Gmail labels: What they are and how to use them

No matter how organized you think your Gmail inbox is, there's usually something you can streamline even better. That's what happened to me when I discovered how to automatically label emails in Gmail. 

I realize this feature has been around for a long time, but I'd never looked into it before. And ever since that first email popped into my inbox with a pre-attached label, I've been hooked.

Here's everything you need to know about how to use Gmail labels.

Table of contents:

• What are Gmail labels?

• How to create Gmail labels on desktop

• How to create Gmail labels on mobile

• How to automatically label emails in Gmail on desktop

• How to automatically label emails in Gmail on mobile

• How to manage Gmail labels

• How to delete Gmail labels on desktop

• How to delete Gmail labels on mobile

• Automate your Gmail with Zapier

• Gmail labels: FAQ

What are Gmail labels?

Gmail labels are tags that help you categorize your email messages. You can apply as many as you want to a single message and nest them like subfolders. They live in the left sidebar of your Gmail, making it easy to filter your inbox by label with a single click.

Gmail labels vs. folders: What's the difference? 

There are a few key differences between Gmail labels and folders. 

• Gmail labels don't move your emails. When you apply a folder to an email, Gmail automatically moves your selected email(s) to that folder. Gmail labels, on the other hand, leave your emails where they are.

• You can apply multiple Gmail labels to one email. You can apply multiple labels to a single email, but you can't store the same email in multiple folders.

• Gmail labels are nestable. You can create sub-labels the same way you'd create subfolders, which is useful for keeping related categories grouped without cluttering your sidebar.

How to create Gmail labels on desktop

Before you can apply labels to emails in Gmail, you need to create them (unfortunately, Gemini for Gmail can't do it for you—yet). There are three ways to do this from your desktop.

Option 1: Create a Gmail label from the Labels list

1. In the side panel of your Gmail, click the Create new label icon, which looks like a plus sign (+) next to Labels.

   

2. In the popup that appears, enter your new label name, choose a parent label to nest it under, if applicable, and click Create.

   

Option 2: Create a Gmail label from your settings

1. Click the settings cog icon (top-right corner), and select See all settings.

   

2. Click the Labels tab.

   

3. Scroll down to Labels, and click Create new label.

   

4. In the popup that appears, enter your new label name, choose a parent label to nest it under, if applicable, and click Create.

Option 3: Create a Gmail label from an email

1. Open an email message that you want to apply a label to.

2. In the menu bar above your message, click the Labels icon (it looks like an arrow), and then select Create new.

   

3. In the popup that appears, enter your new label name, choose a parent label to nest it under if applicable, and click Create.

How to create Gmail labels on mobile 

Unlike desktop, there's only one way to create Gmail labels on mobile. (The method is the same for iPhone and Android—I'm using an iPhone.) 

1. Open your Gmail app. 

2. Tap the menu (≡) in the top-left corner. 

3. Scroll down to Labels and tap Create new at the bottom of your list of labels.

   

4. Enter a new label name.

   

5. Tap Save.

How to automatically label emails in Gmail on desktop

Now that you've created labels, here's the easiest way to automatically label emails in Gmail on desktop.

1. In the Gmail search box at the top of your inbox, click Show search options (it looks like three bars stacked horizontally).

   

2. Start typing in the search criteria you'd like to apply your new Gmail filter to. You can refine your search using the other filter fields here as well, such as adding keywords to Has the words or Subject.

   

3. After you've added all your parameters, click Create filter.

4. In the window that reads When a message is an exact match for your search criteria, click the dropdown next to Apply the label and choose the label you want to apply.

   

   This is where you could also check, for example, Skip the Inbox (Archive it) if you wanted to auto-label an email and send it straight to a folder without it coming through your inbox. Or Also apply filter to ## matching conversations to apply Gmail labels retroactively.

5. Click Create filter.

Now, Gmail will automatically apply your chosen label to any email that matches your given parameters as soon as they hit your inbox.

