Block messages from an email address or domain

As an administrator, you can help prevent spam and malicious email by blocking email addresses or entire domains. This way, you’re automatically rejecting messages from them. Your blocks are in addition to the regular virus and spam protection provided to your organization through Gmail.

Before you begin

• If you have a lot of senders or domains to block, you can add them to an address list. Then, upload the list to block them. For details, go to Use address lists to apply settings to specific people or domains.
• You can exempt senders or domains in a blocked list so that their messages are delivered normally. Messages from approved senders are still subject to regular virus and spam protection provided by Gmail.
• If you turned on Groups for Business for your users, messages from blocked senders or domains might still reach users in Google Groups. It depends on the users’ notification or email settings for the group.

Prevent malicious emails with blocked sender settings

1. Sign in to your Google Admin console.

   Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).

2. In the Admin console, go to Menu  AppsGoogle WorkspaceGmailSpam, Phishing and Malware.

3. Scroll to Blocked senders and choose an option:

   • If it’s your first time to block messages, click Configure.
   • To edit a setting, next to the setting, click Edit.
   • For a new setting, click Add another rule.
4. Set up the following options:

   Setting	What to do
   Block senders	Edit or enter a name or description.
   Add addresses or domains that you want to automatically reject messages from	Choose an option: Click Use existing list, select one or more lists, and close the Select Address Lists box. Click Create or edit listAdd Blocked list or Edit. Add and edit addresses and click Save. Then, go back to Add setting or Edit setting on the original tab.
   Edit the default rejection notice	(Optional) To add custom text for a rejection notice, enter the text. Blocked senders get this notice when their message is rejected.
   Bypass this setting for messages from addresses or domains within these approved senders lists	(Optional) To exempt addresses or domains from being blocked, check the Bypass this setting for messages received from addresses or domains within these approved senders lists box and click Use existing list or Create or edit list and follow the instructions above on this page to add the addresses or domains.

5. Click Save.

Changes can take up to 24 hours but typically happen more quickly. Learn more

You can track changes in the Admin console audit log.