The fastest way to stop junk emails reaching you

The simplest method is to use your email provider's built-in spam filter and block senders one at a time. Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Apple Mail all have a "Block" or "Report spam" button — usually a three-dot menu or trash icon next to each message. Clicking it moves that sender to spam and trains the filter to catch similar messages in future.

If you receive dozens of junk emails daily, blocking one sender at a time will not solve the problem fast enough. Instead, create a filter rule that automatically sends messages matching certain words or sender addresses straight to spam without landing in your inbox. This takes five minutes to set up and works across all devices that use your email account.

The trade-off: filters can accidentally catch real emails if you set them too broadly. A filter for the word "free" will catch legitimate messages from friends and companies you do business with. Start narrow — block a specific sender address or a phrase that only junk uses — and widen only if the filter works for a week without mistakes.

Key Takeaways

  • Use your email provider's spam button to block individual senders; this trains the filter to recognize similar junk in future.
  • Create filter rules to automatically send messages with specific words or sender addresses to spam before they reach your inbox.
  • Start with narrow filter rules (a specific sender or unusual phrase) to avoid accidentally blocking real emails.
  • Unsubscribe links at the bottom of marketing emails work, but only if the sender is legitimate; junk senders often ignore unsubscribe requests.
  • Never reply to junk emails or click links inside them, as this confirms your address is active and leads to more junk.

How to block a sender in Gmail

Open the junk email. Click the three-dot menu icon in the top right of the message. Select "Block [sender name]" from the dropdown. Gmail will move this message to spam and automatically send future emails from that address to your spam folder.

To block multiple senders at once, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right of your inbox). Click "See all settings," then go to the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab. Click "Create a new filter." Type the sender's email address in the "From" field, click "Create filter," then check "Delete it" and click "Create filter" again. Gmail will delete all future messages from that address without showing them in spam.

How to block a sender in Outlook

Right-click the junk email in your inbox. Select "Junk" from the menu, then "Block Sender." Outlook moves the message to your Junk folder and blocks that sender permanently.

To create a filter rule in Outlook, click the Settings gear icon in the top right. Select "View all Outlook settings." Go to "Mail" > "Junk email." Under "Safe Senders and Domains," you can add addresses to a blocklist. Outlook also has an "Automatic filtering" option set to "Standard" by default — changing it to "Aggressive" will catch more junk, but may block real emails.

How to block a sender in Yahoo Mail

Click the three-dot menu next to the junk email. Select "Block sender." Yahoo moves the message to spam and blocks that address going forward.

To set up a filter rule, click the Settings gear icon. Select "More Settings." Go to "Filters." Click "Add New Filter." Type a name for the filter (for example, "Block pharmacy spam"). In the "From" field, enter the sender's address or a phrase that appears in junk you receive. Under "Then," select "Delete message" or "Move to folder" and choose Spam. Click "Save."

How to block a sender in Apple Mail

Right-click the junk email. Select "Mark as Junk." Apple moves the message to your Junk folder and learns to recognize similar messages.

Apple Mail does not have a dedicated "block sender" feature like other providers, but you can create a rule. Go to Mail > Preferences (or Mail > Settings on newer versions). Click "Rules." Click "Add Rule." Set "If" to "From" and enter the sender's address. Set "Then" to "Move Message" and select your Junk folder. Click "OK." Future emails from that address will go straight to junk.

Creating filter rules for common junk phrases

If you notice junk emails use the same words or phrases — "Congratulations," "Claim your prize," "Limited offer" — you can create a single filter that catches all of them. This is faster than blocking senders one by one, especially if junk comes from many different addresses.

In Gmail, go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Create a new filter. In the "Has the words" field, type the phrase in quotes — for example, "claim your prize" — then create the filter and set it to delete or move to spam. In Outlook, use the Junk Email settings and add the phrase to your blocklist. In Yahoo, create a filter with the phrase in the "Subject" or "Body" field.

Test the filter for a few days before making it permanent. If real emails start disappearing, the phrase is too common. Narrow it down — for example, change "free" to "information programs" or "free cash" — and try again.

When to unsubscribe instead of blocking

Marketing emails from real companies — newsletters, promotional offers, shipping notifications — usually have an "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom. Clicking it removes you from that sender's mailing list. This works only if the sender is legitimate and honors unsubscribe requests, which most do.

Junk emails from scammers or spammers often have fake unsubscribe links that confirm your address is active, leading to more junk. If you do not recognize the sender or the email looks suspicious, do not click unsubscribe. Block the sender instead.

A good rule: if you signed up for the mailing list or did business with the company, unsubscribe. If the email arrived unsolicited from an unknown sender, block it.

What not to do with junk emails

Do not reply to junk emails, even to ask them to stop sending. A reply confirms your address is active and monitored, which makes you a target for more junk. Do not click links inside junk emails unless you are certain the sender is legitimate — links can install malware or take you to fake websites designed to steal passwords.

Do not forward junk emails to the sender's address or to a "report spam" address you find in the email itself. Scammers use fake "report" addresses to collect active email addresses. If you want to report junk, use your email provider's built-in report button instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I block emails by subject line instead of sender?

Yes. In Gmail, create a filter and type the subject phrase in the "Has the words" field. In Outlook and Yahoo, create a filter and select "Subject" instead of "From." This works well for junk that uses the same subject line repeatedly, like "You have won a prize" or "Urgent account update needed."

What if I block someone by mistake?

You can unblock them. In Gmail, go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses and find the blocked address in the list, then click "Delete." In Outlook, go to Settings > Junk email > Blocked Senders and remove the address. In Yahoo, go to Filters and delete the rule. In Apple Mail, go to Preferences > Rules and delete the rule.

Will blocking a sender stop them from seeing if I opened their email?

No. Blocking only prevents their messages from reaching your inbox. If you already opened a junk email before blocking the sender, they may have received a read receipt. To prevent this in future, do not open junk emails — let your spam filter catch them first.

Can I block emails from an entire domain?

Yes. In Gmail, create a filter and type the domain in the "From" field as *@example.com (replace example.com with the actual domain). In Outlook, add the domain to your blocklist in the same format. This blocks all senders from that domain at once, which is useful if one company sends repeated junk from many addresses.

Does blocking on my phone block the same sender on my computer?

Yes, if you use the same email account on both devices. Blocking is tied to your email account, not your device. When you block a sender in Gmail on your phone, that sender is blocked in Gmail on your computer too. The same applies to Outlook, Yahoo, and Apple Mail.