The fastest way to stop unwanted email is to block the sender directly in your email provider

Most email services let you block a sender with one click. In Gmail, open the email, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Block [sender]". In Outlook, right-click the email and choose "Block". In Apple Mail, click the sender's address and select "Block Contact". Once blocked, emails from that address go straight to spam and you won't see notifications.

Blocking works best when you know exactly who is sending the unwanted mail — a specific retailer, a person, or a service you signed up for. It does not stop someone from creating a new email address and contacting you again, but it does stop the current address immediately.

If the sender is spoofing a legitimate company (pretending to be your bank, for example), blocking may not help because each email comes from a different address. In those cases, reporting the email as phishing or spam to your provider is more effective than blocking.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking a sender in Gmail, Outlook, or Apple Mail takes one click and sends all future emails from that address to spam.
  • Unsubscribe links at the bottom of marketing emails are legitimate when they come from real companies, and using them removes you from their list faster than blocking.
  • Reporting emails as spam or phishing trains your provider's filter to catch similar messages automatically, even from new addresses.
  • Creating filters or rules lets you automatically sort, delete, or flag emails based on keywords, sender domain, or subject line without blocking the entire address.
  • Never reply to or click links in unsolicited emails, as this confirms your address is active and often leads to more spam.

When to unsubscribe instead of blocking

Marketing emails from real companies — newsletters, promotional offers, shipping notifications — usually include an unsubscribe link at the very bottom. Clicking it removes you from that sender's mailing list. This is faster and more reliable than blocking because the company's system processes the request, whereas blocking only affects your inbox.

Unsubscribe links are required by law in most countries for marketing email. If you see one, the sender is a legitimate business. If you do not see an unsubscribe link, the email is likely spam or phishing, and you should report it instead of replying or clicking anything else in the message.

The trade-off: unsubscribing takes a few seconds and requires you to click a link, but it stops the emails at the source. Blocking is instant but only affects your account. If you receive marketing email from a company you do business with but no longer want to hear from, unsubscribe first. If the emails continue after unsubscribing, then block the address.

Report spam and phishing to train your filter

Your email provider learns from the emails you mark as spam. When you click "Report spam" or "Report phishing" instead of just deleting, you tell the system that this type of message should be caught automatically for all users. Over time, this trains the filter to recognize similar emails from new addresses.

Reporting is especially useful for phishing emails — messages that pretend to be from your bank, PayPal, Amazon, or another service you use. These emails often come from spoofed addresses that change with each message, so blocking one address does not stop the next one. Reporting the email as phishing flags the content itself, not just the sender.

In Gmail, click the three dots and select "Report phishing". In Outlook, right-click and choose "Report". In Apple Mail, select the email and go to Mail menu > Report Junk. Spend a few seconds reporting instead of deleting, and your filter improves for future emails.

Use filters and rules to sort email automatically

Filters let you handle unwanted email without blocking the sender entirely. You can create a rule that automatically moves emails to spam, deletes them, or flags them for review based on keywords, sender domain, or subject line.

In Gmail, open Settings, go to Filters and Blocked Addresses, and click "Create a new filter". You can filter by sender address, subject line, or words in the email body. Choose what happens to matching emails: archive, delete, mark as spam, or apply a label. This is useful when you want to keep emails from a domain (like your workplace) but automatically sort newsletters or notifications into a folder.

In Outlook, go to Settings > Mail > Rules and create a new rule. In Apple Mail, go to Mail menu > Preferences > Rules. Filters are more flexible than blocking because you can keep emails from a sender but sort them away, or catch entire categories of unwanted mail without knowing the specific address.

Stop replying to or clicking in unsolicited emails

Replying to spam or clicking a link in an unsolicited email tells the sender your address is active and monitored. This makes your email more valuable to spammers and often leads to more unwanted mail. Even replying to say "stop sending me emails" confirms the address works.

The same applies to clicking unsubscribe links in emails you do not recognize. If the email looks suspicious — poor grammar, urgent language, requests for personal information — do not click anything. Report it as phishing instead. Legitimate unsubscribe links come from companies you recognize and have done business with.

If you receive a suspicious email claiming to be from your bank or a service you use, go directly to the company's website or app instead of clicking any link in the email. Log in through the official site and check your account. This protects you from phishing while avoiding the trap of confirming your email address to a scammer.

Manage your email address to reduce unwanted mail

Once your email address is on a spam list, blocking individual senders becomes tedious. You can reduce the amount of unwanted mail you receive by being selective about where you share your address.

Use a separate email address for online shopping, social media, and services you are less sure about. Keep your primary address for people and organizations you trust. Many email providers let you create multiple addresses or aliases for free — Gmail offers aliases with a plus sign (yourname+shopping@gmail.com), and Outlook lets you create additional addresses in settings.

When signing up for a service, look for a checkbox that says something like "Send me promotional emails" and uncheck it before submitting. This prevents the company from adding you to their marketing list automatically. If you have already signed up and receive unwanted mail, unsubscribe from the marketing list rather than blocking, since the company may send legitimate account notifications from the same address.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does blocking someone prevent them from seeing my emails?

No. Blocking only stops their emails from reaching your inbox. If you send them an email, they will receive it normally. Blocking is one-way — it affects only what you see, not what they can send or receive.

Can I unblock an email address after blocking it?

Yes. In Gmail, go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses and find the blocked address in the list, then click "Unblock". In Outlook, go to Settings > Mail > Junk email and find the address under Blocked Senders. In Apple Mail, go to Preferences > Junk Mail and remove the address from the blocked list. The process takes a few seconds.

What is the difference between spam and phishing?

Spam is unwanted marketing or bulk email. Phishing is a scam designed to steal your information by pretending to be a legitimate company. Phishing emails often ask you to confirm passwords, click a link to "verify your account", or provide personal details. Report phishing instead of just deleting it, because it helps protect other users.

If I unsubscribe from a mailing list, can the company still email me?

Legitimate companies honor unsubscribe requests within a few days. If you continue receiving emails from the same address after unsubscribing, block the address or report it as spam. If the company is real, contact their customer service directly — the continued emails may be a system error. If you cannot find a way to contact them, the sender is likely not legitimate.

Will blocking someone stop them from texting or calling me?

No. Email blocking only affects email. To block text messages, use your phone's built-in blocking feature or your carrier's spam filter. To block calls, use your phone's call blocking or a service like Nomorobo. Each communication channel has its own blocking system.