What Does "Ignore" Do on Tumblr?
By Andrea Ruiz
The Tumblr platform provides several avenues for users to interact directly with each other, such as fan mail, the Ask box and replies to posts. If you're receiving unwanted messages from another Tumblr user or from an anonymous source, you can use the ignore feature to block the user from contacting you and to prevent the user's posts from appearing on your dashboard.
The Ignore Feature
When you ignore a Tumblr user from an anonymous message, Tumblr blocks that user's Tumblr account and IP address from sending any more messages to your inbox including fan mail and replies to your posts and blocks both logged-in and anonymous messages from the user. Tumblr also automatically blocks the user's posts from appearing on your dashboard if you previously followed the account and blocks your posts from appearing on the user's dashboard as well. Additionally, you no longer see any notes from the user on any posts on your dashboard.
How to Ignore Tumblr Users
You can ignore a Tumblr account by adding the username to your Ignored Users list at tumblr.com/ignore. Enter the username or URL in the Ignored Users field and click "Ignore." The user is ignored immediately. You can change this setting at any time by clicking the "Stop Ignoring" button next to the username. You can also ignore any user on your dashboard by hovering your cursor over the username, clicking the down arrow next to the silhouette icon and selecting "Ignore" from the drop-down menu that appears. If you receive an anonymous message and want to block the user from sending you any more messages, click the "X" icon in the message. This blocks the user by IP address as well as the Tumblr account associated with it.
Other Privacy Options
If you no longer want to see the posts of a user you're following but don't want to add a user to your ignore list, hover your cursor over the username in the post on your dashboard and click the "Unfollow" button. You can disable Ask messages by clicking the gear icon on your dashboard and then toggling the switch next to "Let People Ask Questions." To disable allowing users to contact you by submitting posts to your blog, toggle the switch next to "Let People Submit Posts." Click "Save" when you're done.
Limitations and Considerations
Ignoring a user doesn't stop the user from viewing your blog by visiting your blog URL directly in a Web browser. Ignoring a user also doesn't block mentions of the user in other users' posts on your dashboard. If you'd like to block all mention of the user on the posts of people you're following, download a browser extension that allows you to create blacklists of terms you don't want to see on your Tumblr dashboard and then add the username you want to block to your blacklist.
Writer Bio
Andrea Ruiz has written professionally for blogs, online entertainment magazines and television network websites for more than a decade. Ruiz has also been a web and social media developer, Internet business consultant and computer programmer since 1999, and worked for four years as a professional community manager. Ruiz holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of Massachusetts, Boston.