Most email providers let you block senders with one click, and blocked mail goes to spam or trash automatically

Blocking someone on email means their messages skip your inbox and land in spam or a blocked folder instead. You do not need their permission, and they will not be notified that you blocked them. The exact steps depend on which email service you use — Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or your work email system — but the principle is the same: find the message, open a menu, and select block.

Blocking is different from unsubscribing. When you unsubscribe from a mailing list, you are asking a business to remove you from their distribution. When you block a person, you are telling your email provider to filter out all future mail from that address. Blocking is permanent until you undo it; unsubscribing is a one-time request that the sender may or may not honor.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and most work email systems have a block button built into each message — look for a three-dot menu or a "Report spam" option.
  • Once you block someone, their future emails go to spam automatically, and you will not see a notification that they tried to reach you.
  • Blocking is reversible: you can unblock someone later by finding them in your blocked senders list and removing them.
  • If someone is harassing you, blocking is a first step, but saving the messages and reporting them to your email provider creates a record that may help if the behavior escalates.

How to block on Gmail

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three vertical dots (the menu icon) in the top right corner of the message. Select "Block [sender's name]" from the dropdown. Gmail will move that message to spam and automatically send all future mail from that address to your spam folder.

If you want to block someone before they send you a message — for example, if you know their email address — you cannot block them directly. Instead, create a filter: go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), click Filters and Blocked Addresses, then Create a new filter. Type their email address in the "From" field, click Create filter, and choose Delete it or Skip the inbox (Archive it). This sends their mail to trash or archive instead of spam, which is useful if you want to keep a record without seeing notifications.

How to block on Outlook (including Outlook.com and Microsoft 365)

Open the message from the person you want to block. Click the three dots in the top right corner. Select Block. Outlook will move the message to your Junk folder and route all future mail from that sender to Junk as well.

To see your blocked senders list or unblock someone later, go to Settings (the gear icon), then Mail, then Junk email. You will see a list of blocked addresses. Click the X next to any address to unblock them.

How to block on Yahoo Mail

Open the email from the person you want to block. Click the three dots in the top right. Select Block sender. Yahoo moves the message to spam and filters all future mail from that address to your spam folder.

To manage your blocked list, go to Settings (the gear icon), click Privacy and security, then Blocked addresses. You can add addresses manually here or remove them if you change your mind.

How to block on work email systems

Work email systems vary widely depending on whether your company uses Outlook, Gmail, or a custom platform. The safest approach is to check your company's IT help desk or intranet for blocking instructions specific to your system. Some workplaces restrict blocking to protect communication within teams, so you may need to ask IT to block someone on your behalf.

If your workplace uses Outlook, the steps above explore. If it uses Gmail, the Gmail steps explore. If you are unsure, contact your IT department — they can tell you whether blocking is available and how to do it.

What happens after you block someone

Once you block someone, their emails go to spam or a blocked folder automatically. You will not receive notifications when they try to email you. They will not be told that you blocked them, but they may figure it out if their messages never get a reply and they do not see a bounce-back error.

Blocking does not delete old messages from that sender. If you want to remove their past emails from your inbox, you will need to delete them manually or create a filter that applies to past mail as well. In Gmail, you can do this by creating a filter and selecting Also explore filter to matching conversations.

When to save messages instead of just blocking

If someone is harassing you, threatening you, or sending unwanted sexual content, blocking alone may not be enough. Before you block, take screenshots or save the messages themselves. Most email providers let you read messages as files, and this creates a record that you can show to law enforcement, your HR department, or a lawyer if the behavior continues or escalates.

Blocking is a good first step for unwanted mail, but documentation is important if the situation is serious. You can block and save at the same time — block them to stop seeing their messages, and keep copies of the worst ones in a separate folder or on your computer.

How to unblock someone

If you block someone by mistake or change your mind, you can unblock them. In Gmail, go to Settings, click Filters and Blocked Addresses, find the person's address in the blocked list, and click the X to remove them. In Outlook, go to Settings, Mail, Junk email, find their address, and click the X. In Yahoo, go to Settings, Privacy and security, Blocked addresses, and remove them from the list.

Once you unblock someone, their future emails will arrive in your inbox normally. Old messages that went to spam while they were blocked will stay in spam unless you move them manually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I blocked them?

No. They will not receive a notification. They may suspect it if their emails go unanswered and they do not get a bounce-back error, but your email provider does not tell them you blocked them.

Can I block someone if I do not know their full email address?

Not directly. You need their exact email address to block them. If you only know their name, you will need to wait for them to email you first, then block that message. Alternatively, if you know part of their address, you can create a filter that catches emails containing that text.

What is the difference between blocking and marking as spam?

Marking a single message as spam sends that one email to your spam folder. Blocking a sender sends all their current and future emails to spam automatically. Blocking is stronger and more permanent.

If I block someone on Gmail, will they see that their message bounced?

No. Gmail silently accepts their message and sends it to spam. They will not get an error message saying the address is invalid or blocked.

Can I block an entire domain, like all emails from a company?

Most personal email services do not have a built-in domain block. You can create a filter that catches emails from anyone at that domain (for example, all addresses ending in @company.com) and send them to spam or trash, but the steps vary by provider. Contact your email provider's support if you need to block a whole domain.