The basic steps differ by email provider, but the principle is the same
Blocking someone on email means their messages go to a separate folder or disappear entirely, depending on your provider and settings. Gmail sends blocked mail to spam. Outlook moves it to a junk folder. Yahoo does the same. The blocked person does not get a notification that you blocked them — the message straightforward fails to arrive in your inbox, and you will not see a delivery failure notice either.
The process takes under a minute once you find the right menu. You do not need to read anything or change your password. The block applies only to that email address on that account — if someone uses a different address, you will still receive their mail unless you block that one too.
Key Takeaways
- Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo all have a block button in the email itself or in the sender's contact card — look for three dots or a dropdown menu.
- Blocked mail goes to spam or junk, not to a separate "blocked" folder, so you may need to check there if you think something went wrong.
- Blocking one email address does not block someone who sends from a different address, so you may need to block multiple addresses from the same person.
- You can unblock someone at any time by finding them in your blocked senders list or spam folder and selecting unblock.
How to block someone in Gmail
Open the email from the person you want to block. Look for the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top right corner of the email. Click it and select "Block [sender name]" from the menu that appears. Gmail will move that email and all future messages from that address to your spam folder automatically.
If you want to block someone before opening their email, you can right-click their name in your inbox and select "Block [sender name]" from the context menu. Either way, the block takes effect when ready.
How to block someone in Outlook
Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots (⋮) at the top right of the message. Select "Block" or "Junk" depending on your Outlook version, then confirm. Outlook will send future messages from that address to your junk folder.
On Outlook.com (the web version), you can also click the sender's name to open their contact card, then select the block icon. On Outlook desktop, right-clicking the sender's name in your inbox gives you a block option directly.
How to block someone in Yahoo Mail
Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots (⋮) next to the sender's name or at the top of the email. Select "Block sender" from the menu. Yahoo will move that address to your blocked senders list and route future messages to spam.
You can also manage your blocked list directly. Go to Settings, then Blocked Users, and type in any email address you want to block. This works even if you have not received an email from them yet.
What happens after you block someone
The person you blocked will not know they are blocked. Their email will appear to send normally on their end — they will not get a bounce-back or error message. On your end, their messages will arrive in spam or junk instead of your inbox, and you will not see a notification.
If you check your spam or junk folder, you will see their emails there. You can delete them, or leave them to accumulate. If you change your mind, you can unblock them at any time, and their future messages will return to your inbox.
Blocking does not stop all contact from that person
Email blocking only affects email. If someone wants to reach you through text, phone, social media, or another messaging app, blocking your email address will not stop them. If you need to block someone across multiple platforms, you will need to use the block feature on each one separately.
If someone is harassing you and you have blocked them on email but they keep contacting you through other channels, consider documenting the messages and reporting them to the platform or to local authorities if the harassment is severe.
How to unblock someone
In Gmail, go to Settings, then Filters and Blocked Addresses, and find the person's address in the blocked list. Click the unblock link next to their name. In Outlook, go to Settings, then Mail, then Junk Email, and find them in the Blocked Senders list. Click the X to remove them. In Yahoo, go to Settings, then Blocked Users, and click the X next to their address.
Once you unblock someone, their future emails will go to your inbox again. Emails they sent while they were blocked will still be in your spam or junk folder — unblocking does not move old messages back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I blocked them?
No. Their email will appear to send normally, and they will not receive any notification or error message. They may eventually notice you are not responding, but they will have no technical way to know you blocked them.
Can I block someone without opening their email?
Yes, in most providers. In Gmail and Outlook, you can right-click the sender's name in your inbox. In Yahoo, you can go to Settings and add their address to your blocked list manually. You do not need to open the email first.
What if someone sends from a different email address?
Blocking one address does not block other addresses from the same person. You will need to block each address separately. If someone is using multiple addresses to contact you, you may want to report them for harassment instead of blocking each address individually.
Do I need to delete blocked emails, or will they disappear on their own?
Blocked emails stay in your spam or junk folder until you delete them. They do not disappear automatically. You can delete them one at a time, or select all emails from that sender and delete them together.
Can I block an entire domain, like all emails from a company?
Gmail and Outlook allow you to create filters that block all mail from a domain (for example, all addresses ending in @company.com). This requires going into your email settings and creating a custom filter or rule, which is more complex than blocking a single address. Yahoo does not have a built-in domain block feature.