Block a sender directly from an email

The fastest way to block someone in Yahoo Mail is to open the email from that sender and click the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the message. Select Block from the dropdown. Yahoo will move that sender's future emails to your Spam folder automatically.

This method works whether you're using Yahoo Mail on the web or the Yahoo Mail app on your phone. The blocked sender won't know they've been blocked — their emails straightforward won't reach your inbox anymore. You can still see their messages if you check your Spam folder, but you won't receive notifications about them.

Block a sender from your contact list

If you have the sender saved as a contact, you can block them from there instead. Open your Contacts, find the person's name, and click on it to open their card. Look for the three-dot menu icon and select Block contact. This removes them from your contacts and blocks their emails at the same time.

You can unblock a contact later by going back to your Contacts, finding their name in your blocked list, and selecting Unblock. The process takes just a few seconds and restores them to your contact list if you decide you want to hear from them again.

Key Takeaways

  • Open any email from the sender you want to block, click the three-dot menu, and select Block to send their future emails to Spam.
  • Blocked senders' emails go to your Spam folder, not deleted, so you can review them later if needed.
  • You can block a contact directly from your Contacts list using the three-dot menu on their card.
  • Unblocking a sender is reversible — go to your blocked list in Contacts and select Unblock whenever you change your mind.
  • Blocking works the same way on Yahoo Mail's website and mobile app.

What happens when you block someone

When you block a sender in Yahoo Mail, their emails don't disappear — they go to your Spam folder instead. This means you can still read them if you need to, but they won't clutter your inbox or send you notifications. Yahoo keeps them separate from your main messages, which is useful if you ever need to review what someone sent you.

The blocked sender has no way of knowing they've been blocked. They won't receive a bounce-back message or any notification from Yahoo. Their emails straightforward arrive in a folder you don't check by default. From their perspective, the email went through normally.

Block emails by subject line or sender domain

If you're getting unwanted emails from many addresses at the same company or organization, you can block the entire domain instead of individual addresses. Go to your Mail Settings (the gear icon in the top right), select Filters, and create a new filter. Enter the domain name (for example, @unwantedcompany.com) in the "From" field and choose to send those emails to Spam.

You can also create filters based on subject lines. This is useful if you're receiving repeated emails with the same subject but from different senders. Set up a filter with the subject text and route those emails to Spam automatically. This approach saves time when you're dealing with bulk unwanted mail from multiple sources.

Unblock a sender if you change your mind

To unblock someone, go to your Mail Settings and select Blocked addresses. You'll see a list of everyone you've blocked. Find the sender you want to unblock and click the X next to their name. They can now email you again, and their messages will arrive in your inbox normally.

If you blocked someone by domain or subject line filter instead, go back to Filters in your settings and delete that filter rule. Once you remove the filter, emails matching that domain or subject will stop going to Spam and will appear in your inbox again.

When blocking isn't enough

Blocking works well for individual senders or small groups, but if you're receiving a large volume of unwanted emails, you may also want to unsubscribe from mailing lists. Look for an "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of marketing emails — clicking it removes you from that sender's list permanently and is often faster than blocking multiple addresses.

For emails that look like phishing attempts or scams, blocking is a good first step, but you should also report them to Yahoo. Click the three-dot menu and select Report phishing or Report spam. This helps Yahoo identify and block those senders for all users, not just you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I block emails without opening them?

Not directly from your inbox list, but you can create a filter in your Mail Settings that automatically sends emails from a specific sender to Spam without you having to open them first. Go to Filters, enter the sender's address in the "From" field, and choose Spam as the destination.

What's the difference between blocking and deleting?

Blocking sends future emails from that sender to your Spam folder automatically. Deleting removes only that one email. If you delete an email but don't block the sender, you'll keep receiving emails from them in your inbox.

Will the person I blocked know I blocked them?

No. Yahoo doesn't notify senders when they've been blocked. Their emails straightforward go to Spam, and they have no way of knowing you've blocked them unless you tell them.

Can I block emails on my phone?

Yes. Open the email in the Yahoo Mail app, tap the three-dot menu icon, and select Block. The process is the same as on the web version.

Can I block all emails from a company or organization?

Yes, by blocking the domain. In Mail Settings under Filters, create a new filter with the company's domain (like @company.com) in the "From" field and send those emails to Spam. This blocks all addresses from that domain at once.