How to Block or Unsubscribe From a Sender in Gmail

When mail you don’t want keeps arriving, Gmail gives you two different tools: blocking and unsubscribing. They solve different problems, so pick the right one.

Why: Blocking sends every future message from that address straight to Spam — good for a persistent individual. Unsubscribing removes you from a legitimate mailing list at the source — better for newsletters and promotions you once signed up for. Blocking a newsletter does not unsubscribe you; it just hides the mail in Spam.

Fix 1: Block a sender

1. Open Gmail on a computer.
2. Open a message from the sender.
3. In the top right of the message, click More (the three-dot menu next to Reply).
4. Click Block “[sender’s name]”.

From now on, mail from that address goes to Spam automatically. Messages already in your inbox aren’t moved — delete those yourself.

Fix 2: Unsubscribe from a mailing list

For newsletters and promotions, unsubscribing is cleaner than blocking because it stops the mail at the sender’s end.

1. Open Gmail on a computer.
2. Open the message (or just hover over it in the list).
3. Next to the sender’s name, click Unsubscribe or Change preferences if Gmail shows it.
4. Confirm on the page that opens if asked.

Gmail only shows the Unsubscribe link when the sender includes a standard unsubscribe header, which most legitimate mailers do. If it’s missing, the sender may not be reputable — block them instead.

Fix 3: Unblock a sender you blocked by mistake

1. Click the Settings gear (top right) → See all settings.
2. Open the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab.
3. Scroll to the blocked list, check the address, and click Unblock selected addresses.

You can also open any message from that sender, click More, and choose Unblock “[sender]”.

FAQ

Does blocking unsubscribe me too? No. Blocking only diverts future mail to Spam — you stay on the list. Use Unsubscribe to actually come off it.

The sender keeps reaching me from new addresses. Blocking is per-address. For a flood of look-alike senders, create a filter (Settings → Filters and Blocked Addresses → Create a new filter) that deletes mail matching a keyword or domain.

Should I unsubscribe from obvious spam? No — clicking unsubscribe on real spam confirms your address is live. For spam, use Report spam instead, which also helps Gmail block similar mail.

Sources: Gmail Help — Block or unsubscribe from emails