You can mark or unmark emails as spam. Gmail also automatically identifies spam and other suspicious emails and sends them to Spam.
Mark or unmark emails as spam
Mark emails as spam
As you report more spam, Gmail is better able to automatically mark similar messages as spam.
- On your computer, open Gmail.
- Select one or more emails.
- Click Report spam
.
Tip: When you click Report spam
Unmark an email as spam
You can remove an email from Spam if you incorrectly marked it as spam:
- On your computer, open Gmail.
- On the left, click More.
- Click Spam.
- Open the email.
- At the top, click Not spam.
Tip: To stop a message from being sent to Spam in the future, you can:
Delete emails in spam
- On your computer, open Gmail.
- On the left, click More.
- Click Spam.
- At the top, click Delete all spam messages now. Or, select specific emails, then click Delete forever.
Why emails have spam warning labels
Gmail automatically identifies suspicious emails and marks them as spam. When you open your Spam label, you'll see emails that were marked as spam by you or Gmail. Each email will include a label at the top that explains why Gmail sent it to Spam.
What this warning means
An email address looks very similar to the email address of a known sender. For example, the email address may replace the letter "O" with the number "0."
What to do if you see this warning
Do not reply to the email or open any links until you can verify that the email address is correct.
Important: If you notice a spoofed email address, but it’s not marked with a warning, be sure to report it as spam.
What this warning means
The email may be a trick to get you to share personal information, like passwords or credit card numbers.
What to do if you see this warning
- Do not reply to the email or open any links.
- If you aren't sure the email is from a trusted sender, report the email as phishing.
Important: Google will never ask for personal information over email. Learn how to avoid and report Google scams.
What this warning means
Gmail can't confirm that the email was actually sent by sender who appears to have sent it.
What to do if you see this warning
- Do not reply to the email or open any links.
- If you aren't sure the email is from a trusted sender, report the email as phishing.
If you're sure the message is from a trusted sender:
- At the top, click Not spam.
- To prevent messages from a trusted sender from going to Spam, follow these troubleshooting steps.
What this warning means
If you use Gmail through your work, school, or organization, your admin might set controls to mark certain emails as spam.
What to do if you see this warning
If you see emails that are incorrectly marked as spam, contact your admin.
What this warning means
If someone messages you after you unsubscribe from their emails, their messages will go directly to Spam.
What to do if you see this warning
If you don't want these emails sent to Spam, unmark the email as spam.
What this warning means
Spammers often send messages with no content in the body or subject to check whether email addresses are valid. Then, they spam those addresses later.
What to do if you see this warning
- If the email looks suspicious, do not reply. You can report it as spam or phishing.
- If the email is from someone you know and you think it was sent by mistake, unmark the email as spam.
What this warning means
When you mark a message as spam or phishing, it's moved from your Inbox to your Spam folder. Messages from the same sender might be sent to Spam in the future.
What to do if you see this warning
- If you don't want the email to be in Spam, unmark the email as spam.
- If you mistakenly reported the message as phishing, unmark the message as phishing.
- To stop a message from being sent to Spam in the future, filter these messages.
Spam attack on your Gmail account
What this warning means
You get a lot of unwanted emails, such as subscriptions or promotional offers. A hacker tries to fill up your Inbox so that you can't find important security alerts from websites or services you signed up for with your Gmail account.
For example, if a hacker tries to get into your bank account, your bank can notify you by email. But if your Inbox is full of junk mail, you might miss the bank’s alert.
What to do if you see this warning
- Search your Inbox and Spam for security alerts, then respond to the emails you find.
- Do a Google Security Checkup and follow these security tips.
Spam from one of your contacts
If someone on your Contacts list sends you spam, a hacker may have taken over their account.
- Do not respond to the email.
- To report the email, in the spam alert, click Message looks suspicious. This sends a report to the Gmail team to investigate. You'll continue to get emails from this contact in the future.
- Let your contact know their email account may be hacked, and suggest they follow these Gmail security tips.