Tired of a cluttered Gmail inbox? Labels and Filters are powerful tools that can transform how you manage your email, ensuring important messages are automatically organized and easy to find. This guide will walk you through setting up both features and applying them to your existing emails.
1. Creating a New Gmail Label
Labels in Gmail are similar to folders, but with one key advantage: you can apply multiple labels to a single email.
Method A: Creating a Label via Settings Menu
Open Gmail: Go to your Gmail inbox on your computer.
Access the Settings Menu: Click the Gear icon (⚙️) in the top right corner, then select See all settings.
Navigate to Labels: In the Settings menu, click on the Labels tab.
Create the Label: Scroll down to the bottom of the Labels list and click the Create new label button.
Name the Label: A pop-up will appear. Enter the desired name for your label (e.g., "Project Alpha" or "Monthly Bills").
Create Nested Labels (Optional): If you want this label to sit under another one (like a sub-folder), check the box next to "Nest label under" and choose the parent label from the dropdown.
Click Create.
Method B: Creating a Label Directly from the Main Page
Locate the Labels Menu: On the left-hand menu of your Gmail screen, scroll down past the default labels (Inbox, Sent, Drafts, etc.).
Expand the List: You may need to click More to expand the list.
Click Create New: Click the + Create new label link, usually found at the bottom of the labels list.
Name and Nest: A pop-up will appear, allowing you to Name the label and select the option to Nest label under an existing one (optional).
Click Create.
2. Creating a Filter to Automatically Apply a Label
A Filter is a rule that automatically performs an action (like applying a label, archiving, or deleting) when an incoming email meets specific criteria (e.g., from a certain sender or with a specific subject line).
Steps to Create a Filter
-
Start the Filter Process:
Click the down arrow (🔻) in the search bar at the top of your Gmail screen. This opens the filter criteria box.
Alternatively, you can select an existing email and click the More button (⋮) then select Filter messages like these.
Define the Criteria: Enter the conditions for the emails you want to filter. You can use any combination of the available fields (From, To, Subject, etc.).
Test Your Criteria (Optional): Click the Search button to see which existing messages match your criteria. Adjust the criteria if the results are not what you expected.
Create the Filter Rule: After verifying the criteria, click Create filter.
-
Choose the Action: On the next screen, select the action(s) you want the filter to perform. For organizing mail, you must check the box next to:
Apply the label: Use the dropdown menu to select the label you created in Section 1.
Recommended additional actions: Check Skip the Inbox (Archive it) if you want the emails to bypass your main inbox and go straight into the labeled folder.
Click the final Create filter button.
3. Applying the Filter/Label to Existing Messages
A filter, by default, only works on new, incoming emails. To organize all the past messages currently sitting in your inbox or archives, you need to apply the rule to them during or after filter creation.
Method A: Applying to Existing Messages During Creation
Use the Filter Creation Screen: If you are still on the Filter Creation screen from the step above (where you selected "Apply the label"), you will see a crucial option at the bottom.
Check the Box: Check the box that says Also apply filter to [X] matching conversations.
Confirm Creation: Click Create filter.
Method B: Applying to Existing Messages After Filter Creation
Search for Messages: Use the exact criteria from your filter (e.g., from:newsletter@company.com) in the Gmail search bar and press Enter.
Select All Matching Messages: Check the Select All box at the top of the results list. A banner will appear that says "All 50 conversations on this page are selected. Select all conversations that match this search." Click the bold link to select every matching email across all pages.
Apply the Label: Click the Labels icon (🏷️) above the list, select the desired label from the dropdown, and click Apply.
4. Examples of Powerful Filter Criteria
You can combine different criteria in the filter box to create highly specific automation rules.
Filter Goal
Criteria to Enter in Filter Box
Action to Choose
Urgent: Boss/Client Emails
From: boss@company.com OR client@othercorp.com
Skip the Inbox,
Apply the label: VIP,
Star it,
Never send it to Spam
Archive Newsletters
From: *@newsletterdomain.com AND Has the words: unsubscribe OR "view in browser"
Skip the Inbox (Archive it),
Apply the label: Reading
High-Priority Attachments
Has attachment: (checked) AND Doesn't have: PDF (or
JPG,
PNG)
Always mark it as important,
Apply the label: Review Docs
Find Old, Large Emails
Size: larger than 10MB AND Date within: 1 year
No action needed, use this to search and manually delete messages to free up storage space.
Project-Specific Mail
Subject: "Project Phoenix" OR Has the words: "Phoenix status update"
Skip the Inbox,
Apply the label: Project Phoenix