If you are getting unwanted emails from a particular sender email address or multiple different email addresses. You can block it directly in Outlook by using Block Senders list.
You can either use Outlook Desktop Client or Outlook for Web (Outlook Web App) to create block list of senders. In this blog post, we will explore different options on how to add or remove any sender from block list.
When you block a sender or domain in Outlook, the sender’s email is automatically moved to the Junk email folder of user’s mailbox. You can also configure an option to delete the emails you receive from blocked senders instead of moving it to Junk email folder.
How to block an email address using Oulook Desktop Client
When you are using Outlook desktop client which could be from Microsoft 365 or Standalone version of Microsoft Office for example: Office 2016 or Office 2019. You can use below steps to block an email address:
- Launch Outlook Desktop Client
- Search the email from the sender which you want to block in Outlook.
- Right-click on the email and then Click on Junk > Block Sender.
- You will get below confirmation pop-up that “The sender <sender email address> has been added to your Blocked Senders List, and the message has been moved to the Junk folder.” You can select the checkbox “Don’t show this message again” to suppress this pop-up for the next time.
What happens when a blocked sender sends an email to you
As per the default Junk E-mail Options configure in Outlook. The email will go to User’s junk Email folder. Let’s test it by sending a test email from GradyA@techpress.net to AlexW@cloudinfra.net. As GradyA@techpress.net is blocked, any email sent from this email address should go to AlexW@cloudinfra.net Junk Email folder. Below screenshot shows that its working as expected.
How to manage Block sender list in Outlook Desktop Client
Now that we have blocked an e-mail address, Its added to the block sender’s list. Let’s see how to manage block sender list in Outlook Desktop client.
- Launch Outlook Desktop Client
- Find Junk drop down options under Home tab.
- Click on Junk E-mail Options…
- On the Junk Email Options, Click on Blocked Senders tab. You will find all your block sender email addresses or domains in this list. This is the Block sender’s list in Outlook. You can also Add or Remove senders in this list as per your requirement.
How to block sender’s domain using Oulook Desktop Client
If there are more than one user’s who are sending you unwanted emails and all those users belong to one particular domain. You can simplify the process and block their email domain which will block all the users who belong to that domain.
For Example: You are getting unwanted emails from users shop@cloudinfra.net, no-reply@cloudinfra.net, hello@cloudinfra.net and a lot more… In that case, its easier to block cloudinfra.net instead of blocking Individual email addresses.
Let’s check the steps to block a domain in Outlook:
- Launch Outlook Desktop Client
- Find Junk drop down options under Home tab.
- Click on Junk E-mail Options…
- Click on Blocked Senders tab.
- Click on Add button and Enter the domain name to block for example: cloudinfra.net or @cloudinfra.net.
- Click on Apply and then OK to Save and Exit.
How to block an email address using Oulook on the Web (Outlook Web App)
If you are using Outlook web version which is also called as Outlook on the Web or Outlook Web App. You can block a sender’s email address or domain. Let’s check the steps:
- Right-click on the email and then click on Block > Block sender to add the sender’s email address to the block sender’s list.
How to block sender’s domain using Oulook on the Web (Outlook Web App)
If you are getting a lot of unwanted emails from different email addresses but the same domain, Its easier to block that domain itself. This will block all the users who belong to that domain and their email will be delivered to the Junk folder.
Please follow below steps to block sender’s domain in Outlook on the web:
- Launch Outlook on the Web (Outlook Web App).
- Click on Settings Icon on the top right hand side corner.
- Click on View all Outlook settings.
- Go to Mail under Settings and then click on Junk email. You will find all the Blocked sender’s and domains here. You can add a domain or sender email address by clicking on + Add button.
- Press Enter after typing Sender’s email address or domain and then click on Save button to Save the list.
How to manage block sender list using Outlook on the Web
Once you have added a sender or domain into the block list, you can easily manage it using Outlook on the Web (Outlook Web App). Please follow below steps for managing block senders list:
- Launch Outlook on the Web (Outlook Web App).
- Click on Settings Icon on the top right hand side corner.
- Click on View all Outlook settings.
- Go to Mail under Settings and then click on Junk email. You will find all the Blocked sender’s and domains here.
Receive Emails only from an email or domain in Safe sender list
Block all emails and move them to Junk and receive emails only from the sender’s which you have marked them as Safe by using Safe sender list in Outlook Desktop Client or Outlook on the Web.
