Open a message from the sender, click the three-dot menu next to Reply, and choose Block. Future mail from that exact address goes to Spam. Gmail does not notify the sender.
I'm Alec. I founded Gmail Unsubscribe, and 104,000+ people have installed it. Blocking comes up in support almost as often as unsubscribing. Blocking is a Gmail setting that quietly files one address in Spam. Unsubscribing is a request you send to a company you actually signed up with.
How to block a sender in Gmail on the web
As of 2026, this is the sequence at mail.google.com:
- Open Gmail in your browser and open a message from the sender you want to block.
- In the top right of that message, next to Reply, click the three-dot menu (Gmail labels it More).
- Click Block "[sender name]".
- Confirm Block in the dialog.
New messages from that address skip the inbox and land in Spam. Mail already in the account stays put. If you want the old messages gone too, search from:address@example.com, select the results, and archive or delete them. Blocking does not empty the past.
The block lives on your Google account, so it applies on every device signed into that account.
How to block a sender in the Gmail app (iPhone and Android)
iPhone and Android share the same menu.
- Open the Gmail app and open a message from the sender.
- Tap the three-dot menu in the top right of the message, next to Reply.
- Tap Block "[sender name]". On iPhone the row may read Block sender.
- Confirm if the app asks.
Do this in the Gmail app, not the iOS Mail app or another client. Those apps have their own junk controls and do not write to Gmail's blocked list.
If you later need to unblock and cannot find a message, look in Spam.
Block vs Report spam vs Filter vs Unsubscribe
Four Gmail actions make mail disappear. They do different jobs.
| Action | What it does | Sender notified? | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block | Future mail from that exact address goes to Spam | No | One address you never want in the inbox |
| Report spam | This message goes to Spam; Gmail's filter is trained | No | True spam and phishing |
| Filter | Your rule: skip inbox, delete, label, or mark as spam | No | A domain, a phrase, or rotating From addresses |
| Unsubscribe | A request goes to a company you signed up with | Yes, they receive it | Lists you actually joined |
This page is the how. For when to pick which action, use the split in how to stop spam emails in Gmail: subscriptions versus true spam. Unsubscribe from lists you joined. Never unsubscribe from true spam. That click tells a stranger your address is live, and live addresses get sold on. Use Block or Report spam instead. The longer version is in is it safe to unsubscribe from emails.
Block one address vs a whole domain
The Block button matches one From address. Block offers@shop.com and hello@shop.com still lands in the inbox.
To cover a whole domain, create a filter. On the web, as of 2026:
- Click the gear in the top right, then See all settings.
- Open the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab.
- Click Create a new filter.
- In From, type
@domain.com. The@is what makes it a domain match. - Click Create filter, then pick Skip the Inbox (Archive it), Delete it, or Mark as spam.
- Tick Also apply filter to matching conversations if you want existing mail treated the same way.
You can open the same dialog from the search bar: click the search-options sliders, fill in From, then Create filter.
I skip the inbox rather than delete, so a legitimate message from that domain is still searchable in All Mail. Mark as spam is closer to a block and also trains Gmail's filters.
How to unblock and review Blocked Addresses
From a message: open it (Spam is the usual place), three-dot menu, Unblock "[sender]".
To review everyone you have blocked:
- Settings → See all settings → Filters and Blocked Addresses.
- Scroll to Blocked Addresses at the bottom of the tab.
- Check the senders you want out and click Unblock.
Filters sit in the same tab, in the list above Blocked Addresses. Unblocking an address does not delete a filter, and deleting a filter does not unblock an address. If mail still vanishes after you unblock, look for a leftover filter.
When blocking isn't enough
Some senders rotate the From line: news@, then hello@, then a random string at the same domain. Blocking the first address does nothing to the second. Filter on @domain.com instead.
True spam does this on purpose. A blocked address is cheap to abandon. Report spam on those messages so Gmail's network filter gets a vote, and add a domain filter if the same shop keeps changing names.
For newsletters you once opted into, try unsubscribe first. Across our users, roughly a third of unsubscribe attempts hit senders with no working mechanism: no one-click header, no working link. For that third, block the address or filter the domain and stop asking. Our extension reports those failures per sender so you can see which pile is which.
When to use the extension instead
Blocking is the right tool for strangers and for one address that will not quit. It is a poor fit for a backlog of real mailing lists. The average first scan with Gmail Unsubscribe finds about 15 subscription senders. Those are stores, apps, and newsletters that will honor an unsubscribe if you send one.
The extension is for bulk unsubscribe of those lists. It is not a block button for people you do not know. The free plan covers 5 unsubscribes a month plus unlimited scan and archive. Pro is $35.88/year.
Scan your inbox free. Unsubscribe from the lists you actually joined, and see which senders have no working opt-out so you can block them instead.
Add to Chrome, freeCommon questions
Does the sender know I blocked them?
No. Gmail does not send a notice. Their future mail still arrives at your account; it is filed in Spam. They get no bounce and no "this person blocked you" message.
What's the difference between Block and Report spam?
Block is a personal rule for one address. Report spam trains Gmail's filter and can help other inboxes too. For a stranger, do both: Report spam on the message, then Block the address.
How do I unblock someone?
Open a message from them (check Spam), three-dot menu, Unblock. Or Settings → See all settings → Filters and Blocked Addresses, check the address, Unblock.
Can I block a whole domain?
Not with the Block button. Create a filter with From set to @domain.com, then skip the inbox, delete, or mark as spam.