The fastest way to block someone in Yahoo Mail

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots (more actions menu) at the top right of the message. Select Block from the dropdown. Yahoo will move that sender's future emails to spam automatically, and you won't see notifications when they arrive.

That's the complete process. Once blocked, emails from that address skip your inbox entirely. If you change your mind later, you can unblock them the same way — open settings, find the blocked list, and remove the address.

The block applies only to that exact email address. If someone uses a different address to contact you, Yahoo won't automatically block it. You'll need to block each address separately.

Key Takeaways

  • Click the three-dot menu on any email and select Block to send that sender's future messages to spam.
  • Blocking one email address does not block other addresses from the same person if they have multiple accounts.
  • Blocked emails still arrive on Yahoo's servers but go directly to your spam folder instead of your inbox.
  • You can view and unblock addresses anytime through your Yahoo Mail settings under the Blocked Senders list.

Where to find your blocked senders list

Go to your Yahoo Mail settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu. In the left sidebar, click Security and privacy. Scroll down until you see Blocked addresses.

This page shows every email address you've blocked. You can add new addresses here by typing them in, or remove addresses by clicking the X next to each one. Changes take effect when ready.

What happens when you block someone

When you block an address, Yahoo routes all emails from that sender to your spam folder. You won't receive pop-up notifications or alerts. The emails are still technically in your account, but hidden from your main inbox view.

The blocked person doesn't receive a notification that you've blocked them. From their perspective, their emails appear to send normally — they have no way to know whether you've blocked them, marked them as spam, or straightforward aren't reading their messages.

If the blocked sender tries to contact you through a different email address, that new address won't be blocked. Yahoo only blocks the specific address you selected, not the person behind it.

Blocking versus reporting spam

Blocking stops emails from one address from reaching your inbox. Reporting as spam tells Yahoo's systems that an address is sending unwanted bulk mail, which helps Yahoo identify spam patterns across all users. You can do both at once.

If you receive unsolicited marketing emails or phishing attempts, reporting them as spam is more useful than blocking alone. Blocking helps you personally; reporting helps Yahoo protect everyone. Most unwanted commercial emails should be reported rather than just blocked.

Unblocking an address if you change your mind

Go back to Settings > Security and privacy > Blocked addresses. Find the address you want to unblock and click the X next to it. Confirm the removal. That sender's emails will now arrive in your inbox normally again.

Unblocking does not retrieve old emails that were sent while the address was blocked. Those messages remain in your spam folder. You can search for them there if you need to find something the blocked sender sent you.

When blocking doesn't work the way you expect

If emails from a blocked address still appear in your inbox, the sender may be using a different email address. Check the "From" line carefully — addresses that look similar but have slight differences (like a number added, or a different domain) are technically different addresses to Yahoo's system.

Emails from blocked addresses can also end up in your inbox if they're forwarded to you by someone else. Yahoo blocks the original sender, not messages that mention them or include their content. If a colleague forwards you an email from a blocked contact, it will still reach you.

If a blocked sender is using your own email address to send you messages (called spoofing), blocking won't stop those emails. Contact Yahoo support if you believe someone is impersonating your address.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I block someone without opening their email?

No — you need to open the message first to access the block option. However, once you've blocked an address, all future emails from that sender go to spam automatically, so you won't have to open them again.

Does the person I block know I blocked them?

No. Yahoo doesn't notify blocked senders. They won't receive a message or see any indication that you've blocked them. Their emails straightforward go to your spam folder without triggering any alerts on your end.

What if someone keeps emailing me from different addresses?

Block each address individually as it arrives. If the harassment continues across many addresses, take screenshots of the messages and contact Yahoo support. They can investigate patterns of harassment that go beyond single-address blocking.

Can I block an entire domain instead of one address?

Yahoo Mail doesn't have a built-in feature to block all addresses from one domain at once. You must block each address separately. If you're receiving spam from many addresses at the same domain, reporting them as spam helps Yahoo's filters catch similar messages in the future.

Will blocking someone remove their old emails from my account?

No. Blocking only affects new emails going forward. Old messages from that sender remain in your inbox or folders. If you want to delete them, you'll need to search for and remove them manually.