The fastest way to block an email in Gmail

Open the email you want to block. Look for the three vertical dots (the menu icon) 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 complete process. Once blocked, you will not see messages from that address in your inbox, and Gmail will filter them automatically. You can unblock the address later if you change your mind.

Key Takeaways

  • Click the three-dot menu icon at the top right of any email, then select Block to send that sender's future messages to Spam.
  • Blocked emails go to your Spam folder automatically — they do not disappear entirely, so you can review them if needed.
  • Blocking works on the sender's email address, so someone using a different address can still reach you.
  • You can unblock an address at any time by finding one of their emails in Spam and clicking Unblock.
  • Gmail's block feature does not stop emails that were already in your inbox before you blocked the sender.

Where to find the block option if the email is already deleted

If you have already deleted an email from someone, you can still block them. Go to your Spam folder, find any email from that sender, open it, click the three-dot menu, and select Block. The sender will be blocked going forward.

If you have permanently deleted the email and it is no longer in Spam, you cannot block the address from Gmail's main interface. In that case, you would need to wait for the sender to email you again, then block them at that time.

What happens to emails after you block someone

When you block an email address, Gmail routes all future messages from that sender directly to your Spam folder. The emails are not deleted — they sit in Spam where you can read them if you need to. This means you retain a record of the blocked sender's messages in case you need to review them later.

Emails that arrived before you blocked the sender stay in your inbox. Blocking only affects new messages going forward. If you want to remove old emails from a sender you just blocked, you can select and delete them manually.

How to unblock an email address

Open Gmail and go to your Spam folder. Find any email from the sender you want to unblock, open it, click the three-dot menu, and select Unblock "[sender's name]". That sender's emails will no longer be filtered to Spam.

After you unblock someone, their future emails will arrive in your inbox normally. Any messages already in your Spam folder will stay there unless you move them manually.

Blocking email addresses that use different variations of the same name

Gmail blocks the exact email address you select, not the person behind it. If someone sends you emails from multiple addresses — for example, john.smith@example.com and j.smith@example.com — you need to block each address separately.

If you notice a sender is using multiple addresses to reach you after you have blocked one, block each new address as it appears. Some email providers allow you to create filters instead, which can catch variations more broadly, but Gmail's block feature works on individual addresses only.

Using filters for more control than blocking

Gmail's block feature is straightforward but limited — it only silences one exact email address. If you need more control, you can create a filter instead. Open an email from the sender, click the three-dot menu, select Filter messages like these, and then choose what to do with matching emails: send them to Spam, delete them, mark them as read, or explore a label.

Filters are more powerful because they can match patterns. For example, you can create a filter that catches emails from anyone at a particular company domain, or emails with certain words in the subject line. Blocking is faster for a single address; filters are better when you need to handle multiple senders or specific types of messages.

Why a blocked email might still reach you

If you keep receiving emails from someone you blocked, the sender may be using a different email address. Check the sender's address carefully — even a small difference (like a number added to the end) means it is a different address that is not covered by your block.

Another possibility is that the email is being forwarded to you by someone else. If a blocked sender forwards their message through another person's email account, Gmail will not recognize it as coming from the blocked address. In that case, you would need to block the forwarding address or ask the person forwarding the email to stop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does blocking someone on Gmail notify them that they are blocked?

No. Gmail does not send a notification to the blocked sender. They will not receive a message saying they have been blocked. However, if they check whether their emails are reaching you by other means, they may eventually notice you are not responding.

Can I block an entire email domain instead of just one address?

Gmail's block feature works on individual email addresses only. To block all emails from a domain (like everyone@company.com), use a filter instead. Open an email from that domain, click the three-dot menu, select Filter messages like these, and set the filter to send all mail from that domain to Spam.

What is the difference between blocking and unsubscribing?

Unsubscribe removes you from a mailing list, usually for newsletters or marketing emails. Blocking prevents all future emails from a specific address from reaching your inbox. Use unsubscribe for legitimate mailing lists; use block for unwanted senders or harassment.

If I block someone, can they see that I have read their emails?

No. Once an email is in your Spam folder, the sender cannot see whether you have opened it or read it. Gmail does not send read receipts for blocked messages.

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

Gmail's block feature only works on sender addresses. To block based on subject line, keywords, or content, create a filter instead. Filters let you match specific words or phrases and automatically send those emails to Spam.