How to Block Someone on Gmail

Gmail's way: block, filter or unsubscribe

1. 1Block: open a message from the sender, click More (the three dots next to Reply), and choose Block [sender]. Everything they send after that goes to Spam.
2. 2Unblock: Settings → See all settings → Filters and Blocked Addresses lists every address you have blocked, with an unblock link beside each. You can also use Unblock in the same More menu on one of their messages.
3. 3Filter instead when you want the mail kept but out of sight: More → Filter messages like these, then tick Skip the Inbox (Archive it) and apply a label. Filters can also delete matching mail outright.
4. 4Unsubscribe for newsletters and promotions. Google's own advice is to unsubscribe rather than block a legitimate bulk sender — blocking leaves them sending, it just files it in Spam.
5. 5Report spam for unwanted mail from senders you have no relationship with. That trains Gmail's filtering, which blocking a single address does not.
6. 6Blocking is per address. A sender who mails from a new address gets straight through, so blocking one cold emailer rarely ends the problem.

The problem

• ✕Blocking is one address at a time, and senders rotate addresses
• ✕Blocked mail lands in Spam rather than disappearing, so it is still there
• ✕A filter has to be written and maintained per sender or keyword
• ✕None of it distinguishes a supplier you must read from a newsletter you must not