Gmail folders are called labels, and you create them in three steps

Gmail does not use folders the way your computer does. Instead, it uses labels — tags you attach to emails so you can find them later. A single email can have multiple labels at once, which folders cannot do. To create a new label, open Gmail, 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 the name you want, then click "Create."

Once you have created a label, you can explore it to any email by opening the email, clicking the three dots in the top right, and selecting "Add label." You can also drag emails directly onto a label in the left sidebar if you prefer. Labels appear in your sidebar so you can click them to see all emails with that tag.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail labels are tags you attach to emails, not traditional folders — one email can have multiple labels at the same time.
  • Create a new label by clicking the menu icon, scrolling to Labels, clicking the plus sign, typing a name, and clicking Create.
  • explore a label to an email by opening it, clicking the three dots, and selecting Add label from the menu.
  • Labels appear in your left sidebar so you can click them to view all emails with that tag in one place.

Where to find the Labels section

The Labels section is in the left sidebar of Gmail, but you may need to scroll down to see it. Click the three horizontal lines (hamburger menu) at the top left of the page if the sidebar is collapsed. Scroll down past your inbox, sent mail, and drafts until you see the word "Labels" in gray text.

If you do not see Labels at all, your sidebar may be too narrow. Try widening it by dragging the edge of the sidebar to the right. On mobile phones, the menu works differently — tap the three horizontal lines at the top, then scroll down to find Labels.

Naming your labels so you can find them

Keep label names short and specific. "Receipts," "Medical," or "Car" works better than "Important Things I Need Later" because you will see the label name in your sidebar, and long names take up space. Avoid special characters like asterisks or slashes, as Gmail may not display them correctly.

You can also create nested labels — labels within labels — by typing a forward slash in the name. For example, typing "Projects/Home Renovation" creates a label called "Home Renovation" that sits under a parent label called "Projects." This keeps your sidebar organized if you have many related labels.

explore labels to emails you receive

The fastest way to label an email is to open it and click the three dots in the top right corner. Select "Add label" from the dropdown menu, then check the box next to the label you want. You can add multiple labels to one email — just check as many boxes as you need, then click outside the menu to close it.

If you label emails often, you can also drag and drop. Open the email and drag it onto a label name in your left sidebar. The email stays in your inbox but now has that label attached. You can do this with multiple emails at once by selecting them with checkboxes first, then dragging the group to a label.

The difference between labels and archive

Archiving an email removes it from your inbox but keeps it in Gmail — it goes to "All Mail." Labeling an email keeps it in your inbox (or wherever it is) and adds a tag to it. You can archive an email and label it at the same time. Many people use labels to organize emails they want to keep in their inbox, and archive to clear their inbox of emails they do not need to see every day.

If you want emails with a certain label to skip your inbox automatically, you can set up a filter. Click the settings gear icon in the top right, select "See all settings," go to the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab, and click "Create a new filter." This is more advanced, but it saves time if you receive many emails you want to label without seeing them in your inbox first.

Editing or deleting labels you no longer use

To rename a label, right-click on it in the left sidebar and select "Edit label." Type the new name and click "Save." To delete a label, right-click it and select "Delete label." Gmail will ask whether you want to delete the label only or delete the label and remove it from all emails. Removing it from all emails does not delete the emails themselves — they just lose that tag.

On mobile, tap and hold the label name, then select the edit or delete option from the menu that appears. Be careful when deleting labels you have used for a long time, because you will lose the tag but the emails will still exist in "All Mail."

Using labels to find emails faster

Once you have labeled emails, click any label in your left sidebar to see only emails with that tag. You can also search for a label by typing "label:receipts" in the search box at the top of Gmail (replace "receipts" with your label name). This is useful if you have many labels and want to search within a specific one.

Gmail also lets you mark labels as important so they appear at the top of your sidebar. Right-click a label and select "Mark as important." You can also hide labels you do not use often by right-clicking and selecting "Hide." Hidden labels still exist and still tag your emails — they just do not show in your sidebar unless you click "More" at the bottom of the Labels section.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move an email from one label to another?

Gmail does not move emails between labels the way folders work. Instead, you remove one label and add another. Open the email, click the three dots, select "Add label," uncheck the old label, and check the new one. The email now has only the new label.

What happens to emails if I delete a label?

The emails do not disappear. When you delete a label, Gmail asks if you want to remove the label from all emails or delete the label only. If you choose to remove it from emails, the emails stay in Gmail but lose that tag. They will still appear in "All Mail" and in your inbox if they were there before.

Can I use labels on emails I send?

Yes. Open a sent email, click the three dots, and select "Add label." You can label your own sent emails the same way you label received ones. This helps you organize conversations by project, person, or topic.

Do labels work the same way on Gmail mobile as on a computer?

Mostly yes, but the steps are slightly different. On mobile, tap the three dots on an email to add a label. To see all your labels, tap the three horizontal lines at the top, then scroll to Labels. The labels themselves work the same way — one email can still have multiple labels.