Creating a new label takes three clicks and works across all your devices

A label in Gmail is a tag you attach to messages — think of it as a folder that can hold the same email in multiple places at once. To create one, open Gmail on any device, click the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) on the left side, scroll down to "Labels", and click the plus sign next to "Create new label". Type a name — "Landlord", "Tax Documents", "Suspicious", whatever you need — and click "Create". That label now appears in your left sidebar and you can assign it to any message by clicking the label icon inside the email.

Labels stick with your account, so they show up the same way on your phone, tablet, and computer. You do not have to recreate them anywhere. Once you tag a message with a label, you can find all messages with that label by clicking it in the sidebar — Gmail shows you only the ones you marked.

Key Takeaways

  • Create a label by clicking the menu icon, scrolling to Labels, clicking the plus sign, typing a name, and clicking Create.
  • Labels appear in your sidebar when ready and sync across all devices where you use Gmail.
  • You can assign multiple labels to a single message, so one email can be tagged "Landlord" and "Urgent" at the same time.
  • Searching for a label name in Gmail's search bar shows you every message with that label, even if you have hundreds of them.
  • Deleting a label removes it from your sidebar but does not delete the messages themselves — they stay in your inbox.

Where to find the Labels menu

The Labels section lives in Gmail's left sidebar, but you may need to scroll to see it. Open Gmail and look at the left side of the screen. You should see "Inbox", "Starred", "Sent Mail", and other standard folders. Below those, scroll down until you see the word "Labels" with a small arrow next to it. Click that arrow to expand the Labels section and see any labels you have already created.

If you do not see a Labels section at all, your sidebar may be collapsed. Look for three horizontal lines (called a hamburger menu) at the very top left of Gmail. Click it to expand the full sidebar, then scroll down to find Labels.

Naming your labels so you can find them later

Choose label names that describe what the messages inside are about. "Rent", "Utilities", "Scam", "Bank", "Insurance" — these are clear and straightforward to scan. Avoid names that are too vague like "Important" or "Stuff" because they do not tell you what is actually inside when you are searching your inbox in a hurry.

You can also create labels inside labels — called nested labels — by using a forward slash. For example, if you type "Bills/Rent" as your label name, Gmail creates a "Bills" label with "Rent" nested underneath it. This keeps related labels grouped together in your sidebar. You can nest as many levels deep as you want, but two or three levels is usually enough to stay organized without making it confusing.

Assigning labels to messages you receive

Once you have created a label, you can tag any message with it. Open the email you want to label, look for the label icon (it looks like a tag) in the toolbar at the top of the message, and click it. A dropdown list appears showing all your labels. Click the checkbox next to the label name to add it to that message. You can select multiple labels at once — one email can have "Landlord", "Urgent", and "2024 Tax" all at the same time.

You can also label messages without opening them. In your inbox list, hover over a message and click the label icon that appears on the right side of that row. The same dropdown appears and you can tag it from there. This is faster when you are going through several messages at once.

Using labels to find messages quickly

Click any label name in your left sidebar and Gmail shows you only the messages with that label. If you have labeled 15 messages "Landlord", clicking the Landlord label displays those 15 messages and hides everything else. This is much faster than scrolling through your entire inbox looking for one conversation.

You can also search for a label by typing the label name into Gmail's search box at the top. Type "label:Landlord" (with the word "label:" first) and Gmail shows every message tagged with that label. This works even if you have hundreds of messages and need to find one specific conversation within that label.

Removing labels from messages or deleting labels entirely

To remove a label from a single message, open the email, click the label icon, and uncheck the label name. The message stays in your inbox but loses that tag. If you want to remove a label from many messages at once, click the label in your sidebar to show all messages with it, then select all of them using the checkbox at the top of the list. Click the label icon and uncheck the label name — Gmail removes it from every selected message at once.

To delete a label entirely, right-click the label name in your sidebar and select "Delete label". Gmail asks whether you want to delete the label only or delete the label and all messages inside it. If you choose to delete the label only, the messages stay in your inbox but the label disappears from your sidebar. Most of the time you want to delete the label only, not the messages.

Organizing labels with colors and nesting

Gmail lets you assign a color to each label so they stand out in your sidebar. Right-click a label name and select "Label color", then pick a color from the palette. This helps you spot important labels at a glance — you might make "Scam" red, "Landlord" orange, and "Bills" blue so they are straightforward to find when you are scanning your sidebar quickly.

As mentioned earlier, you can also organize labels by nesting them under a parent label. If you have many bill-related labels, create "Bills/Rent", "Bills/Utilities", and "Bills/Insurance" instead of a flat list. Click the arrow next to "Bills" in your sidebar to collapse or expand the nested labels underneath. This keeps your sidebar clean and organized, especially if you have more than ten labels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the same label on multiple messages at once?

Yes. In your inbox, select multiple messages by clicking the checkbox next to each one, then click the label icon and choose the label you want. Gmail adds that label to all selected messages in one action. This is useful when you receive several emails from the same person or about the same topic and want to group them together.

What happens to my messages if I delete a label?

The messages do not disappear. When you delete a label, Gmail asks whether you want to delete the label only or the label and all messages inside it. If you choose "Delete label only", the messages stay in your inbox and other folders — they just lose that tag. If you choose "Delete label and messages", the messages are permanently deleted, so be careful with that option.

Can I search for messages with multiple labels at once?

Yes, using Gmail's search syntax. Type "label:Landlord label:Urgent" in the search box to find messages that have both labels. You can also use "OR" to find messages with either label — type "label:Landlord OR label:Utilities" to see messages tagged with one or the other.

Do labels work the same way on my phone as on my computer?

Yes. Labels sync across all devices, so a label you create on your computer appears on your phone when ready. You can tag messages and search by label on your phone the same way you do on a computer. The Gmail app on iPhone and Android both support labels fully.

Can I rename a label after I create it?

Yes. Right-click the label name in your sidebar and select "Edit label". Type the new name and click "Save". Gmail updates the label name everywhere it appears, and all messages with that label keep it — you do not have to retag anything.