How do labels work in Gmail?

Gmail’s label feature is very powerful and useful, however it can be quite confusing for people who have spent most of their working lives using ‘folders’ in other email applications. In this blog post, I’ll explain everything you need to know about how labels work in Gmail.

What’s the difference between Gmail labels and traditional folders?

Similar to folders, labels are a way to organise and categorise your emails. However, there are a few key differences in the way they work.

Think of a folder like a separate drawer in a filing cabinet. When you file an email into a folder, it is like storing a paper file within the drawer. Just like a file can only be stored in one drawer, an email can only be stored in one folder. The only way to have the file stored in multiple drawers is to take a photocopy of it – meaning there are two different copies. The same goes with storing emails in multiple folders – you need to make a copy of the email.

Think of a label like a sticky note applied to a file. All the files are stored in the same drawer and each can have many sticky notes applied. In Gmail, emails are centrally stored in ‘All mail’ (check out my explanation of All Mail and Gmail’s Archive function in this post). You can apply as many labels as you like to the same email – without needing to make a copy of that email. You can then view the email in all the labels you applied to it.

[bctt tweet=”Ever wondered what the difference is between #Gmail labels and traditional folders? Here’s the answer” username=”samvardanega”]    

How do I create a label in Gmail?

There are several ways to create a label in Gmail. Here’s one quick option:

1. Scroll down all the way to the bottom of the label list (located on the left hand side of the Gmail window).

2. Click the More link.

3. Scroll down further you can see the Create new label link. Click this link.

4. Enter a name for your label.

5. [Optional] If you want to make it a sub-label (child) of another label, tick the Nest label under box and choose the parent label.

6. Click Create.

How do I get an email out of the Gmail inbox & into a label?

I regularly meet people in my training sessions who tell me that they dislike Gmail’s labels because ‘they don’t work like folders’. What they mean is that they have had difficulty getting an email to leave their inbox and only be shown in the label. The trick to this is using the right button!

When you open or tick an email, these buttons appear at the top of the email.

<class=”wp-block-gallery columns-1 is-cropped”><class=”blocks-gallery-item”>

</>

  • The Move to button will remove the email from the inbox (by removing the Inbox label from the email) and just display it in whatever label you select when you click this button.
  • The Labels button will leave all existing labels on the email (including the Inbox label) and just add another label. If you use this button, the email will stay in your Inbox.

Tip: You can also drag and drop an email from the inbox into a label. This has the same outcome as using the Move to button.

[bctt tweet=” Frustrated by the label feature in #Gmail? This post will help you understand labels and use them effectively ” username=”samvardanega”]    

How do I change the name of a label in Gmail?

To change the name of a label in Gmail:

1. Hover your mouse over the name of the label and click the three dots button that appears.

2. Choose the Edit option.

3. Make the required changes and click Save.

 

What happens when I delete a label in Gmail?

Deleting a label in Gmail only deletes the label itself, not the emails that have the label applied. So, if I deleted a label that had 100 emails shown in it, all those 100 emails would still exist in Gmail. ‘Where would they be?’ I hear you asking! That depends… All of those emails will definitely be in ‘All mail’ (check out my explanation of All Mail and Gmail’s Archive function in this post). However, if some of those emails also had additional labels applied to them, they will still be shown in those other labels too.

To delete a label in Gmail:

1. Hover your mouse over the name of the label and click the three dots button that appears.

2. Choose the Remove label option.

Note: There is no way to recover a label that you delete, so use this function carefully. It may be better to hide the label instead, which is something I will share in my next post ‘5 advanced tips for working with Gmail labels’.

[bctt tweet=” Here’s an explanation of how labels work in #Gmail! ” username=”samvardanega”]    

How do I delete an email from a label?

Because there is only ever one email in Gmail (no copies), deleting an email from one label will delete it from everywhere and send it to the bin.

If you only want to remove a label from an email (rather than deleting the email):

1. Open or tick the email.

2. Click the Labels button.

3. Un-tick the labels you want to remove the email from.

4. Click Apply.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by emails and want to learn how to better manage your Gmail Inbox? Check out our Get efficient with Gmail the SMART way online course!

Related Post

How well do you use the
Apple Apps Google Workspace Microsoft 365
tools in your workplace?

Find out if you’re working with the tools OR if you’ve got the
tools working for you.

What Industry Are You In?

Using Apple Apps, Google Workspace or Microsoft 365?

What Type of user are you?

🫣 Entry User | 🤹 Skilled User | 👑 Elite User

Take the quiz to find out. 

Privacy Policy

Using Technology Better Privacy Commitment

Introduction

We hold the privacy of your personal information in the highest regard.

Using Technology Better regards customer privacy as an important part of our relationship with our customers. The following privacy policy applies to all Using Technology Better users, and conforms to Internet privacy standards.

This policy will be continuously assessed against new technologies, business practices and our customers’ needs.

If you have questions or concerns regarding this statement, you should first contact the support team on our Contact Us Page.

Collection of Information

In order to use the Using Technology Better website, we may require information from you in order to provide the best service possible.

All correspondence may also be collected and stored, particularly in regard to sales, support and accounts, including Email.

Any information collected by Using Technology Better is collected via correspondence from you or your company. This may be via the telephone, Email, mail, fax or directly through our website.

Visitors and customers of japan.usingtechnologybetter.com will have their information shared back to DAIWABO INFORMATION SYSTEM CO., LTD. and DIS Service & Solution Co., Ltd.

