Manage spam

If Google Groups isn't available in your work or school account, ask your administrator to turn on Groups for Business.

Group owners and users with the correct permissions can manage spam in the following ways.

Note: Marking a group or its content as spam doesn’t unsubscribe you from the group. To unsubscribe, follow the steps in Leave a group or unsubscribe from emails.

Mark content as spam

Requires the Who can view conversations permission.

Content you mark as spam is hidden from your view. It isn’t hidden for other group members, however. 

When you mark content as spam, Google receives a copy of the content and may analyze it to help protect users from spam and abuse. Google contacts report submitters only if more details are needed. 

1. Sign in to Google Groups.
2. (Optional) To locate a group that you don’t own, in the left panel, click All groups.
3. Click the name of a group.
4. Point to a conversation and then check the box beside it.
5. In the upper right, click Report abuse .

Delete content that contains spam

Requires the Who can moderate content permission.

You can’t restore messages after you delete them. 

1. Sign in to Google Groups.
2. (Optional) To locate a group that you don’t own, in the left panel, click All groups.
3. Click the name of a group.
4. Point to a conversation and then check the box beside it.
5. In the upper right, click Delete .

Mark an entire group as spam

Requires the Who can see group permission.

1. Sign in to Google Groups.
2. (Optional) To locate a group that you don’t own, in the left panel, click All groups.
3. Click the name of a group.
4. At the top, below the group name, click More Report abusive group.

Delete a group marked as spam

If you’re the owner of a group that has been marked as spam or has a lot spam content, you might want to delete the whole group. You can’t restore a group after you delete it.

For details, see Delete a group or stop members from posting.