Block a sender in three steps
To block an email address in Yahoo Mail, open the message from the sender you want to block, click the three-dot menu icon in the top right of the email, and select Block. Yahoo will move all future emails from that address to your Spam folder automatically. You can also block a sender by right-clicking their name in your inbox and choosing Block from the menu.
Once you block someone, you won't see their emails in your inbox anymore — they go straight to Spam. If you change your mind later, you can unblock them by going to your blocked senders list in Settings.
The block takes effect when ready. Any emails that sender has already delivered to your inbox stay there, but new messages arrive in Spam instead.
Key Takeaways
- Blocked emails go to your Spam folder, not deleted, so you can review them later if needed.
- You can block a sender from the email itself using the three-dot menu, or right-click their name in your inbox.
- Blocking works on the email address itself, so if someone uses a different address, you will need to block that one separately.
- Your blocked senders list is stored in Yahoo Mail Settings under Security, where you can view or unblock addresses at any time.
Where to find your blocked senders list
Your blocked senders are stored in Yahoo Mail Settings. Click the gear icon in the top right of your inbox, then select Settings. On the left side, click Security, then scroll down to find Blocked addresses.
This list shows every address you have blocked. You can add new addresses here by typing them in, or remove a block by clicking the X next to an address. Changes take effect right away.
If you block someone by mistake, this is where you unblock them. Just find their address in the list and delete it.
What happens when you block someone
When you block an address, Yahoo Mail routes all emails from that sender to your Spam folder. They won't see a notification that you blocked them — the block is invisible on their end. From their perspective, their emails are being delivered normally, but you won't see them in your inbox.
Emails already in your inbox from that sender stay where they are. Blocking only affects new messages going forward. If you want to delete old emails from someone you just blocked, you can search for their address in your inbox and delete those messages separately.
The sender can still see if you have read or replied to their old emails. Blocking prevents new contact, not past communication.
Block multiple addresses from the same person
If someone is contacting you from different email addresses, you will need to block each address separately. Yahoo Mail blocks by exact email address, not by person or domain.
For example, if someone emails you from both john.smith@gmail.com and jsmith@yahoo.com, blocking one address won't stop emails from the other. When you receive an email from a new address, use the same three-dot menu method to block it.
If a sender keeps creating new addresses to contact you, consider blocking their entire domain instead. In your Blocked addresses list in Settings, you can type a domain like @example.com to block all addresses from that domain at once.
Unblock an address if you change your mind
To unblock someone, go to Settings, click Security, and find the Blocked addresses section. Locate the address you want to unblock and click the X next to it. The block is removed when ready.
Once you unblock an address, emails from that sender will go back to your inbox normally. Any emails that arrived in Spam while they were blocked stay in your Spam folder — unblocking doesn't move them back to your inbox.
If you want to see emails that arrived while someone was blocked, check your Spam folder and move them to your inbox manually, or search for their address in Spam.
When blocking doesn't work the way you expect
Blocking sends emails to Spam, but it doesn't delete them. If your Spam folder is full or if you have Spam filtering turned off, blocked emails might still show up somewhere. Check that your Spam folder is working by going to Settings, clicking Filters, and making sure your spam rules are turned on.
If emails from a blocked address keep appearing in your inbox, the sender may be using a different email address each time. Check the sender's address carefully — even a small difference like a number or underscore means it is a different address that needs its own block.
Some bulk senders or mailing lists use addresses that change with each message. For those, blocking individual addresses is less effective than unsubscribing from the mailing list itself, if that option is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I block an entire domain instead of one email address?
Yes. In your Blocked addresses list in Settings, type the domain with an @ symbol, like @example.com, to block all addresses from that domain. Every email from anyone using that domain will go to Spam.
Will the person know I blocked them?
No. Blocking is silent. The sender won't receive a notification, and their emails will appear to send normally from their end. They will only know if they notice you stop responding.
Do blocked emails get deleted or just hidden?
Blocked emails go to your Spam folder, not deleted. You can still read them there if you need to. They stay in Spam until you delete them or until Yahoo's automatic cleanup removes them after 30 days.
What if someone blocks me on Yahoo Mail?
If you are blocked, your emails will go to their Spam folder. You won't know for certain that you are blocked, but if someone stops responding and your emails disappear, they may have blocked you.
Can I block emails by subject line or content instead of sender address?
No, Yahoo Mail blocking works only by email address or domain. To filter emails by subject or content, use Yahoo's Filters feature in Settings instead, which can automatically delete, move, or mark emails based on keywords.