The fastest way to block someone in Outlook

Open the email from the person you want to block. Right-click on their name or email address at the top of the message, then select Block Sender from the menu. Outlook will move that sender's future emails to your Junk folder automatically.

If you are using Outlook on the web (outlook.com or Outlook through your work account), click the three dots at the top right of the email, then choose Block. The sender's messages will go to Junk from that point forward.

Once you block someone, you will not see a notification when they send you mail — it straightforward arrives in Junk. You can still view blocked messages if you check that folder, but most people never do.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click a sender's name in any email and select Block Sender to send their future messages to Junk automatically.
  • Blocking does not delete past emails from that person — they stay in your inbox unless you move or delete them yourself.
  • You can unblock a sender at any time by going to Settings and removing them from your blocked list.
  • Blocking works at the email address level, so if someone uses a different address, you will need to block that one separately.

Where to find your blocked senders list

In Outlook desktop (Windows or Mac), go to File > Options (Windows) or Outlook > Preferences (Mac). Look for Trust Center or Junk Email, then select Blocked Senders. You will see every email address you have blocked.

In Outlook on the web, click the gear icon in the top right, then View all Outlook settings. Go to Mail > Junk email. The Blocked senders and domains section shows your full list.

From this same screen, you can add email addresses manually without waiting for an email from them. Type the address or domain name and click Add. This is useful if you know someone's email but have not heard from them yet.

Blocking an entire domain instead of one person

If you receive unwanted mail from multiple addresses at the same company or domain (like spam@company.com, noreply@company.com, and info@company.com), you can block the whole domain at once. Go to your blocked senders list and type @company.com instead of a single address. Every email from anyone at that domain will go to Junk.

Be careful with this approach if you do legitimate business with that company. Blocking a domain means you will miss emails from customer service, billing, or other departments. It is safer to block individual addresses unless you are certain you never want to hear from anyone there.

What happens to emails after you block someone

Emails from blocked senders go to your Junk folder, not deleted. This means you can still find them if you need to — for example, if you blocked someone by mistake or if you later need proof of what they sent you.

Outlook does not delete the person's old emails that are already in your inbox. If you want those gone, you need to delete them yourself. Select the messages, then press Delete or move them to Trash.

Some people prefer to move old emails to a folder before blocking, just to keep their inbox clean. You can do this by selecting all messages from that sender, then dragging them to a folder or using the Move option.

Unblocking a sender if you change your mind

Go back to your blocked senders list using the same path you used to view it (File > Options > Trust Center > Junk Email > Blocked Senders on Windows, or the Settings menu on the web). Find the address you want to unblock, select it, and click Remove.

Once you unblock someone, their emails will no longer go to Junk. They will arrive in your inbox like any other message. If you have a rule set up to move their mail to a folder, that rule will still explore even after you unblock them.

When blocking does not work the way you expect

Blocking only works on the email address you blocked. If someone sends you mail from a different address, it will not be blocked. Spammers and people trying to contact you after being blocked often use new addresses for this reason.

If you keep receiving mail from what looks like the same person but from different addresses, check whether the addresses are similar (like john.smith@email.com versus johnsmith@email.com). Blocking each address individually is the only way to stop them all.

If you are receiving a large volume of unwanted mail from many different addresses, blocking individual senders becomes impractical. In that case, look at your email rules or filters to catch mail based on subject line, keywords, or other patterns instead.

Using rules and filters for more control

Outlook's blocking feature is straightforward but limited — it only sends mail to Junk. If you want more control, you can create a rule. In Outlook desktop, go to File > Options > Mail > Rules & Alerts. Click New Rule and choose Create rule from message or start from a blank rule.

Rules let you do things blocking cannot: move mail to a specific folder, delete it automatically, or flag it for your attention. You can also create rules based on subject lines, keywords, or sender domains, which is more flexible than blocking a single address.

For most people, the straightforward block function is enough. But if you receive mail from a specific sender that you want to handle differently than other junk mail, a rule gives you that option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the blocked person know I blocked them?

No. Outlook does not send a notification to the sender. They will not receive a bounce-back message or any indication that you blocked them. Their email straightforward goes to your Junk folder, and they have no way of knowing.

Can I block someone on my phone or tablet?

Yes, if you use the Outlook mobile app. Open an email from the person, tap the three dots menu, and select Block Sender. On the web version of Outlook, the process is the same as on a computer.

If I block someone, will they see my out-of-office message?

No. Blocked senders do not receive your out-of-office reply. Their emails go straight to Junk without triggering any automatic response from you.

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

Blocking only works by sender address or domain. To filter by subject line, you need to create a rule instead. Rules are more powerful but take a few extra steps to set up.

What if I blocked someone but still see their emails in my inbox?

Those are old emails from before you blocked them. Blocking only affects new mail going forward. Delete or move the old messages yourself if you want them out of your inbox.