How to Block Email by Subject

Block email by subject to control spam.

Most email service providers enable the user to set rules pertaining to their accounts. You may, for example, establish a filter that blocks email by subject. The filter then detects and intercepts messages with subject lines containing the words you have designated as identifiers of unwanted messages. Variations of the spellings of those words will enable some unwanted messages to get through to either your inbox or your junk mail folder, but many undesirable emails may be successfully blocked.

Instructions

Microsoft Outlook

1. Open Outlook and click the "Tools" tab. Select "Rules and Alerts" and "New Rule" to create a new rule based on words in an email subject line. Alternatively, make a rule from an email currently in your inbox with words in the subject line you wish to block. Open the email and select "Create Rule." Select "Subject" and then choose the folder into which you want to move the message.

2. Enter the words you wish to block that may be in email subjects. For example, if you wish to block spam emails, you might enter words such as pharmacy, insurance, sex, credit or loans.

3. Direct the email rule to move emails that have these words to your deleted folder so you will not see them in your inbox. Alternatively, have them moved to a junk folder to enable you to check them before deleting them permanently.

4. Click "Apply" to finish creating the rule and then click "OK."

5. Click "Run Rules Now" to scan through your emails and move all offending emails to your junk mail or deleted folder.

Gmail

1. Log in to your Gmail account and click "Settings" in the upper right corner.

2. Click the "Filters" tab and then click "Create a new filter."

3. Enter the words you wish to use as a filter in the "Subject" field to block specific emails. Words such as "sex," "libido" and "pharmacy" will block many spam emails by their subject line. Click "Next Step."

4. Place a check mark beside "Delete it" and then click "Create Filter" to finish blocking emails by subject in a Gmail account.

References

• Microsoft: Create a Rule
• Gmail: Filters

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish