Block a sender in three steps

Open the email from the sender you want to block. Look for the three vertical dots (called the menu button) in the top right corner of the email and click it. A dropdown menu will appear with several options — select Block "[sender's name]". Gmail will when ready send that sender's future emails to your Spam folder.

That is the entire process. Once blocked, you will not see emails from that address in your inbox, and Gmail will not notify you when they arrive. If you change your mind later, you can unblock the sender from your Gmail settings.

The block applies only to that specific email address. If someone sends you mail from a different address, Gmail will not automatically block it — you would need to block that address separately.

Key Takeaways

  • Open any email from the sender, click the three-dot menu, and select Block to send their future messages to Spam.
  • Blocked emails go to your Spam folder automatically and do not trigger notifications.
  • Blocking one email address does not block other addresses from the same person or organization.
  • You can unblock a sender at any time through your Gmail settings under Filters and Blocked Addresses.
  • If you block someone by mistake, go to Settings, find the blocked address in your filters list, and click Unblock next to it.

Where to find the block option if you do not see it

The three-dot menu appears in the top right of the email when you open it in Gmail's web version. If you are using Gmail on your phone, the menu button looks the same — three vertical dots — and sits in the same location at the top of the message.

On a mobile phone, after you tap the three dots, scroll down in the menu that appears. The Block option may not be the first choice you see. If you do not see it when ready, keep scrolling until you find Block "[sender's name]".

If you are using Gmail through Outlook, Apple Mail, or another email client on your computer, the block feature may not be available in that program. Switch to Gmail's website (gmail.com) to block the sender, then the block will take effect across all your devices.

What happens after you block someone

All emails from the blocked address go directly to your Spam folder. You will not see them in your inbox, and Gmail will not send you a notification when they arrive. The sender will not be told that you blocked them — they will not receive a bounce-back message or any other notification.

If the blocked sender tries to reach you through a different email address, those messages will arrive in your inbox normally. Gmail only blocks the specific address you selected, not the person behind it. You would need to block each new address separately.

Blocked emails stay in your Spam folder for 30 days before Gmail deletes them automatically. If you need to see what a blocked sender wrote, you can check your Spam folder at any time.

Unblock a sender you blocked by mistake

Go to Gmail Settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner of your inbox. Select See all settings, then click the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab.

Scroll down to the section labeled Blocked addresses. You will see a list of every address you have blocked. Find the one you want to unblock and click the Unblock link next to it. The sender's emails will now arrive in your inbox again.

Unblocking happens when ready. The next email from that sender will go to your inbox instead of Spam, and you will receive a notification if Gmail is set to notify you about new mail.

Block an entire domain instead of one address

If you are getting unwanted emails from multiple addresses at the same company or website, you can block the entire domain instead of blocking each address one at a time. A domain is the part of an email address after the @ symbol — for example, @company.com or @newsletter.net.

To block a domain, go to Settings, click Filters and Blocked Addresses, and scroll to the bottom where it says Create a new filter. In the From field, type an asterisk followed by the domain name: *@company.com. Click Create filter, then check the box next to Delete it or Skip the inbox (which sends it to Spam). Click Create filter again to confirm.

This filter will block every email address from that domain. If you later need to receive mail from someone at that domain, you will need to remove the filter and block individual addresses instead.

Why an email might not stay blocked

If you blocked someone and their emails are still reaching your inbox, the most common reason is that they are sending from a different email address than the one you blocked. Check the sender's address carefully — it may look similar to the blocked address but have a slight difference, like an extra letter or number.

Another possibility is that the email is coming from an automated system or service that uses a different sender address each time. Newsletters, password reset emails, and shipping notifications often come from addresses you did not block. You would need to block each sender address separately or create a filter for the domain.

If you are certain you blocked the correct address and emails are still arriving, check your Spam folder to see if Gmail is catching some but not all of their messages. This can happen if the sender is using multiple servers or if Gmail's spam detection is inconsistent with that particular sender.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I block someone without opening their email?

No, you need to open the email first to access the three-dot menu and block option. However, you can block them as soon as you see their name in your inbox — you do not have to read the message. Open it, click the menu, select Block, and you are done.

Will the person I blocked know that I blocked them?

No. Gmail does not send any notification to blocked senders. They will not receive a bounce-back message or any other indication that you blocked them. Their emails will straightforward disappear into your Spam folder without any feedback to them.

Can I block emails by subject line or content instead of sender address?

Gmail's block feature only works by sender address. If you want to filter emails by subject line or keywords in the message, you need to create a filter instead. Go to Settings, click Filters and Blocked Addresses, and select Create a new filter to set up rules based on subject or content.

What if I block someone and then they email me from a work account?

You will receive their email normally because it comes from a different address. Blocking only affects the specific email address you selected. If you want to block all their messages regardless of which address they use, you would need to block each address separately as they contact you.

Can I see a list of everyone I have blocked?

Yes. Go to Settings, click Filters and Blocked Addresses, and scroll to the Blocked addresses section. You will see every address you have blocked. From there you can also unblock any of them by clicking the Unblock link.