What an email group is and why you might use one
An email group in Gmail is a saved list of email addresses that you can send a single message to all at once. Instead of typing ten addresses into the "To" field every time you want to email your book club, your project team, or your family, you type the group name once. Gmail sends your message to everyone on that list.
Gmail calls this feature Contact Groups. You create the group inside Gmail Contacts (the address book), add people to it, and then use it whenever you compose a message. The group itself is not a shared inbox — each person receives their own copy of your email, and replies come back to you individually, not to the group.
This is different from a mailing list or a shared email account. You own the group, you control who is on it, and you decide when to use it. It is purely a convenience tool for your own sending.
Key Takeaways
- Email groups in Gmail are created in Gmail Contacts, not in the Gmail inbox itself, and you access them through the Contacts app or website.
- You add individual people to a group by typing their email addresses one at a time or pasting a list, and you can edit the group later to add or remove people.
- Once a group is created, you type the group name in the "To" field when composing a message, and Gmail expands it to send to everyone on the list.
- Group members do not see each other's addresses unless you use "Reply All" — each person receives an individual copy of your message.
- You can create as many groups as you need, and a single person can belong to multiple groups at the same time.
How to create a new group in Gmail Contacts
Open Gmail Contacts by going to contacts.google.com in your web browser, or click the Google Apps menu (the grid of nine dots in the top right of Gmail) and select Contacts. You can also access Contacts from within Gmail by clicking the Contacts icon on the left sidebar if you see it.
On the left side of the Contacts page, you will see a section called "Labels." Below that is a button or link that says "Create label" or "Create group" — the exact wording depends on your Gmail version. Click it. A box will appear asking you to name your group. Type a clear name like "Book Club" or "Project Team" and press Enter or click Create.
The group now exists, but it is empty. You have not added anyone yet.
Adding people to your group
To add people to the group you just created, click on the group name in the left sidebar. You will see an empty list. Look for a button or option that says "Add contacts" or "Add members" — it is usually near the top of the group view. Click it.
A window will open. You can add people in two ways. The first way is to start typing someone's name or email address. If that person is already in your Gmail Contacts, their name will appear in a dropdown. Click their name to add them. Repeat this for each person you want to add.
The second way is to paste a list. If you have email addresses in a document or spreadsheet, copy them, paste them into the add window, and Gmail will parse them and add them all at once. This is faster if you have many people to add.
After you add people, click Save or Done. The group now contains those addresses.
Using your group to send an email
Open Gmail and click Compose to start a new message. In the "To" field, type the name of your group. Gmail will show the group name in a dropdown — click it. The group name will appear in the "To" field, and when you send the message, it will go to everyone on that list.
Each person receives their own individual copy of the email. They do not see the other recipients' addresses unless you use "Reply All," in which case everyone on the group will see the replies. If you want people to reply only to you, use "Reply" instead.
You can also add a group to the "Cc" or "Bcc" field the same way. "Bcc" is useful if you want to send to a group but keep the list private — recipients will not see who else received the message.
Editing or deleting a group
To add or remove people from a group later, go back to Gmail Contacts, click the group name, and look for an Edit button or pencil icon. Click it to open the group for editing. You can add new people using the same method as before, or click the X next to someone's name to remove them.
To delete an entire group, right-click the group name in the left sidebar or look for a menu icon next to it. Select Delete or Remove. Deleting the group does not delete the people in your Contacts — it only removes the group itself.
Limits and things to know
Gmail does not limit the number of groups you can create or the number of people in a group. You can have as many groups as you need, and one person can be in multiple groups at the same time.
If someone's email address bounces or they unsubscribe, Gmail does not automatically remove them from your group. You have to edit the group and remove them manually. If you send to a group and one address fails, the message still goes to everyone else — Gmail will tell you which address bounced.
Groups are private to your Gmail account. Other people cannot see your groups, and you cannot share a group with someone else. If you want a colleague to have the same group, they have to create it in their own account and add the same people.
Alternatives if you need something different
If you need people to reply to each other and see the conversation in one place, Gmail groups are not the right tool. Instead, you might want a Google Group, which is a shared email address that acts like a mailing list. Messages go to a central inbox that all members can see, and conversations are threaded. You create a Google Group at groups.google.com.
If you need a shared inbox where multiple people can send and receive from the same email address, you need a shared Gmail account or a tool like Google Workspace, which offers shared inboxes as a feature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see if someone has read my email after I send it to a group?
Gmail does not show read receipts by default. If you turn on read receipts in your Gmail settings, you can request them when you compose a message, but the recipient has to approve sharing that information. It works the same way whether you send to a group or an individual.
What happens if I change a group after I have already sent an email to it?
Changes to a group only affect future emails. If you add someone to a group after sending a message, that person will not receive the old message — they will only receive messages sent after they were added. The same is true if you remove someone.
Can I create a group on the Gmail mobile app?
The Gmail app on your phone does not have a full Contacts interface. To create or edit groups, use the Gmail website on your phone's browser, or use the Google Contacts app if you have it installed. Once a group exists, you can use it to send emails from the Gmail app.
Is there a way to send an email to a group without everyone seeing the group name?
Yes. Use the "Bcc" field instead of "To." Type the group name in Bcc, and each person will receive the email but will not see the group name or the other recipients' addresses. This is useful for newsletters or announcements where you want privacy.