Drowning in a sea of emails? Organization is the key to staying afloat. Creating folders, known as Labels in Gmail, is a simple but powerful solution to keep your inbox tidy and your messages easily accessible.
So, in this post, we will show you how to create a folder in Gmail to declutter your inbox effortlessly. First, we’ll cover how to do this on the desktop and then move on to mobile. Let’s dive in!
How to create a label in Gmail easily
Sometimes, there can be confusion about whether a label or a folder is the same—there’s one major difference. If an email is like a piece of paper, a label is like a sticky note you place on it, while a folder is simply a folder you store it in. That means you put multiple labels on one email. Also, assigning a label automatically creates a folder in Gmail where you can find it.
Here are the steps to creating a new label in Gmail.
Step 1: Open Gmail in the browser
Navigate to your Gmail inbox in your browser. If you’re using Chrome, you can do this by clicking the “Gmail” option in the top right corner of a new tab or picking Gmail from the Google Apps menu.
Step 2: Click “Create new label”
On the left side panel, right next to “Labels,” click the + sign. This button creates a new label.
Step 3: Name your label
Give your label a new name. This is the name that’ll show up next to the email in your inbox. If you’re new to creating labels, consider the kind of emails you usually get and the ones you’d like sorted together. It’s important to keep the label's name short and descriptive so that it doesn’t confuse you later.
Here are some common ways of applying labels to emails:
- By sender: Sort your emails by the one who sent them, such as a client or colleague.
- By purpose: Sort emails into work emails, personal emails, financial emails, newsletters, etc.
- By date: If you have time-sensitive emails, you can create folders by date or month.
You can even create a sub-label under an existing label. To do this, click the drop-down and select the folder under which you want to nest the new label. Ensure that the “Nest Label under” button is selected.
Step 4: Hit “Create”
Now click “Create.”
If you nested your new label under an already existing label, it should be visible as a folder in the left panel of your Gmail under “Labels.” Just like creating labels is essential, good organization also requires deleting unused or redundant labels. Learn how to delete labels in Gmail for an uncluttered and organized inbox.
How can labels in Gmail be used best?
Organizing new emails in inbox
Many things go into effectively organizing new emails in your Gmail inbox, and labels can undoubtedly play a part. By assigning specific labels to incoming messages, you always have a broad overview of what’s in your inbox and ensure you never miss a beat.
Use labels judiciously by categorizing emails into folders like Work, Personal, or Projects. Customize labels to match your unique needs, whether it's Travel, Finance, or Education. This customized approach allows you to identify and prioritize emails, which boosts your productivity.
Creating a space for similar emails
When tackling a flood of related emails, such as project updates or collaborative threads, labels serve as virtual containers. Apply a shared label to group these messages, making retrieval a snap. Labels enable you to establish thematic compartments like meetings, team collaborations, or reports, streamlining your inbox navigation.
Apply multiple labels to a single email
Applying multiple labels to a single email allows you to categorize a message under various relevant contexts. For instance, a work-related email may bear both a "Project Updates" and "Urgent" label. This nuanced approach makes you flexible and ensures that the same email can be accessed from different labeled sections.
Check out more Gmail how-tos on the YAMM blog
There you have it! Now, with Gmail labels, you can have an organized and accessible inbox that allows you to do more in less time. That’s the power of Gmail features. When you use the appropriate features at the right time, you save yourself precious time and resources.
YAMM blog is dedicated to bringing you such helpful Gmail features in the form of helpful how-tos and guides that boost productivity. Stop by and have a look at the YAMM blog! You’ll love it!