Gmail uses labels instead of traditional folders

Gmail does not have folders in the way other email programs do. Instead, it uses labels — a system that lets one email belong to multiple categories at once. When you create a label in Gmail, you are creating a way to tag and find messages, not moving them into a separate storage space the way a folder works.

This matters because a single email can have multiple labels. You could label a message both "Invoices" and "2024 Taxes" at the same time, and it would appear in both places. With traditional folders, you would have to choose one or the other, or keep a copy in each.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail labels are created through Settings and appear in your left sidebar once you create them.
  • You can assign a label to an email by selecting the message and clicking the label icon, or by creating a label and dragging emails into it.
  • Labels can be nested under parent labels to keep your sidebar organized and reduce clutter.
  • You can color-code labels to make them easier to spot at a glance in your inbox and message list.
  • Archiving emails removes them from your inbox but keeps them searchable and labelable — you do not need a folder to store old messages.

How to create a new label in Gmail

Open Gmail in your web browser and click the gear icon in the top right corner. Select See all settings. Click the Labels tab at the top of the settings page. Scroll down to the section labeled "Labels" and click the Create new label button.

Type the name you want for your label — for example, "Receipts" or "Project Alpha". If you want this label to be nested under another label (so it appears as a sub-label), check the box that says Nest label under and choose the parent label from the dropdown. Click Create. The label now appears in your sidebar on the left side of Gmail, and you can start using it when ready.

Assigning labels to emails

Once you have created a label, you can add it to any email. Open the email or select it from your inbox by clicking the checkbox next to it. Click the label icon — it looks like a tag — in the toolbar above your message list. A dropdown menu appears showing all your labels. Click the label you want to add. The email now has that label and will appear when you click the label name in your sidebar.

You can add multiple labels to a single email. Just keep clicking the label icon and selecting additional labels. You can also remove a label from an email by opening the label dropdown again and unchecking the label you no longer want.

Organizing labels with nesting and colors

If you create many labels, your sidebar can become crowded. Nesting lets you group related labels under a parent label. When you create a new label, check Nest label under and choose an existing label as the parent. For example, you could create a parent label called "Work" and nest "Projects", "Invoices", and "Team" under it. In your sidebar, the parent label shows an arrow, and clicking it expands or collapses the nested labels.

You can also assign colors to labels to make them stand out. Go back to Settings, click the Labels tab, and find the label you want to color. Click the colored circle icon next to the label name and choose a color from the palette. Colored labels appear in your sidebar and next to labeled emails in your message list, making them easier to spot quickly.

Using labels with filters to organize automatically

Gmail filters let you assign labels to emails automatically based on rules you set. For example, you could create a filter that labels all emails from your accountant with "Tax Documents" without you having to do it manually each time.

To create a filter, click the search box at the top of Gmail and then click the Show search options icon (a downward arrow). Enter the criteria — such as a sender's email address, a subject line, or keywords. Click Create filter at the bottom. Check the box for explore the label, choose your label from the dropdown, and click Create filter. From now on, any email matching those criteria gets the label automatically.

Archiving instead of deleting

Gmail's archive feature works alongside labels to keep your inbox clean. When you archive an email, it disappears from your inbox but stays in your account and remains searchable. You do not need to create a special "Archive" label or folder — archiving is built in.

Select an email and click the archive icon (a downward arrow) in the toolbar. The email leaves your inbox. You can still find it by searching for it, or by clicking All Mail in your sidebar. If you have labeled the email, it still appears under that label even after archiving. This approach keeps your inbox focused on messages that need action while preserving everything else.

Removing or renaming labels

If you no longer need a label, you can delete it. Go to Settings, click the Labels tab, find the label you want to remove, and click the Delete link next to it. Gmail asks whether you want to delete the label and remove it from all emails, or just delete the label while keeping the emails. Choose what works for you.

To rename a label, go to Settings, click Labels, find the label, and click the Edit link. Type the new name and click Save. The label name updates everywhere it appears in your account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move an email from one label to another?

Gmail does not move emails between labels the way you would move a file between folders. Instead, you remove one label and add another. Select the email, click the label icon, uncheck the old label, and check the new one. The email now appears under the new label instead.

What happens to emails if I delete a label?

When you delete a label, Gmail asks whether to remove it from all emails or just delete the label itself. If you choose to remove it from emails, the messages stay in your account but no longer have that label. They still appear in All Mail and in any other labels you assigned them.

Can I see all emails with a specific label?

Yes. Click the label name in your sidebar on the left. Gmail displays every email with that label. If the label has nested sub-labels, clicking the parent label shows emails tagged with the parent only, not the sub-labels — click a sub-label to see those emails instead.

Do labels take up storage space?

No. Labels are just tags that organize your emails. They do not create copies of messages or use extra storage. Your Gmail storage limit applies to the total size of all your emails, regardless of how many labels you assign to them.