The fastest way to stop an email is to unsubscribe, but the method depends on who sent it
Most legitimate companies include an unsubscribe link at the bottom of their emails — usually in small text in the footer. Click that link, and you are removed from their mailing list. This works for newsletters, promotional emails, and account notifications you no longer want. The sender has a legal obligation to honor the request within ten business days.
If there is no unsubscribe link, the email is likely spam or from someone who does not follow the law. In that case, your options are different: you can mark it as spam in your email provider, block the sender, or report it to your email provider's abuse team. Unsubscribing from a spam email can actually confirm your address is active and lead to more spam, so do not click unknown unsubscribe links.
The distinction matters because it changes what you should do next. A legitimate sender respects unsubscribe requests. A spammer ignores them and may use your click as proof the address works.
Key Takeaways
- Unsubscribe links at the bottom of emails are the fastest way to stop legitimate marketing messages, and senders must honor the request within ten business days.
- Marking an email as spam or junk trains your email provider to filter similar messages, but does not contact the sender.
- Blocking a sender stops all future emails from that address, but does not remove you from their mailing list if they send from a different address.
- Never click unsubscribe on emails from unknown senders, because it confirms your address is active and may increase spam.
- If an email claims to be from a bank, payment service, or government agency but asks you to click a link, report it as phishing rather than unsubscribing.
How to unsubscribe from legitimate marketing emails
Open the email and scroll to the very bottom. Look for a line that says "Unsubscribe," "Manage Preferences," "Update Your Settings," or "Remove Me From This List." This link is usually in gray text and much smaller than the rest of the email. Click it.
You will be taken to a page where you can confirm you want to unsubscribe. Some senders let you choose which types of emails to stop receiving instead of unsubscribing completely — for example, you might keep order confirmations but stop promotional messages. Read the options before you confirm.
After you unsubscribe, you should stop receiving emails from that sender within ten business days. If emails keep arriving after that, mark them as spam or report the sender to your email provider's abuse team.
Marking emails as spam versus blocking a sender
Marking as spam tells your email provider that you do not want to see messages like this one. Your provider learns from your choice and automatically sends similar future emails to your spam folder. The original sender does not know you marked them as spam. This is useful when you receive unwanted emails from a sender you have never heard of, or when you want to stop seeing emails without contacting the sender.
Blocking a sender stops all emails from that specific email address from reaching your inbox. They go to spam or a blocked folder instead. Blocking is more aggressive than marking as spam — it affects only that one address, not similar messages from other addresses. If a sender uses multiple email addresses, you will need to block each one separately.
In Gmail, mark as spam by clicking the three dots next to the email and selecting "Report Spam." Block a sender by clicking the three dots and selecting "Block [Sender Name]." In Outlook, right-click the email and choose "Junk" then "Block Sender." In Apple Mail, select the email and click the flag icon, then choose "Mark as Junk."
Why you should not unsubscribe from unknown senders
When you click an unsubscribe link, you confirm to the sender that your email address is real and actively monitored. Spammers use this information to sell your address to other spammers or to send you more emails themselves. If you do not recognize the sender and did not sign up for their list, marking the email as spam is safer than unsubscribing.
The exception is when the email appears to come from a company you do business with — your bank, your phone provider, an online store where you have an account. In those cases, the unsubscribe link is usually legitimate. If you are unsure, go directly to the company's website and log into your account settings to manage your email preferences there, rather than clicking a link in the email.
How to report phishing emails that pretend to be from banks or services
Some emails claim to be from your bank, PayPal, Amazon, or a government agency but ask you to click a link to "verify your account" or "confirm your identity." These are phishing emails designed to steal your login information or personal data. Do not click the link and do not unsubscribe.
Instead, report the email as phishing. In Gmail, click the three dots and select "Report Phishing." In Outlook, right-click and choose "Report Phishing." In Apple Mail, select the email and click "Report Junk" then "This is Phishing." You can also forward the email to the real company's abuse address — for example, phishing@amazon.com or spam@paypal.com — so they know someone is impersonating them.
If you are worried you may have already clicked a link or entered information, go directly to the real company's website (do not click any link in the email) and change your password when ready.
Managing email preferences in your account settings
Many companies let you control which emails you receive by logging into your account and changing your notification settings. This is often faster and more reliable than unsubscribing, because you can choose exactly which types of messages you want to see.
For example, Amazon lets you manage marketing emails, order notifications, and recommendations separately in your account settings. Gmail lets you unsubscribe from mailing lists directly from the email preview without opening the full message. Most online retailers, social media platforms, and streaming services have a "Notifications" or "Email Preferences" section in your account settings.
If you receive unwanted emails from a service you use, check your account settings first. You may be able to turn off entire categories of emails without unsubscribing from the service itself.
What to do if unsubscribing does not work
If you unsubscribed but emails keep arriving, the sender is not following the law. Mark those emails as spam and block the sender. If the emails continue, report the sender to your email provider's abuse team. In Gmail, click the three dots on an email from that sender and select "Report Spam." In Outlook, right-click and choose "Report Junk" then "Phishing Scam." Include a few examples of the unwanted emails in your report.
You can also report persistent spam to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The FTC does not investigate individual complaints, but it tracks patterns of illegal spam and uses that information to pursue enforcement action against large-scale spammers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I unsubscribe but the sender keeps emailing me?
Mark those emails as spam and block the sender. Report the sender to your email provider's abuse team and to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sender is breaking the law by ignoring your unsubscribe request, and your report helps authorities identify repeat offenders.
Is it safe to click unsubscribe links?
Unsubscribe links from legitimate companies are safe to click. If you do not recognize the sender and did not sign up for their list, mark the email as spam instead. Clicking unsubscribe on spam confirms your address is active and may lead to more spam.
Can I unsubscribe from all emails from a company at once?
Most unsubscribe links remove you from all marketing emails but may keep you on transactional emails like order confirmations or password resets. If you want to stop all emails from a company, log into your account settings and look for a "Deactivate Account" or "Delete Account" option. Some companies let you pause notifications without deleting your account.
What does "manage preferences" mean when I click unsubscribe?
Manage preferences lets you choose which types of emails you want to receive instead of unsubscribing completely. You might keep promotional emails but stop newsletters, or vice versa. Read the options carefully before you save your choices.
Should I reply to spam emails and ask them to stop?
No. Replying confirms your address is active and monitored, which encourages more spam. Mark the email as spam, block the sender, and do not respond.