Block or report a space in Google Chat and Gmail

If you experience abusive behaviour in a Google Chat space, you can block the space or report it as spam. You can also preview spaces marked as spam, then choose to block or join the space.

Block a space

When you block a space:

• Posts that you made in the space stay visible to others.
• You won't get communications from the space.
• The space won’t appear in your 'Spaces' list or space searches.
• You won’t get any future invitation notifications for the space, but your name appears as an invited member.

If you get an invitation to a space that you blocked:

• You appear as an invited member, but you won’t get any notifications or be added to the space.
• The space organiser or other members won't know that you blocked the space.

Tips

• Blocked users can't add you to a space, nor can you add blocked users to a space.
• When you unblock a space, you can only rejoin the space if add  appears in 'Browse spaces'.

Manage spam space invitations

Space invitations that appear to be spam are filtered into a separate section. You can choose to join or block the space. Invitations classified as spam on classic Hangouts show up as spam in Chat and vice versa.

You can prevent future invitations from spaces marked as spam if you block the space. If you think that Google wrongly filtered a space as spam, you can still join the space.

Block a space

Important: You can only report spaces as spam or abuse that include external members.

1. Go to Google Chat or your Gmail account.
2. Choose one:
   • On the left, under 'Spaces', next to the space name, click More options   Block space.
   • Select the space that you want to block  Click the space details drop-down  Block space.
3. Click Block.

Tips

• To report the space as spam or abuse, tick the box next to Report this space as spam or abuse. 
• If you report a space for abuse, a copy of the last 50 messages in the space is sent to Google for review.

Unblock a space in Google Chat

1. Go to Google Chat.
2. At the top right, click Settings .
3. Under 'Blocked spaces', click Manage blocked spaces.
4. Point to the space that you want to unblock to select it Click Unblock.

Tip: When you unblock a space, it becomes browsable. You can search for it in 'Browse spaces'.

Unblock a space in Gmail

1. Go to your Gmail account.
2. At the top right, click Settings  See all settings.
3. At the top, click Chat and Meet.
4. Next to 'Chat notification settings', click Manage chat settings.
5. Under 'Blocked spaces', click Manage blocked spaces.
6. Point to the space that you want to unblock to select it  Unblock.

Block a space marked as spam in Google Chat

1. Go to Google Chat.
2. On the left, next to 'Spaces', click Create or find a space Browse spaces Menu items Spam invitations Preview.
   Tip: For your protection, you can't download links or view images when you preview the space.
3. To block the space and future invitations, click Block.

Optional: To report the space, click the box next to 'Report this space as spam or abuse' Block.

Block a space marked as spam in Gmail

1. Go to your Gmail account.
2. On the left, next to 'Spaces', click Create or find a space Browse spaces Menu items Spam invitations Preview.

   Tip: For your protection, you can't download links or view images when you preview the space.

3. To block the space and future invitations, click Block.

Optional: To report the space, click the box next to 'Report this space as spam or abuse' Block.

Join a space marked as spam in Google Chat

1. Go to Google Chat.
2. On the left, next to 'Spaces', click Create or find a space Browse spaces Menu items Spam invitations Preview.
   Tip: For your protection, you can't download links or view images when you preview the space.
3. Click Join.

Tip: When you join a space marked as spam, the spam label is removed and the space is added to your list of joined spaces.

Join a space marked as spam in Gmail

1. Go to your Gmail account.
2. On the left, next to 'Spaces', click Create or find a space Browse spaces Menu items Spam invitations Preview.
   Tip: For your protection, you can't download links or view images when you preview the space.
3. Click Join.

Tip: When you join a space marked as spam, the spam label is removed and the space is added to your list of joined spaces.