How to Stop Spam Emails in Gmail

The Standard Gmail Spam Controls

Gmail's built-in spam filter catches most junk automatically, but it's not perfect. Here's how to strengthen it:

1. Report Spam Manually

When spam slips through, don't just delete it. Select the email and click the Report spam button (the stop sign with an exclamation mark). This trains Gmail's filter to catch similar messages in the future.

2. Block Specific Senders

For repeat offenders:

1. Open the unwanted email
2. Click the three dots in the top right
3. Select Block [sender name]

All future emails from that address will go straight to spam.

3. Unsubscribe from Mailing Lists

Look for the Unsubscribe link at the top of promotional emails or in the email footer. Gmail makes this easy by surfacing the unsubscribe option next to the sender's name.

4. Create Filters

For more control, set up custom filters:

1. Click the search bar, then the filter icon
2. Enter criteria (sender, subject, keywords)
3. Click Create filter
4. Choose an action: delete, archive, or mark as spam

5. Use the "+" Trick

When signing up for services, add a plus sign and identifier to your email: yourname+shopping@gmail.com. Messages still arrive in your inbox, but you can filter them—or identify who sold your address when spam arrives.

Why These Methods Fall Short

These techniques help, but they share a fundamental problem: they're reactive. You're constantly playing defense against an endless stream of senders who want your attention.

Consider the math. Even if Gmail's filter catches 99% of spam, that 1% of the billions of spam emails sent daily still means thousands of unwanted messages. And the legitimate-but-unwanted emails—recruiters, salespeople, newsletters you forgot you signed up for—sail right through.

You're spending your time managing other people's priorities.

The Inbox Paywall: A Different Approach

What if strangers had to pay to reach your inbox?

inbux flips the script on email spam. Instead of filtering, blocking, and unsubscribing, you set a price. Anyone not in your contacts pays that price—or their message stays in spam where it belongs.

Here's how it works:

1. Connect your Gmail (30 seconds, we only scan your spam folder)
2. Set your price ($1 to $100—you decide what your attention is worth)
3. Strangers pay or stay in spam. If they pay, you get the money and their message

The emails that matter still reach you. The ones that don't? They fund your coffee habit.

It's not about stopping spam. It's about making spam work for you.

Learn more about what an email paywall is and how it changes the economics of your inbox.