How to Block E-mail

It can be very frustrating when mass forwards clutter your e-mail inbox. Sometimes simply replying to the forwards and asking to be removed from the list is effective, but when it is not there is the option of blocking the e-mail address that the forwards are coming from.

Blocking an e-mail address is not as effective for spam as it is for forwards. People who send spam can use a new address (domain) for nearly every e-mail they send out. You should only block e-mail addresses of individual users who send you e-mails that you are not interested in reading, and it will save you the time of having to delete the e-mails individually.

When you block an e-mail address, all of the e-mails sent by that address will automatically be sent to your Trash folder. Blocking an e-mail address is not a permanent decision. If for some reason you want to unblock an e-mail address, then it is as simple as blocking an e-mail address. Below are steps to blocking e-mail addresses in G-mail, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Mail Classic, and Windows Live Hot-mail.

Block E-mail in G-mail

Follow these steps to have e-mails from an individual sender sent directly to the Trash folder:

1. At the top of the G-mail mailbox near the search buttons, there is a Create a Filter link. Click on the link.
2. Under From, type in the e-mail address that you want to block.
3. If you want to block an entire domain, then simply type in the domain. So if you want to block all e-mails from @example.com, then type in @example.com.
4. If you want to block more than one e-mail address, then separate the addresses with the vertical bar that is usually above the backslash on the keyboard. It looks like this: |. So if you want to block two e-mail addresses, then you can type in smith@example.com|jones@example.com.
5. After you have the e-mail address(es) typed in, then click on Next Step.
6. Under Choose Action, make sure Delete is checked.
7. Click on Create Filter.
8. If you want to delete messages that were previously received, then check Also Apply Filter to ___ Conversations Below.

If you prefer you can archive the messages from a particular sender instead of sending the messages to the Trash Folder, then you will be able to label the messages instead of deleting them. To do this you will need to check on Skip the Inbox (Archive it) and Apply the Label under the Choose Action instead of Delete when you set up the filter.

Block E-mail in Yahoo! Mail

Follow these steps to have e-mails from an individual sender sent directly to the Trash folder:

1. In Yahoo! Mail, select Options at the top left corner of your screen, then click on Mail Options.
2. Click on the Spam category on the left-hand of the screen.
3. Under Add a Blocked Address, type in the e-mail address you want to block.
4. Click on Add.
5. Click on Save Changes.

Block E-mail in Yahoo! Mail Classic

Follow these steps to have e-mails from an individual sender sent directly to the Trash folder:

1. At the top of the navigation bar, click on the Mail Options link.
2. Under Management, click on Block Addresses.
3. Under Add Block, enter the e-mail address that you want to block.
4. Click on Add Block.
5. Click on Yes.

Block E-mail in Windows Live Hot-mail

Follow these steps to have e-mails from an individual sender sent directly to the Trash folder:

1. On the Windows Live Hot-mail toolbar, click on Options, and then More Options.
2. Under Preventing Junk E-mail, click on the Safe and Blocked Senders link.
3. Click on Blocked Senders.
4. Under Blocked E-mail Address or Domain, enter the e-mail address that you want to block.
5. Click on Add to List.