Block a sender so their emails never reach your inbox

When you block someone in Gmail, their messages go straight to spam and you stop seeing notifications from them. You can block a sender in two ways: from an open email or from your contacts list. The fastest method is to open any email from that sender, click the three dots menu in the top right, and select "Block [sender name]". Gmail will immediately move that person's current and future emails to your spam folder.

If you want to block someone without opening their email, go to your Contacts, find their name, click it, then click the three dots menu and choose "Block". Either way, the block takes effect right away — you will not see their messages in your inbox anymore, though they can still send them.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking a sender moves their emails to spam automatically, but they will not know they are blocked and can still send messages.
  • You can block someone from an open email by clicking the three dots menu and selecting "Block [sender name]".
  • Unsubscribing from mailing lists removes you from future sends but does not block the sender — use this for newsletters and promotional emails you no longer want.
  • Blocked senders appear in your spam folder, so you can unblock them later if you change your mind.
  • Gmail's filters let you automatically delete, archive, or label emails from specific senders without blocking them outright.

Unsubscribe from mailing lists and newsletters

Unsubscribing is different from blocking. When you unsubscribe, you tell the sender to remove you from their mailing list — this works for newsletters, promotional emails, and other bulk messages. Most marketing emails have an "Unsubscribe" link at the very bottom of the message. Click it, and you will be taken to a page where you confirm you want to stop receiving emails from that sender.

Unsubscribing usually takes a few days to take effect, and some senders are slower than others. If you continue to receive emails after unsubscribing, go back and unsubscribe again, or block the sender instead. Unsubscribing does not block the sender — it just removes you from their list, so they could theoretically add you back later if they have your address.

Use filters to automatically handle emails from specific senders

Filters let you set rules for emails without blocking the sender outright. You might want to automatically delete emails from someone, send them straight to a label, or archive them so they do not clutter your inbox. To create a filter, click the search box at the top of Gmail, then click the three dots icon and select "Create filter". Type in the sender's email address or other details you want to match.

Once you have entered the criteria, click "Create filter" and choose what you want Gmail to do with matching emails: delete them, archive them, mark them as read, add a label, or send them to a specific folder. Filters work on all future emails from that sender, but they do not affect messages already in your inbox. You can edit or delete filters anytime by going to Settings, then Filters and Blocked Addresses.

Check your spam folder and unblock senders if needed

Blocked emails go to your spam folder, not a separate blocked list. To see who you have blocked, go to Settings, click the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab, and scroll to the bottom. You will see a list of all blocked senders. If you want to unblock someone, click the "Unblock" button next to their name, and their future emails will return to your inbox.

Check your spam folder occasionally to make sure important emails are not being blocked by mistake. Sometimes Gmail's spam filter catches legitimate messages, especially from new senders or automated systems. If you find a message that should not be there, click it, then click "Report not spam" to tell Gmail it was a mistake and to expect more emails from that sender.

Stop Gmail from marking emails as spam automatically

If emails from a sender keep going to spam even though you have not blocked them, Gmail's spam filter is catching them. Open one of those emails in your spam folder and click "Report not spam". This tells Gmail the sender is legitimate and helps train the filter to let their future messages through to your inbox.

You can also add the sender to your Contacts to increase the chance their emails reach your inbox. Go to Contacts, click "Create contact", enter their email address, and save. Gmail treats emails from people in your Contacts more favorably than from unknown senders, so this simple step often solves the problem.

Manage blocked senders on mobile devices

Blocking works the same way on the Gmail app for iPhone and Android. Open an email from the sender you want to block, tap the three dots menu at the top right, and select "Block [sender name]". On mobile, you cannot see your full blocked list the same way you can on a computer, but you can still unblock someone by going to Settings, tapping your account, selecting "Manage your Google Account", going to the Security tab, and finding "Third-party apps with account access" — though the easier route is to use a computer to manage blocks.

If you are using the Gmail app and want to unsubscribe from a mailing list, scroll to the bottom of the email and tap the "Unsubscribe" link. The process is the same as on a computer, though some emails may not have a visible unsubscribe option on mobile — in that case, open the email on a computer to find it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the sender know I blocked them?

No. When you block someone, they will not receive any notification. Their emails will simply go to spam, and they will have no way to know you blocked them unless you tell them. They can still send you messages — you just will not see them.

Can I block an entire domain instead of just one person?

Gmail does not have a built-in option to block an entire domain, but you can create a filter that catches all emails from that domain. Use the filter search to enter "*@example.com" (replacing example.com with the domain you want to block), then set the filter to delete or archive those emails automatically.

What is the difference between blocking and unsubscribing?

Blocking stops all emails from a sender and moves them to spam. Unsubscribing removes you from a mailing list but does not block the sender — it is meant for newsletters and promotional emails. Use unsubscribe for legitimate mailing lists and block for unwanted senders.

Can I recover emails from a blocked sender?

Yes. Blocked emails go to your spam folder, so you can still read them there. If you unblock the sender, their emails will start appearing in your inbox again. You can also manually move emails from spam back to your inbox if you change your mind.

Why are emails from a trusted sender going to spam?

Gmail's spam filter sometimes catches legitimate emails by mistake, especially from new senders or automated systems. Open the email in your spam folder and click "Report not spam" to tell Gmail it was a mistake. Adding the sender to your Contacts also helps Gmail recognize them as trusted in the future.