By the MailGenerator Team · Updated October 30, 2026
If your inbox fills with junk faster than you can delete it, you're not alone. Spam makes up a large share of all email sent worldwide. You can't stop every message, but these steps will cut most of it and keep your address off new lists.
1. Report spam instead of just deleting it
Deleting a message removes it once. Reporting it trains your email provider's filter to catch similar messages for you and millions of other users.
- Gmail: Open the message (or tick it in the list) and click the Report spam icon (the exclamation mark in a stop sign).
- Outlook.com / Outlook app: Select the message, then choose Report > Report junk. For scams, choose Report phishing.
2. Unsubscribe from legitimate senders
Newsletters and shops you once signed up for aren't technically spam, but they're often the bulk of the clutter. Real companies must honour an unsubscribe request.
- Gmail shows an Unsubscribe link next to the sender's name at the top of many marketing emails.
- Outlook shows an Unsubscribe banner on many newsletters.
Important: don't click "unsubscribe" inside obvious scam emails. It only confirms to the spammer that your address is active. Report those instead.
3. Block persistent senders
- Gmail: Open the email, click the three-dot menu (⋮) at the top right, and choose Block "sender".
- Outlook: Select the email, then choose Block > Block sender. You can also manage the list under Settings > Mail > Junk email.
Spammers change addresses constantly, so blocking works best for repeat senders that use the same address.
4. Create filters for patterns
If junk keeps arriving with the same words or domain, a filter can file it away automatically.
- Gmail: Click the filter icon in the search bar, enter a word, phrase or domain (for example,
@spammy-domain.com), click Create filter, and choose Delete it or Skip the Inbox. - Outlook: Go to Settings > Mail > Rules > Add new rule, set a condition (sender, subject contains, and so on) and an action (move to Junk, delete).
5. Stop giving your real address to every website
The best way to beat spam is to keep your address off lists in the first place. Every sign-up form, contest, Wi-Fi login and "free download" is a chance for your address to be sold or leaked.
- For one-time sign-ups, use a temporary email that expires on its own.
- For accounts you'll keep, use an email alias you can switch off if it starts getting spam.
- Keep your real address for friends, family, work, banking and important accounts.
6. Hide your email from the public web
Bots scan websites for anything that looks like an email address. If your address appears on a personal site, a public profile, a forum signature or a business listing, write it as name [at] domain [dot] com or use a contact form instead.
7. Check if your email was in a data breach
A sudden flood of spam often means your address was leaked in a breach. Check it at Have I Been Pwned. If it shows up, change the passwords for those sites, and for any other site where you reused the same password. Then turn on two-factor authentication.
8. Never reply to spam
Replying, even to say "stop", confirms your address is active and real people read it. That makes it more valuable to spammers, and you'll get more.
What if spam is still getting through?
Keep reporting. Filters improve with every report. If the volume is truly unmanageable, some people start fresh: they create a new primary address, move important accounts to it, and keep the old one only to catch stragglers. If you do this, protect the new address from day one with steps 5 and 6.
Frequently asked questions
Why am I suddenly getting so much spam?
Usually because your address was leaked in a breach or sold by a site you signed up to. Check Have I Been Pwned and review recent sign-ups.
Does unsubscribing make spam worse?
From real companies, no. Unsubscribing works. From scam emails, yes, it confirms your address. Report those instead.
Can a temporary email really reduce spam?
Yes, for future sign-ups. It won't remove spam you already get, but every site that gets a throwaway address instead of your real one is one less list you're on.
