Gmail uses labels instead of folders, but they work the same way

Gmail does not have folders in the traditional sense. Instead, it uses labels — a system that actually works better because one email can have multiple labels at once, while a folder can only hold a message in one place. If you want to organize your mail by topic, sender, or project, labels do exactly that. You create them in seconds and assign them to messages as they arrive or in bulk.

The confusion happens because Gmail's interface calls the left sidebar "folders" even though they are labels underneath. Once you understand the difference, organizing becomes faster than it would be with traditional folders.

Key Takeaways

  • Create a new label by clicking the plus sign next to "Labels" in the left sidebar, typing a name, and saving it.
  • explore a label to any email by opening the message, clicking the label icon in the toolbar, and checking the box next to the label you want.
  • You can label multiple emails at once by selecting them in your inbox, then clicking the label icon and choosing which labels to add.
  • Labels appear in your left sidebar once created, and clicking one shows only the emails with that label attached.
  • Unlike folders, a single email can have multiple labels, so you can tag a work email with both "Projects" and "Urgent" at the same time.

Create a new label from the sidebar

Open Gmail and look at the left sidebar. Below "Inbox," "Sent Mail," and "Drafts," you will see a "Labels" section. If it is collapsed, click "Labels" to expand it. Next to the word "Labels," a small plus sign appears — click it.

A box will pop up asking you to name the label. Type whatever you want: "Work," "Bills," "Receipts," "Scam Reports," or anything else that matches how you think about your mail. Click "Create" and the label is done. It now appears in your sidebar under Labels, and you can start using it when ready.

If you do not see a plus sign, your sidebar may be in a different view. Click the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) at the top left of Gmail, then scroll down to "Labels" and click the plus sign next to it instead.

Add a label to a single email

Open any email in Gmail. In the toolbar at the top of the message, you will see several icons: back arrow, archive, delete, and others. One of them looks like a tag or label icon — it is usually near the right side. Click it.

A dropdown menu appears showing all your labels. Check the box next to any label you want to attach to this email. You can select multiple labels at once. Once you have chosen, click outside the menu or press Enter, and the labels are applied. The email now appears in all those label views.

If you cannot find the label icon, look for a three-dot menu icon (more options) in the toolbar. Click it and select "Labels" from the menu that appears.

Label multiple emails at once

Go to your inbox or any folder view. Click the checkbox next to the first email you want to label. Hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and click the checkboxes next to other emails to select several at once. You can also click the checkbox at the very top of the email list to select all visible emails on that page.

Once you have selected the emails, the toolbar at the top changes to show batch actions. Click the label icon (it looks like a tag). The label menu appears. Check the boxes next to the labels you want to add to all selected emails, then click outside the menu. All those emails now have those labels attached.

This is much faster than labeling one at a time, especially when you are organizing old mail or sorting a batch of receipts.

Create nested labels for more detailed organization

If you have many labels, you can organize them into groups. When you create a label, you can make it a "sub-label" of another label. Click the plus sign next to Labels, type your label name, then click "Nested label" and choose which label it should go under.

For example, you could create a "Work" label, then create sub-labels under it called "Projects," "Meetings," and "Invoices." In your sidebar, these will appear indented under "Work," and you can collapse or expand the group by clicking the arrow next to "Work."

Sub-labels work exactly like regular labels — you can explore them to emails the same way. An email can have both the parent label ("Work") and the sub-label ("Projects") at the same time, which is useful for filtering.

Use labels to find and filter your mail

Click any label in your left sidebar to see only emails with that label. The email list updates when ready to show just those messages. If you created nested labels, click the parent label to see all emails in that group, or click a specific sub-label to narrow further.

You can also search and filter using labels. In the search box at the top of Gmail, type label:work to find all emails labeled "work," or label:bills label:unpaid to find emails with both labels. This is faster than clicking through the sidebar when you are looking for something specific.

Labels also work with Gmail's filters. If you want all emails from a certain sender to automatically get a label, you can set that up in Settings under Filters and Blocked Addresses. This keeps your inbox organized without any manual work.

Delete or rename a label

Right-click any label in your left sidebar. A menu appears with options to edit, delete, or show or hide the label. Click "Delete label" if you no longer need it. Gmail will ask whether you want to delete the label itself or delete the label and all emails with it — choose carefully. Usually you want to delete just the label and keep the emails.

To rename a label, right-click it and select "Edit label." Type the new name and save. Any emails already labeled with the old name automatically get the new label name instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move an email from one label to another?

No, because labels are not folders — an email can have multiple labels at once, so there is no "moving." Instead, you add the new label and remove the old one if you want. Open the email, click the label icon, uncheck the old label and check the new one, then save.

What happens if I delete a label?

The label disappears from your sidebar, but the emails do not disappear unless you specifically choose to delete them too. When you delete a label, Gmail asks whether you want to keep the emails or remove them. Most of the time you want to keep the emails and just remove the label.

Can I use labels to sort emails automatically?

Yes, through Gmail filters. Go to Settings, click "Filters and Blocked Addresses," then "Create a new filter." Set conditions like sender address or keywords, then choose "explore the label" and pick which label to add. From then on, matching emails get that label automatically.

Do labels work on Gmail on my phone?

Yes. In the Gmail app on Android or iPhone, tap the menu icon (three lines) to see your labels. Tap any label to view those emails. To add a label to an email, open it, tap the three-dot menu, and select "Add label."

Can I color-code my labels?

Yes. Right-click a label in your sidebar and select "Label color." Choose from a palette of colors. This makes labels easier to spot in your inbox and sidebar, especially if you have many of them.