Block someone in Outlook by adding them to your blocked senders list

To block a person in Outlook, open an email from them, click the three dots (more actions) at the top right, and select Block. Outlook will move future emails from that address to your Junk folder automatically. You can also block someone without opening their email: right-click their name in your inbox and choose Block from the menu.

Once blocked, emails from that person still arrive on Outlook's servers, but they bypass your inbox entirely. You can see blocked messages in your Junk folder if you need to check them later, and you can unblock the person at any time by going to Settings and removing them from your blocked list.

The block applies only to the email address you blocked. If someone sends you mail from a different address, that message will not be blocked automatically — you would need to block each address separately.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking someone in Outlook sends their future emails to your Junk folder instead of your inbox.
  • You can block a sender by opening their email, clicking the three dots, and selecting Block, or by right-clicking their name in your inbox.
  • Blocked emails still arrive on Outlook's servers and appear in your Junk folder, so you can review them if needed.
  • Blocking one email address does not block other addresses from the same person, so you may need to block multiple addresses if someone contacts you from different accounts.
  • You can unblock a sender at any time through your Outlook settings.

Where to find your blocked senders list

Your blocked senders list lives in Outlook Settings. Click the gear icon in the top right corner of your inbox, then select View all Outlook settings. Go to Mail, then Junk email, and you will see a section called Blocked senders.

From this page, you can see everyone you have blocked and remove anyone from the list. If you want to unblock someone, find their address in the list and click the X next to their name. The change takes effect when ready — their next email will go to your inbox instead of Junk.

The difference between blocking and creating a filter

Blocking and filtering are not the same thing. When you block someone, Outlook automatically sends all their mail to Junk. When you create a filter, you decide what happens to emails that match certain words or come from certain addresses — you can send them to a folder, mark them as read, or delete them.

Blocking is faster if you straightforward want someone's email out of your inbox. Filtering gives you more control: you could send emails from a work address to a specific folder, or automatically delete messages with certain keywords. Most people use blocking for unwanted senders and filters for organizing mail they want to keep but separate from their main inbox.

What happens when you block someone

When you block a sender, Outlook does not notify them. They will not receive a message saying they have been blocked, and they will not see a delivery failure notice. From their perspective, the email went through normally — they have no way to know whether you received it, read it, or blocked them.

The person you blocked can still send you emails. Those emails straightforward will not show up in your inbox. If you need to see what they sent, you can check your Junk folder at any time. Blocking is a one-way action: it does not prevent them from contacting you, it just hides their messages from your main view.

Blocking someone who uses a different email address

If someone contacts you from multiple email addresses, you need to block each address separately. Outlook does not have a way to block an entire person or domain — only individual email addresses. This means if someone switches to a new email account, their messages will not be blocked unless you add that new address to your blocked list.

If you are being contacted repeatedly from different addresses by the same person, blocking may not be the best solution. Consider reporting the emails as phishing or spam instead, or contact Outlook support if the behavior feels threatening. Outlook's spam filters may catch future messages from new addresses if they come from the same source.

Unblocking someone and what to do if you block by mistake

If you block someone by mistake, you can unblock them when ready. Go to Settings, select Mail, then Junk email, find their address in the Blocked senders list, and click the X next to their name. Their next email will arrive in your inbox normally.

Unblocking does not retrieve emails they sent while they were blocked — those messages stay in your Junk folder. If you need to see something they sent during the blocked period, check your Junk folder and move it back to your inbox manually. After you unblock them, future emails will come through to your inbox as usual.

When blocking is not enough

Blocking works well for unwanted email from people you know or occasional spam. It does not stop someone from contacting you through other channels — text, phone, social media, or a different email address. If someone is harassing you across multiple platforms, blocking email alone will not solve the problem.

If you are receiving threatening emails, repeated unwanted contact, or messages that feel like a scam, report them to Outlook as phishing or abuse instead of just blocking. You can report an email by clicking the three dots and selecting Report. Reporting helps Outlook's spam filters catch similar messages from other senders and protects other users.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone tell if I blocked them on Outlook?

No. Outlook does not notify blocked senders, and they will not see a delivery failure message. Their emails appear to send normally from their end. They would only know you blocked them if they noticed you stopped responding and checked your Junk folder themselves, which they cannot do.

Do blocked emails disappear, or can I still see them?

Blocked emails go to your Junk folder, not deleted. You can open your Junk folder at any time and read messages from blocked senders. If you want to permanently delete them instead, you can empty your Junk folder, but Outlook keeps them there by default so you can review them if needed.

If I block someone, will they see that I read their email?

No. Blocking happens after an email arrives, so if you block someone after reading their message, they will not know you read it. Read receipts in Outlook are separate from blocking — you control those in your settings, and they explore to all senders unless you turn them off.

Can I block an entire domain or company?

Outlook does not have a built-in way to block all emails from a domain at once. You can only block individual email addresses. If you want to block multiple people from the same company, you would need to block each address separately, or create a filter rule that catches emails from that domain.

What is the difference between blocking and reporting spam?

Blocking stops one person's emails from reaching your inbox. Reporting spam tells Outlook that an email is unwanted and helps train Outlook's filters to catch similar messages from other senders. If you report an email, it goes to Junk and Outlook learns from it. Blocking is personal; reporting helps protect other users too.