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Create a label to categorize messages, then create a filter to apply that label automatically to incoming mail. In Gmail on a computer, you can preview the messages your search criteria match before saving a filter, which helps prevent mail from being archived, deleted, or forwarded by mistake.
How Gmail labels differ from folders
Gmail uses labels and search filters rather than conventional folders. A label is a tag: a message can have several labels at once, and applying one does not move the message into an exclusive location. Labels are visible to you in your account, not to the people who sent or received the message. Google describes the system as using labels and search filters instead of folders.
A simple set of categories—such as Work, Family, and To-do—can be a useful starting point. Create only categories you expect to use when finding or sorting messages.
Create and manage a label
- Open Gmail on a computer. In the left-side menu, find the Labels area and select Create new label. If the menu is collapsed, expand it first.
- Enter a label name. To make it a sublabel, select the option to nest it under another label and choose the parent label.
- Select Create.
To label messages already in your inbox or other views, select the messages and use the Labels control to choose a label. The same label menu lets you edit or remove a label. Gmail settings also let you choose whether labels appear in the side menu. Google documents a limit of 5,000 ordinary labels and up to 100 custom color combinations; each custom background-and-text color combination counts toward the color limit. These limits are stated in Gmail Help; the page does not state a publication date.
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Create a filter to label incoming mail automatically
- In Gmail on a computer, select Show search options in the search box.
- Enter one or more criteria, such as sender, recipient, subject, or words in the message.
- Select Search to inspect the matching messages. Refine the criteria if the results include mail you do not want affected or miss messages you do want included.
- Select Create filter, choose the actions Gmail should take, then select the control to create the filter.
Google also documents a shortcut: open a message, select More, and choose Filter messages like these. Review and adjust the criteria before creating the filter. The exact labels and placement of controls may change; Google’s filter instructions cover the desktop workflow.
Choose filter actions carefully
When you create a filter, choose actions according to what you want to happen to matching incoming messages. You can combine actions, but check the search results first—especially before choosing one that hides or removes mail.
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| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Apply the label | Categorizes matching messages with a label while keeping them searchable and available in Gmail. |
| Skip the Inbox (Archive it) | Removes matching messages from the inbox but keeps them in All Mail. A reply to an archived message returns to the inbox. |
| Delete it | Deletes matching messages. Confirm the search results before using this action. |
| Star it | Adds a star to matching messages to mark them for attention. |
| Forward it | Automatically forwards matching incoming messages. A forwarding filter affects only new messages, not mail already received. |
These actions are described in Google’s filter guidance. A reply to a filtered message is filtered only if it independently matches the filter’s search criteria. Archiving is not the same as deleting: Google says archived messages remain under All Mail, and a reply to an archived message returns to the inbox. See Google’s archive guidance.
Examples of filter criteria to adapt
Google Workspace offers examples such as labeling mail from outside an organization, labeling internal mail by sender domain, marking meeting invitations, and sorting promotional, social, update, or forum messages. Other examples include a VIP label for selected senders, a label for Google Drive sharing notifications, or criteria that catch a plus-address such as name+urgent@domain. These are starting points, not universal recipes: confirm the search results in your own mailbox before saving actions. See Google Workspace’s filter examples.
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Why a label may not appear on every reply
Conversation view changes how labels appear on a thread. With conversation view on, a label applies to the messages already in the conversation, but not automatically to new replies. With conversation view off, the label appears only on the specific messages that were labeled. If a label seems to cover only part of a conversation, check Gmail’s conversation-view setting and whether the new reply independently matched your filter. Google explains this behavior in Gmail Help.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Personal labels and work or school classification labels
Ordinary Gmail labels help you organize your own mail. Some work or school accounts also have classification labels used for organizational data policies. Administrators may create these labels and set rules to apply them, and availability depends on the organization’s settings and permissions. They are separate from personal Gmail labels; if classification controls are missing or unavailable, contact your administrator. See Google Workspace’s information on classification labels.
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