Gmail groups let you send one message to multiple people at once by using a single address

Gmail does not have a built-in feature called "groups," but it offers two ways to send messages to multiple people with one click. The first is contact groups, which you create in Google Contacts and then use in Gmail. The second is mailing lists, which you set up through Google Groups if you need people outside Gmail to receive messages or if you want a shared inbox where replies go to one place.

For most people organizing their own email, contact groups are simpler. You create a group once, add the email addresses you want, and then type the group name in the "To" field just like you would type a person's email. Gmail fills in all the addresses automatically.

Key Takeaways

  • Contact groups live in Google Contacts, not Gmail itself, but you can use them to send messages from Gmail by typing the group name in the "To" field.
  • To create a contact group, open Google Contacts, click "Create label" on the left side, name your group, and then add people to it by clicking the group name and selecting "Add contact."
  • You can add existing contacts to a group or create new contacts at the same time you create the group.
  • Google Groups is a separate tool that works better if you want people outside your organization to receive messages or if you need a shared inbox where everyone can see replies.

How to create a contact group in Google Contacts

Open Google Contacts in a web browser by going to contacts.google.com. On the left side of the screen, you will see a section labeled "Labels." Below that, click the plus sign next to "Create label." A box will appear asking you to name your group. Type a clear name — for example, "Book Club" or "Project Team" — and press Enter or click "Save."

Your new group now exists but is empty. To add people to it, click the group name on the left side. The main area will show an empty list. Click the "Add contact" button (or the plus sign icon), and you can either select people who are already in your contacts or type in new email addresses to add them. Repeat this for each person you want in the group.

Once you have added at least one person, the group is ready to use in Gmail. You do not need to do anything else to set it up.

How to send an email to your contact group from Gmail

Open Gmail and click "Compose" to start a new message. In the "To" field, start typing the name of your group. Gmail will show a dropdown suggestion with your group name. Click it, and Gmail will fill in all the email addresses in that group at once.

Type your subject and message as usual, and send. Everyone in the group will receive the message. If someone replies, their reply goes only to you, not to the whole group — this is different from a mailing list.

Adding and removing people from a group

You can change who is in a group at any time. Open Google Contacts, click the group name on the left, and you will see everyone currently in it. To add someone new, click "Add contact" and type their email address or select them from your existing contacts. To remove someone, hover over their name and click the trash icon that appears.

Changes take effect when ready. The next time you send a message to that group, it will include only the current members.

When to use Google Groups instead

Contact groups work well for sending messages to a fixed list of people you already know. But if you need something different, Google Groups is a separate tool that may fit better.

Use Google Groups if you want people outside your organization to be able to send messages to the group address, if you want all replies to go to a shared inbox that everyone can see, or if you want to keep a searchable archive of group conversations. Google Groups requires more setup — you create a group at groups.google.com, set permissions for who can post and see messages, and then invite people to join. Most people organizing their own email do not need this level of control, but it is worth knowing it exists.

Troubleshooting contact groups

If you type a group name in Gmail and it does not appear as a suggestion, the group may not have any members yet. Add at least one person to the group in Google Contacts, wait a few minutes, and try again. Gmail sometimes takes a moment to sync new groups.

If you created the group but cannot find it in Google Contacts, make sure you are logged into the same Google account in both Gmail and Contacts. If you use multiple Google accounts, the group may be in a different account than the one you are currently using in Gmail.

If a group message bounced back or someone said they did not receive it, check that all email addresses in the group are spelled correctly. Click the group name in Google Contacts and review each address. A single typo will cause that person's copy to fail.

Organizing groups so you can spot scams

Contact groups are useful for more than just sending messages — they also help you stay alert to scams. If you create a group for "Banks and Financial Services" and add only the official contact addresses you have verified yourself, you can quickly spot when an email claiming to be from your bank comes from a different address.

Similarly, if you create a group for "Family" with only the real email addresses of people you know, you will notice when ready if a message arrives claiming to be from a family member but using a different sender address. Scammers often use addresses that look similar to real ones but have a small difference — a typo, an extra letter, or a different domain. Keeping a verified group of real addresses makes these fakes stand out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a group that includes other groups?

No, contact groups cannot contain other groups. You can only add individual email addresses. If you have overlapping lists of people, you will need to add each person individually to each group where they belong, or use Google Groups, which has more advanced options.

What happens if I delete a contact group?

Deleting a group in Google Contacts removes the group itself but does not delete the individual contacts in it. The people remain in your contacts — only the label linking them together is removed. You can recreate the group later if you need it.

Can people see who else is in a contact group when I send them a message?

Yes, if you use the "To" field. Everyone in the group will see all the other recipients. If you want to hide the list, use the "Bcc" (blind carbon copy) field instead, and type the group name there. People will receive the message but will not see who else got it.

Do I need to pay for contact groups?

No, contact groups are free and included with any Google account. Google Groups also has a free version, though organizations can pay for additional features.

Can I use a contact group on my phone?

Yes, if you use the Gmail app on Android or iPhone, you can type a group name in the "To" field just as you would on a computer. The group must already exist in Google Contacts for it to appear in the app.