Create your own folder with labels in Gmail

Gmail uses labels instead of folders

If you Google If you should use Mail, you have probably noticed that there are no settings for creating folders. The reason for this is that there are no folders in Gmail, but "labels" are used instead.

• In principle, both terms refer to the same thing, but one of the advantages of labels is that you can assign them multiple times for one email. This is different with e-mail folders: you can only store one e-mail in one folder and not in several folders.
• This also means that you can find your e-mails faster because you have multiple labels and so that certain search criteria can be assigned, while you remember the very specific folder in a folder structure would have to.

Create your own labels

You have two options for creating new labels.

• On the one hand, you can do this in the left pane of Gmail. To do this, first click on "More" under "Labels" and then click on "Create new label" at the bottom. Then enter a name for the label (for example "Work", "Family" or "friends") and specify where the new label should be displayed. Finally click on "Create".


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• On the other hand, you can also create a new label for an open message. To do this, click on the second icon from the right in the upper area. If you move the mouse over the symbol, the text "Labels" is displayed. Then click on "Create a new label" in the drop-down list at the bottom and continue as just described. As a result, this email will be directly given the new label.

Edit or delete labels 

• To rename a label, you only have to click on the arrow to the right of the respective label under "Labels" in the left area and then click on "Edit". This allows you to change the name and / or position.
• To delete a label, you just have to click on the arrow and then click on "Delete label". Then confirm the removal by clicking on "Delete".
• You can also use the arrow option to make further settings, for example to use your own color for a certain label.

Add labels to emails

If you want to manage your emails with your own labels, you can do this manually by clicking on a e-mail and then click on the label symbol (second from the right) at the top. Then check or uncheck the label or labels to which the email should belong, and click "Apply". However, it is more convenient if you have the labels assigned automatically.

1. To have labels assigned automatically, you can use the filter settings of Gmail. To do this, click on the gear icon in the top right corner and click on "Settings".
2. Open the "Filter" tab and click on "Create new filter" at the bottom.
3. A small dialog box appears. Enter a specific search criterion there, such as the sender or recipient.
4. Then click on "Create filter with these search criteria" in the lower right corner.
5. Now select the label or labels in the following window under "Attach label" that should be assigned automatically if an email meets the search criteria. Optionally, you can activate the action at the bottom right so that these settings should also be applied to all previous (matching) e-mails.
6. Finally click on "Create filter".