How to Stop Spam and Unwanted Emails
Practical, proven techniques to dramatically reduce the spam in your inbox.
August 1, 2026
Use a disposable address for unknown sites
The single most effective habit is to avoid giving your real email to websites you do not fully trust. For downloads, free trials, forums, and one-time signups, generate a temporary address instead. If the site turns out to be spammy, the disposable address dies with the spam.
Stop sharing your email as a username
Many people hand out their email for promotions, loyalty cards, Wi-Fi portals, and newsletter lists at every opportunity. Each handshake is a risk. Reserve your real address for people and services you genuinely want to hear from.
Unsubscribe carefully
Unsubscribing from a legitimate company's list usually works. But never click unsubscribe links in emails you did not sign up for — that simply confirms your address is active and often increases spam. Mark those emails as spam instead.
Check for data breaches
If your address has appeared in a data breach, it is probably on spam lists. Check services like Have I Been Pwned. If your address has been compromised, consider using a fresh address for important accounts and disposable addresses for everything else.
Filter and report
Modern email providers have good spam filters, but they learn from your feedback. Report spam instead of deleting it. Create filters that automatically move newsletters to a separate folder, so your primary inbox stays clean.