Find the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email

Almost every marketing email you receive is required by law to include an unsubscribe link. Look at the very bottom of the email — below the signature, in the footer, or sometimes in small gray text. The link usually says "Unsubscribe," "Manage Preferences," "Remove Me," or "Stop Receiving These Emails."

Click that link. It will take you to a page where you can confirm you want to stop receiving emails from that sender. Some senders let you choose which types of emails to stop — for example, you might keep order confirmations but stop promotional messages. Others give you only an all-or-nothing option.

The unsubscribe should take effect within a few days. You may receive one final confirmation email, or the sender may straightforward stop emailing you. If emails from that sender continue to arrive after two weeks, the sender may not be following the law, and you can report them to your email provider.

Key Takeaways

  • Every legitimate marketing email must have an unsubscribe link in the footer, usually in small text at the very bottom.
  • Clicking the unsubscribe link takes you to a confirmation page where you confirm you want to stop receiving emails.
  • Unsubscribe requests usually take effect within a few days, though some senders offer a choice between stopping all emails or just certain types.
  • If a sender continues emailing you after two weeks of unsubscribing, you can mark the emails as spam or report the sender to your email provider.
  • Replying to an email asking to be removed does not work — you must use the unsubscribe link provided by the sender.

What to do if you cannot find an unsubscribe link

Some emails — especially ones that look unprofessional or come from unfamiliar senders — may not include an unsubscribe link at all. This is a violation of the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States and similar laws in other countries. If you cannot find an unsubscribe link after scrolling to the very bottom of the email, the sender is breaking the law.

Your best option is to mark the email as spam or junk in your email provider. In Gmail, click the three dots at the top right of the email and select "Report Spam." In Outlook, click the "Junk" button. In Apple Mail, click "Junk" in the toolbar. Marking emails as spam trains your email provider to filter future messages from that sender automatically.

Do not reply to the email or click any links inside it other than an unsubscribe link. Replying confirms your email address is active, which often leads to more spam. Clicking other links can expose you to phishing scams or malware.

Using your email provider's built-in unsubscribe tools

Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all have features that make unsubscribing easier. In Gmail, open an email from the sender you want to unsubscribe from. Look for the sender's name at the top of the email, and click the small arrow next to it. Select "Unsubscribe" from the menu that appears. Gmail will find the unsubscribe link in the email and take you directly to it.

In Outlook on the web, open the email and look for "Unsubscribe" in the toolbar at the top. Click it, and Outlook will process the unsubscribe request. On Outlook for Windows or Mac, right-click the sender's name and look for an unsubscribe option in the context menu.

Apple Mail does not have a built-in unsubscribe button, so you will need to scroll to the bottom of the email and click the unsubscribe link yourself. However, you can create rules to automatically sort emails from certain senders into a folder or delete them entirely. Go to Mail > Preferences > Rules, then set up a rule based on the sender's address.

Blocking a sender instead of unsubscribing

If you want to stop seeing emails from a sender but do not want to formally unsubscribe, you can block them instead. Blocking is faster and does not require you to visit a website. In Gmail, click the three dots at the top right of an email and select "Block [Sender Name]." All future emails from that address will go straight to spam.

In Outlook, right-click the sender's name and select "Block." In Apple Mail, select the email and go to Mail > Block Sender. Blocking is permanent unless you manually unblock the sender later, so use it only for senders you are certain you never want to hear from again.

The difference between blocking and unsubscribing matters if you change your mind. Unsubscribing removes you from a mailing list but does not prevent the sender from emailing you again if they want to. Blocking prevents all emails from that sender from reaching your inbox. If you think you might want to receive emails from a sender in the future, unsubscribe instead of blocking.

Managing subscription preferences instead of unsubscribing completely

Many senders offer a middle ground: you can stay subscribed but change what types of emails you receive. When you click an unsubscribe link, you may land on a page that says "Manage Your Preferences" or "Update Your Settings." This page usually lets you uncheck boxes for specific types of emails — newsletters, promotional offers, product updates, or event invitations — while keeping others.

This option is useful if you want to stop receiving daily promotional emails but still get order confirmations or important account notifications. Read the options carefully before submitting, because some senders use confusing language. A checkbox that says "Receive promotional emails" means you will get them if it is checked, and you will not get them if it is unchecked.

If the preference page does not offer the option you want, or if the language is unclear, go ahead and unsubscribe completely. You can always re-subscribe later if you change your mind — most senders make it straightforward to sign up again.

Dealing with emails from services you actually use

Some emails come from services you signed up for intentionally — banks, social media platforms, online retailers, or software you use. These emails often include account notifications, security alerts, or order updates that you may need to see. Before unsubscribing, check whether the email is something you actually want to receive.

If you want to keep receiving important notifications but stop getting promotional emails, look for a "Manage Email Preferences" or "Email Settings" link in the email footer. This will take you to your account settings on that service's website, where you can usually choose which types of emails to receive. For example, Amazon lets you turn off promotional emails while keeping order and shipping notifications.

If you unsubscribe from a service you use regularly, you may miss important information like password reset links, security alerts, or delivery notifications. Make sure you understand what you are unsubscribing from before you click the link.

What happens after you unsubscribe

After you unsubscribe, the sender has up to 10 business days to remove your email address from their mailing list. Most senders do it within a few days. You may receive one final email confirming your unsubscribe request, or you may straightforward stop receiving emails with no confirmation at all.

If you continue to receive emails from the same sender after two weeks, the sender is not following the law. At that point, mark the emails as spam. If the problem persists, contact your email provider's support team. Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all have processes for reporting senders who ignore unsubscribe requests.

Keep in mind that unsubscribing from one sender does not affect emails from other senders. If you receive unwanted emails from multiple sources, you will need to unsubscribe from each one separately, or block them individually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to click an unsubscribe link?

Yes, unsubscribe links from legitimate senders are safe. However, scammers sometimes send fake emails with unsubscribe links that lead to phishing websites or read malware. If an email looks suspicious — poor spelling, unfamiliar sender, urgent language asking for personal information — do not click any links. Mark it as spam instead.

What if I unsubscribe by mistake?

You can usually re-subscribe by visiting the sender's website and signing up for their mailing list again. Look for a "Subscribe" or "Sign Up for Our Newsletter" link, usually at the bottom of their website. Some senders also let you re-subscribe by replying to a confirmation email, though this is less common.

Can I unsubscribe from all emails at once?

No, you have to unsubscribe from each sender individually. However, you can use email filters to automatically sort unwanted emails into a folder or delete them. In Gmail, create a filter by clicking the search box, then clicking the three dots and selecting "Create Filter." You can then choose to automatically delete, archive, or label emails from certain senders.

Why do I still get emails after unsubscribing?

The sender may not have processed your request yet — give it up to 10 business days. If emails continue after that, the sender may be using a different email address for each campaign, or they may not be following the law. Mark the emails as spam and report the sender to your email provider.

What is the difference between unsubscribe and block?

Unsubscribe removes you from a mailing list but does not prevent the sender from emailing you again. Block prevents all emails from that sender from reaching your inbox. Use unsubscribe if you might want to hear from them later, and block if you never want to see their emails again.