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Gmail folders and rules: how labels and filters work

Gmail does not have folders in the usual sense. It has labels, which work like folders but let one email sit in more than one place. Rules are called filters.

Updated October 17, 2026 · 2 min read

Quick answer

Make a "folder": in Gmail on a computer, click the + next to Labels on the left and name it. Make a rule: click the search options icon in the search bar, enter who or what to match, click Create filter, tick Apply the label (and Skip the Inbox if you want it moved), then Create filter.

Labels vs folders

A folder holds an email in one place. A Gmail label is a tag: an email can have several labels and still sit in your Inbox. To make a label act like a folder, apply the label and archive the email (or use a filter that skips the Inbox).

Create a label

LEFT MENU (COMPUTER)InboxStarredSentDraftsMore ▾Labels +Click +name the label, then Create
Simplified illustration of Gmail's left menu. The + next to Labels creates a new label (Gmail's version of a folder).
  1. In Gmail on a computer, look at the left side for Labels.
  2. Click the + (create new label).
  3. Name it. To put it inside another label, tick Nest label under and choose the parent.
  4. Click Create.

Move emails into a label

  1. Tick the emails.
  2. Click the Move to icon (a folder with an arrow) and choose the label. This applies the label and removes the email from the Inbox.
  3. Or use the Labels icon to add a label and leave the email where it is.

You can also drag an email onto a label in the left menu.

Make a rule (filter) that sorts mail automatically

  1. Click the search options icon at the right end of the search bar.
  2. Fill in what to match: From, To, Subject, words it has, or size.
  3. Click Create filter.
  4. Choose actions: Skip the Inbox (Archive it), Apply the label, Mark as read, Star it, Never send it to Spam, Delete it and others.
  5. Tick Also apply filter to matching conversations to sort the email you already have.
  6. Click Create filter.

Quicker way: tick an email, click the three dots (More) and choose Filter messages like these.

Rule ideas that save time

RuleMatchAction
Receipts to one placeHas the words: receipt OR invoice OR orderApply label "Receipts", skip Inbox
Newsletters out of the wayHas the words: unsubscribeApply label "Read later", skip Inbox
Never miss the bossFrom: [email protected]Star it, always mark as important
Stop real mail going to spamFrom: @yourbank.comNever send it to Spam

Questions people ask

Can you make folders in Gmail?
Yes, in effect. Gmail calls them labels. Create one with the + next to Labels on the left, then use Move to.
How do I make Gmail send certain emails to a folder automatically?
Create a filter that matches those emails, choose Apply the label and Skip the Inbox, then click Create filter.
Can I create filters in the Gmail app?
Filters are made in Gmail on a computer. Once created, they work on all your devices.
Does deleting a label delete the emails?
No. Deleting a label removes the tag only; the emails stay in All Mail.

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.)

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