Yes, you can block an email address in Gmail in under a minute
Open the email from the sender you want to block. Click the three dots (more actions menu) in the top right of the email. Select "Block [sender's name]" from the dropdown. Gmail will then send all future emails from that address to your spam folder automatically.
Once blocked, you won't see notifications for their emails, and they won't appear in your inbox. The block stays in place until you undo it. You can unblock a sender at any time by going to Settings, finding the blocked address in your Blocked addresses list, and clicking Unblock next to their name.
Key Takeaways
- You can block a sender directly from their email by clicking the three-dot menu and selecting "Block."
- Blocked emails go to spam automatically, and you receive no notifications from that address.
- Blocking is reversible — you can unblock any address from your Gmail Settings at any time.
- Blocking one email address does not block similar addresses; someone can send from a slightly different address and bypass the block.
- If you receive spam from many addresses, creating a filter or marking emails as spam may be more effective than blocking individual senders.
Where to find the block option in Gmail
The block button is easiest to find when you are looking at the email itself. Open any message from the sender you want to block, then look at the top right corner of the email. You will see a three-dot icon (sometimes called the more actions menu). Click it.
A dropdown menu will appear with several options. One of them will say "Block [sender's name]" — the name will be the actual email address or display name of the person who sent it. Click that option once, and the block is active when ready. Gmail will show you a confirmation message saying the sender has been blocked.
What happens after you block someone
All emails from that address will automatically go to your spam folder from that moment forward. You will not see them in your inbox, and Gmail will not send you notifications when they arrive. If you have already received multiple emails from that sender, Gmail will move the older ones to spam as well.
The blocked sender does not receive any notification that you have blocked them. They will not know their emails are going to spam — from their perspective, they are sending normally. If they contact you through another method to ask why you are not responding, that is how they would find out.
How to unblock an email address
If you change your mind, you can unblock a sender in your Gmail Settings. Click the gear icon in the top right of Gmail and select "See all settings." Go to the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab. Scroll down to the section labeled "Blocked addresses."
You will see a list of every email address you have blocked. Find the one you want to unblock and click the "Unblock" button next to it. The block is removed when ready. That sender's emails will no longer go to spam automatically, though any emails they sent while blocked will remain in your spam folder unless you move them.
Why someone might send from a different address
Blocking works on the exact email address you block. If someone has access to multiple email addresses — a work account, a personal account, a throwaway account — they can send from a different one and the block will not stop them. This is a real limitation of the block feature.
If you are dealing with persistent unwanted contact from someone using multiple addresses, blocking individual addresses becomes tedious. In that case, you might consider creating a filter instead, which can catch emails based on the sender's name or other details rather than just the exact address. You can also mark emails as spam repeatedly, which trains Gmail's spam filter to catch similar messages.
The difference between blocking and marking as spam
Blocking and marking as spam both send emails to your spam folder, but they work slightly differently. When you block someone, you are telling Gmail that you never want to hear from that specific address again. When you mark an email as spam, you are telling Gmail that this particular message looks like spam, and Gmail learns from that feedback.
Marking as spam is useful when you receive unwanted bulk email or marketing messages. Blocking is better when you know exactly who you do not want to hear from. If you receive one email from someone and want to stop all future contact, blocking is faster. If you are not sure whether you want to block them permanently, marking as spam first gives you a chance to change your mind more easily.
When blocking might not be enough
Blocking stops emails from reaching your inbox, but it does not stop someone from knowing your email address exists or from sending to it. If you are dealing with harassment or threats, blocking is a first step, but you may need to take additional action.
Gmail also offers a "Report phishing" option in the same three-dot menu. If the sender is impersonating someone else, attempting to steal your information, or sending malicious links, use that option instead of or in addition to blocking. Reporting phishing helps Gmail protect other users and may trigger a review of the sender's account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I block an email address without opening the email?
Not directly from the inbox list view. You need to open the email first to see the three-dot menu with the block option. However, you can right-click on an email in your inbox and sometimes see a block option, depending on which device or browser you are using. Opening the email is the most reliable method.
Will the person I block know I blocked them?
No. Gmail does not notify senders when they are blocked. Their emails straightforward go to spam, and they receive no bounce-back or rejection message. They would only know if you told them or if they noticed you stopped responding to their messages.
Can I block an entire domain instead of just one email address?
Gmail's block feature works only on individual email addresses, not entire domains. If you want to block all emails from a company domain, you would need to create a filter in Settings instead. Filters can catch emails based on the sender's domain and send them to spam automatically.
What if I blocked someone by mistake?
Go to Settings, click "Filters and Blocked Addresses," find the address in your blocked list, and click "Unblock." The block is removed when ready. Any emails they sent while blocked will still be in your spam folder, but new emails from them will arrive in your inbox normally.
Does blocking on Gmail block them on other Google services?
No. Blocking someone in Gmail only affects Gmail. If you use Google Meet, Google Calendar, or other Google services, blocking in Gmail does not prevent that person from contacting you through those services. You would need to block them separately in each service if needed.