How to automatically label emails in Gmail on mobile

If you want to automatically label emails in Gmail from your phone, let me stop you right there—you don't want that. It's much more user-friendly to set this up from your desktop. But far be it from me to keep you from running a mile to go a block. 

1. Make sure you've already created the Gmail label you want to apply. (If you haven't, here's how to do this from your phone.) 

2. Open the Gmail mobile app. 

3. Tap the menu icon (≡) in the top-right corner. 

4. Tap Settings. 

5. Tap Inbox customizations.

   

6. Tap Labels.

   

7. Select the label you want to apply.

8. In the From field, enter the name or email of the sender whose emails you want to automatically label.

   

   You can also tap Add, and then tap And to add a few other filters, including To, Subject, Includes, and Excludes.

   

9. Once you've added all your parameters, tap Save. 

How to manage Gmail labels

You can manage your labels in the Labels list found in the left-hand panel of your Gmail on desktop. 

• Display all emails associated with a label. Click any label and Gmail will display only emails tagged with that label in the main area of your inbox. 

• View nested labels. Click the Expand icon, which looks like an arrow, next to the parent label to expand or minimize nested labels. 

• Color-code your labels. Click the kebab menu (⋮) next to a Gmail label > Label color > select a color or add a custom one. 

  

• Edit and add labels. The kebab menu also lets you do a number of other things with your label—for example, you can edit the label, add a sub-label, and decide if your label appears in emails in your inbox. (Note: You can't do this on the mobile app.) 

How to delete labels in Gmail on desktop

To delete a label in Gmail on desktop, you have two options.

How to delete labels in Gmail from your inbox

1. Hover over the label name in the Labels list, and click kebab menu (⋮) next to it.

2. Click Remove label.

   

3. In the popup confirming that you want to delete the label, click Delete.

How to delete labels in Gmail from your settings

1. Click the settings cog icon, and click See all settings.

2. Click the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab.

3. Click delete next to the label you want to delete.

   

4. Click OK to confirm.

How to delete labels in Gmail on mobile 

There's only one way to delete labels in Gmail from the mobile app. 

1. Tap the menu icon (≡) in the top-right corner. 

2. Tap Settings. 

3. Tap Inbox customizations. 

4. Tap Labels. 

5. Tap the label you want to delete. 

6. Tap Delete [name of label].

   

7. Tap Delete again to confirm. 

Automate your Gmail with Zapier

Automatically labeling Gmail emails is a great way to quickly surface specific types of emails while you're in your inbox. But you still have to dig through those emails to find what you need and then do something about it.  

By using Gmail with Zapier, you can connect your inbox to 9,000+ other apps, so you can automatically do things like create a to-do list from your inbox or save email attachments to cloud storage.

You can also install Zapier in your AI assistant and give it secure access to your Gmail inbox and all your other apps. For example, you could ask ChatGPT to look through all emails with a specific label, summarize next actions based on the contents of the emails, and then add those tasks to your project management tool—all without leaving your chat window. 

Gmail labels: FAQ

We've covered the basics of how to automatically label emails in Gmail, but you might still have a few lingering questions. Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked ones.

Can Gmail automatically label emails?

Yes, it can. Here's how to set things up: on desktop or on mobile.

Are labels applied to existing emails retroactively?

Not by default, but you can tell Gmail to do so. Follow the instructions to automatically label emails in Gmail on desktop (it doesn't work via mobile) and be sure to check Also apply filter to ## matching conversations in step 4.

Does deleting labels in Gmail delete emails?

No, deleting a label in Gmail only removes the tag—the associated emails stay in your inbox. 

Related reading:

• How to mute emails in Gmail

• How to create a group in Gmail

• Why your Gmail inbox should be your to-do list

• The best Gmail add-ons and extensions

• Gmail mail merge: How to send personalized messages in Gmail

This article was originally published in February 2024 with contributions from Bree Brouwer. The most recent update was in September 2026.