EmailNa

Home › Email help

How to create a group email in Gmail

Gmail has no "group" button, but you can get the same result in two minutes. Put the people in a label in Google Contacts, then type that label's name when you write an email.

Updated October 17, 2026 · 2 min read

Quick answer

Go to contacts.google.com, create a label (for example "Soccer parents"), and add contacts to it. In Gmail, click Compose and type the label name in the To field: Gmail fills in everyone. For a real mailing list with its own address, use Google Groups instead.

Step 1: Create a contact label

1Open Contactscontacts.google.com2Create a label+ next to Labels3Add peopleManage labels › Apply4Composetype the label in To
Four steps to email a group in Gmail. The label lives in Google Contacts; Gmail fills in every member.
  1. Open contacts.google.com on a computer, signed in to the same account as Gmail.
  2. On the left, next to Labels, click the create label icon (the plus sign).
  3. Type a name, such as Team or Family, and save.

Step 2: Add people to the label

  1. Tick the box next to each contact you want. Add anyone missing first with Create contact.
  2. Click Manage labels at the top.
  3. Choose your label and click Apply.

If a contact has more than one email address, Gmail uses their default address when you email the label.

Step 3: Email the whole group

  1. In Gmail, click Compose.
  2. Type the label name in the To field and pick it from the suggestions. Every member is added.
  3. To hide the addresses from each other, put the label in Bcc instead. See how to email many people without showing addresses.

Need a real mailing list? Use Google Groups

A contact label only exists in your account. If several people need to email the group, or members should join and leave on their own (what people call a "listserv"), create a Google Group:

  1. Go to groups.google.com and click Create group.
  2. Enter a name, an email address for the group and a description.
  3. Choose who can join, post and see members, then click Create group.
  4. Add members, then wait a few minutes before you send the first email to the group address.

Limits to know

Questions people ask

How do I make a listserv in Gmail?
Gmail itself cannot host a listserv. Create a Google Group at groups.google.com: it gets its own email address, and members can join, leave and post.
Can I create a contact group in the Gmail app?
The easiest way is contacts.google.com on a computer. Once the label exists, you can type its name in the To field in the Gmail app too.
How many people can be in a Gmail group?
Google does not state a limit for a label, but one email from a personal Gmail account can go to about 500 recipients.

Sending one email to a whole list? Check the addresses first with Veml, which removes bad and risky emails before you hit send. (Veml and EmailNa have the same owner.)

Sources checked

Keep reading