How to Block Emails in Gmail

This article explains how to block emails in Gmail from any sender. You can block individual senders or create a block list using filters.

How to Block Email From a Sender in Gmail

To add a sender to your Gmail's list of blocked senders and have their messages go to the Spam folder automatically:

1. Open a message from the sender you want to block.

2. Select More (the three vertical dots next to the Reply button in the message's header).

3. Select Block sender from the drop-down menu.

   You will not have the option to block messages from some senders (like Google), but you can still employ a rule to block these senders using the instructions below.

4. Select Block in the confirmation window. Now that sender is blocked.

   The sender won't know that they've been blocked. If you want them to know, use a Gmail filter to automatically trigger a response. 

How to Block Senders in Gmail Using Filters

You can create a block list in Gmail by setting up a rule to send all incoming email from any sender straight to the Trash folder as it arrives. To have Gmail send messages from specific senders to the Trash automatically using a Gmail filter:

1. Select the Show search options triangle (▾) in the Gmail search field.

2. In the From field, type the desired email address. To block more than one address, separate them with the vertical bar ( | ), which is typically above the backslash on the keyboard.

   For example, to block both user-a@example.com and user-b@example.com, type user-a@example.com|user-b@example.com.

   You can block an entire domain by entering just the sender's domain. For example, to block all mail from both user-a@example.com and user-b@example.com, type @example.com.

3. Select Create filter.

4. Select Delete it in the search filter dialog box that appears.

   To archive and label instead of deleting messages, choose Skip the Inbox (Archive it), and then choose Apply the label. Next to that, select Choose label to open a drop-down menu of all available filters. You also have the option to create a New Label.

5. Select Create filter.

   Check Also apply filter to matching conversations to delete previously received messages.

6. Future messages from the specified sender(s) will now go directly to the Trash.

   As an alternative, you can archive and label these messages for later review. If you're receiving mailer daemon spam, you can mark them as spam or junk.

   
   

Add a New Address to Your Gmail Block List Rule

To add new senders to your block list, add them to an existing deletion filter by editing the filter and using a vertical bar ( | ), or create a new filter. To find the existing filters:

1. Select the Settings gear.

2. Select See all settings.

3. Go to the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab, then select edit next to the filter.