tired of seeing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the person I blocked tell that I blocked them?

No. Gmail doesn't send them a notification. They might eventually notice their emails aren't getting responses, but they won't receive any message from Gmail saying they're blocked.

If I block someone, do their old emails disappear?

No. Blocking only affects new emails from that address. Any messages they already sent you stay in your inbox unless you delete them yourself. You can delete old emails from them manually if you want.

What if someone emails me from a different address after I block them?

Blocking only stops emails from that specific address. If they use a different email, those messages come through normally. You would need to block each address separately.

Can I block an entire domain instead of one person?

Gmail doesn't have a built-in feature to block an entire domain at once. You can block individual addresses, or you can create a filter to send all emails from a domain to spam. Go to Filters and Blocked Addresses in settings and create a new filter with the domain name.

How do I know if I've blocked someone?

Check your blocked list in settings. Click the gear icon, select See all settings, then go to Filters and Blocked Addresses. Scroll to the Blocked addresses section to see everyone you've blocked.