How to Organize & Categorize Messages in Gmail with Labels (2024)

FAQs

How to Organize & Categorize Messages in Gmail with Labels? ›

Go to contacts.google.com. In the side menu, click the Create label icon, which looks like a plus ( + ) sign. Enter your label name, and then click Save. Select contacts for your email group.

Go to contacts.google.com. In the side menu, click the Create label icon, which looks like a plus ( + ) sign. Enter your label name, and then click Save. Select contacts for your email group.

At the top, click Inbox. In the "Inbox type" section, select Default. In the "Categories" section, check the box next to a category. To show starred messages in the “Primary” category, check the box next to “Include starred in Primary.”

What is the difference between categories and labels in Gmail? You can add labels to emails you are sending or have received. You can also create your own labels, whereas you cannot customize categories.

In other email programs, you might have stored email in folders. In Gmail, you use labels to categorize your email. Labels are like folders, but with a twist—you can apply several labels to an email, then later find the email by clicking any of its labels from the left panel. You can also search by label.

Here's the difference: A label or address book or contact list contains contacts, whereas a group contains members. Contact is like a card storing extensive information about a person — a Google user or not — such as their email, phone number, address, job title, and so on. It's a bit like a mini-CRM.

On your computer, go to Gmail. Click Compose. In the bottom right, click More . Click Label, then select labels you want to add.

In Gmail, use labels and filters to organize your email. You can also star, snooze, archive, and delete messages to keep your inbox clear.

How do I split my Gmail inbox into categories? ›

At the top, click Inbox. In the 'Inbox type' section, select Default. In the 'Categories' section, tick the box next to a category. To show starred messages in the 'Primary' category, tick the box next to 'Include starred in Primary'.

To create folders in Gmail, go to the Labels section in Settings. Click on Settings > Labels > Create New Label > Save. Gmail uses labels instead of folders to organize emails, but labels function similarly to folders.

Auto sort emails in Gmail on desktop

In the "Create Filter" window, define the filter criteria, such as sender, recipient, subject, or other options. Click the Create filter button. In the following window, pick the action to perform on the filtered emails, like Apply the label, and select or create a new label.

You can sort by sender in Gmail by right-clicking an email, or by using the "search options" menu. If you already have an email from the sender you want to sort by, right-click it and select "Find more by." Gmail's search bar also holds an advanced search menu that lets you sort by sender and more.