How to Block Email Addresses in MacOS Mail

This article explains how to block and automatically delete email from a specific sender in Apple Mail for macOS using a filter. Information is this article applies to the following operating systems: macOS BigSur (11), macOS Catalina (10.15), macOS Mojave (10.14), macOS High Sierra (10.13), macOS Sierra (10.12)

Building a Rule to Block Email From a Sender

Here's how to build a rule to block email from an unwanted sender:

1. Go to Mail > Preferences from the Mail menu bar.

   

   If you already have a message from the sender you want to block, open the email first and then select Mail > Preferences to avoid having to type the address when you formulate the rule.

2. Click the Rules tab in the Preferences screen and select Add Rule.

   

3. By default, the rule form is set to apply to any of the following conditions, and the criteria fields are From and contains. If those fields have been changed, reset them to the defaults using the arrows next to the fields.

   

4. Type the full email address that you want to block in the field next to contains.

   If you started this process by opening an email from the email address you wanted to block, you don't have to type in the email address. It will already be filled in.

   

   To block an entire domain and not just a single email address from that domain, enter the domain only in the field next to contains. For example, you can block all @example.com email addresses by entering example.com in the field.

5. Select Delete message under Perform the following actions.

   

6. Enter a description for the new rule in the field next to Description. Use something like BlockedUsers to help you easily identify the rule in the filters list.

   

7. Choose OK and close the Rules preferences window. If prompted, select whether to Apply or Don't Apply the rule you just created.

   

Mac Mail lets you block senders by other conditions, too, such as messages where the Subject line contains specific text. This approach is useful if you often receive emails from different senders that have the same text in the Subject line, and you want to block all of them.