Using Outlook Desktop Client
Please follow below steps to configure email delivery only from Safe Sender List using Outlook Desktop Client:
- Launch Outlook Desktop Client.
- Find Junk drop down options under Home tab.
- Click on Junk E-mail Options…
- Go to Options tab and Select the option Safe Lists Only: Only mail from people or domains on your Safe Senders List or Safe Recipients will be delivered to your Inbox.
Using Outlook on the Web (Outlook Web App)
Please follow below steps to configure email delivery only from Safe Sender List using Outlook on the Web:
- Launch Outlook on the Web (Outlook Web App).
- Click on Settings Icon on the top right hand side corner.
- Click on View all Outlook settings.
- Go to Mail under Settings and then click on Junk email. Scroll down to find Filters option.
- Check the box for “Only trust email from addresses in my Safe senders and domains list and Safe mailing lists“.
Be careful while using this option as this could Impact the email delivery from unknown email addresses or domains. You have to Add sender’s and domains into the Safe Sender list to receive email from them in your Inbox.
How to delete emails received from blocked senders instead of moving to Junk Folder
You can configure a setting in Junk E-mail options to Permanently delete the email received from a sender email address or domain which is in your block sender’s list. Let;s check which option you can configure for this:
- Launch Outlook Desktop Client.
- Find Junk drop down options under Home tab.
- Click on Junk E-mail Options…
- Go to Options tab and Select the option “Permanently delete suspected junk email instead of moving it to the Junk Email folder”.
How to Unblock an email address or domain in Outlook
You can easily Unblock a sender from block sender’s list by following below steps:
Using Outlook Desktop Client
- Launch Outlook Desktop Client.
- Find Junk drop down options under Home tab.
- Click on Junk E-mail Options…
- Go to Blocked Senders tab and Select the entry which you want to remove from the list.
- Click on Remove button to remove the sender from block list.
- Click on Apply and then OK to Save and Exit.
Using Outlook on the Web (Outlook Web App)
Unblock a sender email address or domain using Outlook on the Web (Outlook Web App):
- Launch Outlook on the Web (Outlook Web App).
- Click on Settings Icon on the top right hand side corner.
- Click on View all Outlook settings.
- Go to Mail under Settings and then click on Junk email. Click on bin Icon next to the block list entry to Remove the sender from block list and then click on Save button to save the list.
How to block an email address or domain using Powershell
Please find below steps to add a Sender’s email address using Powershell. We will use a Powershell cmdlet Set-MailboxJunkEmailConfiguration and run it against a user mailbox to configure block sender’s list.
Example1: Add domain124.com into block sender list of a user
Set-MailboxJunkEmailConfiguration -Identity AlexW@cloudinfra.net -BlockedSendersAndDomains domain124.com
Example 2: Add multiple domains and email addresses into block sender list of a user mailbox
Set-MailboxJunkEmailConfiguration -Identity AlexW@cloudinfra.net -BlockedSendersAndDomains domain124.com, domain35.com, test@se.com
Example 3: Another way to add an email address into the Block list
Set-MailboxJunkEmailConfiguration Alexw@cloudinfra.net -BlockedSendersAndDomains @{Add="shop@buyfreepr12.com"}
Example 4: Block multiple domans or email address into the block sender list
Set-MailboxJunkEmailConfiguration Alexw@cloudinfra.net -BlockedSendersAndDomains @{Add="temp@buyfromme23.com","noreply@test.com"}
Unblock a sender’s email address or domain using Powershell
You can use below powershell command to remove any sender’s email address or domain from Block sender’s list.
Remove an entry from Block Sender’s list
Set-MailboxJunkEmailConfiguration Alexw@cloudinfra.net -BlockedSendersAndDomains @{Remove="temp@buyfromme23.com","noreply@test.com"}
Remove email or domain from all user’s mailbox blocked senders lists
Get-Mailbox | get-mailboxjunkemailconfiguration | Set-MailboxJunkEmailConfiguration -BlockedSendersAndDomains @{remove="buyfreepr12.com", "@buyfreepr12.com", "test@buyfreepr12.com", "shop@buyfreepr12.com"}
Conclusion
In this blog post, we have seen how to block an email address or a domain using Outlook Desktop client and also by using Outlook on the Web (Outlook Web App). You can also configure what happens to the Junk E-mail by using Junk E-mail options from Outlook Desktop Client. You can deliver the email to the Junk Folder or you can choose to delete the email received from any blocked sender email address or domain.
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