Use of Collection Information

Any details collected from Using Technology Better customers is required in order to provide you with our

products and/or services, and a high level of customer service.

Correspondence is recorded in order to provide service references, and to assist in our staff development.

Web Site Use Information

Similar to other commercial Web sites, our Web sites utilize a standard technology called “cookies” (see explanation below, “What Are Cookies?”) and web server log files to collect information about how our Web site is used.

Information gathered through cookies and Web server logs may include the date and time of visits, the pages viewed, time spent at our Web site, and the Web sites visited just before and just after our Web site.

Storage of Collected Information

The security of your personal information is important to us. When you enter sensitive information (such as credit card numbers) on our website, we encrypt that information using secure socket layer technology (SSL).

When Credit Card details are collected, we simply pass them on in order to be processed as required. We never permanently store complete Credit Card details.

We follow generally accepted industry standards to protect the personal information submitted to us, both during transmission and once we receive it.

If you have any questions about security on our Website, you can email us at <ContactEmail>.

Access to Collected Information

If your personally identifiable information changes, or if you no longer desire our service, you may correct, update, delete or deactivate it by emailing us at <ContactEmail>.

Orders

If you purchase a product or service from us, we may request certain personally identifiable information from you.

You may be required to provide contact information such as:

Name

Email

Postal address

Your school or organisation

Financial information (such as credit card number, expiration date, name on card, card billing address).

We use this information for billing purposes and to fill your orders. If we have trouble processing an order, we will use this information to contact you.

Communications

Using Technology Better uses personally identifiable information for essential communications, such as

Emails

Accounts information

Critical service details.

We may also use this information for other purposes, including some promotional Emails.

If at any time a customer wishes not to receive such correspondence, they can request to be removed from any mailing lists by contacting support.

You will be notified when your personal information is collected by any third party that is not our agent/service provider, so you can make an informed choice as to whether or not to share your information with that party.

Third Parties

Using Technology Better may at its discretion use other third parties to provide essential services on our site or for our business processes.

We may share your details as necessary for the third party to provide that service.

These third parties are prohibited from using your personally identifiable information for any other purpose.

Using Technology Better does not share any information with third parties for any unknown or unrelated uses.

What Are Cookies?

A cookie is a very small text document, which often includes an anonymous unique identifier. When you visit a Web site, that site’s computer asks your computer for permission to store this file in a part of your hard drive specifically designated for cookies.

Each Web site can send its own cookie to your browser if your browser’s preferences allow it, but (to protect your privacy) your browser only permits a Web site to access the cookies it has already sent to you, not the cookies sent to you by other sites.

Browsers are usually set to accept cookies. However, if you would prefer not to receive cookies, you may alter the configuration of your browser to refuse cookies.

If you choose to have your browser refuse cookies, it is possible that some areas of our site will not function as effectively when viewed by the users.

A cookie cannot retrieve any other data from your hard drive or pass on computer viruses.

How Do We Use Information We Collect from Cookies?

As you visit and browse our Web site, the site uses cookies to differentiate you from other users. In some cases, we also use cookies to prevent you from having to log in more than is necessary for security.

Cookies, in conjunction with our Web server’s log files, allow us to calculate the aggregate number of people visiting our Web site and which parts of the site are most popular. This helps us gather feedback to constantly improve our Web site and better serve our clients.

Cookies do not allow us to gather any personal information about you and we do not intentionally store any personal information that your browser provided to us in your cookies.

Legal

We reserve the right to disclose your personally identifiable information as required by law and when we believe that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights and/or comply with a judicial proceeding, court order, or legal process served on our Website.

Links

Links on the Using Technology Better site to external entities are not covered within this policy. The terms and conditions set out in this privacy statement only cover the domain name of usingtechnologybetter.com

Changes to Privacy Policy

If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes to this privacy statement, and other places we deem appropriate so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it.

We reserve the right to modify this privacy statement at any time, so please review it periodically. If we make material changes to this policy, we will not use the personal information you have submitted to us under this Privacy Policy in a manner that is materially inconsistent with this Privacy Policy, without your prior consent

Delivery Policy

Most goods are digitally delivered instantly via email.  Our services may be delivered either via an online medium or live in person.

For our online delivery see below.  For services delivered live onsite, please refer to our speaker agreement form which is emailed to you on confirmation of booking.

Refund Policy

We do not offer refunds or returns unless we cannot supply goods or services or the goods or services are not delivered as promised.

Australian law is the governing body for all work, goods and services supplied by Using Technology Better.

Marketing Release

Using Technology Better (UTB) may film, record, and photograph me (the results of which are the “Recordings”). UTB may also incorporate into any production(s) any separate content (e.g., quotes, testimonials, biographical information, profiles, photos, videos, sound recordings, artwork, etc.) I provide to UTB or approve in writing (“Materials”).

1.License

I grant to UTB an irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to, in its sole discretion, (i) edit, translate, and modify the Recordings and the Materials, (ii) attribute the Recordings and Materials to me by my name, age, and city and state of residence, (iii) incorporate the Recordings and the Materials into content to promote UTB, its programs, or products (“Content”), and (iv) publicly use, distribute, reproduce, create derivative works from, and perform/display the Content, and any excerpts thereof, in any language.

2. No Compensation.

I grant this permission without any financial or other obligation of any nature.

 

For any issues or concerns please contact us