November 5, 2026 - 4 min read

By PhishClean Research Team

How to stop phishing emails, and what can block the links inside them

Nothing stops all of them. But a few changes cut how many reach you, and the right software can make the link inside harmless when one gets through.

Someone asked on r/cybersecurity_help whether there is software that protects you from phishing, or at least blocks URLs from emails. The short answer is yes, several kinds, and they catch different things. The honest part of the answer is that no setup stops every phishing email, because a well-made one comes from a real account, on a clean domain, with a link that was harmless when it was scanned.

So think of it as two separate jobs: fewer phishing emails reaching you, and no harm from the ones that do.

Getting fewer of them

• Report instead of delete. In Gmail, open the message, click More next to Reply, then Report phishing. In Outlook, use Report, then Report phishing. Deleting helps only you. Reporting gives the filter a sample.
• Forward the worst ones. The FTC asks people to forward phishing emails to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org and to report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Our guide on reporting phishing websites lists more places.
• Don't click "unsubscribe" in a suspicious email. It's a link like any other. Use the unsubscribe button your mail app shows beside the sender, or mark the message as spam.
• Don't bother blocking the sender. Phishers change addresses constantly, so your block list only grows.
• Use an alias for sign-ups. Many mail providers and password managers can make a separate address for each site. When one starts receiving phishing, you know where it leaked and you can turn it off.
• Check whether your address was in a breach. It won't stop the mail, but it explains why you're suddenly a target and tells you which passwords to change.

Software that blocks phishing links in email

Four kinds of tool can get between you and a bad link. They work at different moments.

Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers get a consumer version of link checking in Outlook.com. Gmail shows warnings on suspicious messages and links by itself.

For a business choosing between these, see our anti-phishing tools for small business and MSSPs. If you're on Microsoft 365, the Defender for Office 365 settings guide is the cheaper first step.

What we'd set up at home

1. Keep your provider's spam filter on, and report what gets through.
2. Use a password manager, which refuses to fill on a lookalike domain.
3. Add a browser layer. PhishClean puts a red badge on links to reported phishing sites in Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail and chat apps. That part is free. Amber badges for addresses that look like a known brand are in the paid plan.
4. Install nothing else "to clean your inbox". Be wary of apps that ask for full access to your mailbox to do this. You'd be handing all your mail to one more company.

Why they keep getting through

Google says Gmail blocks 99.9% of spam, phishing and malicious messages. Gmail handles so much mail that even the remaining fraction is a lot. And the ones that get through are the ones built to look ordinary: sent through real services, from accounts that were hacked, with a link to a respectable file-sharing site that leads to the real trap. We explain why perfect filtering isn't possible in can AI stop phishing?

That's why the second job matters. Assume one will get through, and make sure a click on it can't cost you much. These habits are how.

Frequently asked questions

Can you completely stop phishing emails?

No. Filters stop most of them, but a message sent from a real hacked account with a link that looks harmless at delivery can still get through. Aim for fewer emails, and for no harm from the ones that arrive.

Should I delete or report phishing emails?

Report them. In Gmail, use More and then Report phishing. In Outlook, use Report and then Report phishing. Reporting gives your provider a sample, and your employer may ask you to use a specific button.

Is there software that blocks URLs in emails?

Yes. Your mail provider filters known bad links, Microsoft Safe Links checks links again at the moment you click, API email security tools can remove messages after delivery, and browser extensions like PhishClean can mark bad links in webmail and warn when a page loads.

Is it safe to click unsubscribe on a phishing email?

No. It is a link like any other, and it can also confirm that your address is active. Use your mail app's own unsubscribe button or mark the message as spam.

Sources

• Google: Avoid and report phishing emails
• FTC: How to recognize and avoid phishing scams
• Eric Lawrence: Defense techniques, reporting phish (Outlook's report menu)
• Microsoft: Why do I need Defender for Office 365? (SPF, DKIM and DMARC for used and unused domains; consumer Safelinks)
• CTV News (Google's 99.9% statement)

Last updated: 5 November 2026