Use Gmail Labels, Filters, & Search Operators in Managing Your Emails

Researched & Written for AvidVS by Antonette Ortiz | May 2022

So, you've got an email, you say? Lots of it? More than you can possibly manage without losing the few metaphorical marbles still sloshing around in that soggy ol' brain of yours?


Gmail has a variety of built-in tools for making your messages more manageable. Some of 'em are a little bit different from what you might be accustomed to using in more traditional email clients (here's lookin' at you, Outlook) — but if you take the time to figure out how they work, you might just be surprised at how effective they can be.


As you use email more and more, your inbox can become cluttered with old messages. It's important to keep your inbox organized so you can find messages when you need them. The simplest way to deal with email clutter is to delete unwanted messages. But you can also archive messages to move them out of your inbox, or you can apply labels to your messages based on the category they're in.


Gmail labels, filters, and search operators might be your hidden weapon in the battle against a cluttered inbox. Learn how to get the most out of them.


HOW TO USE GMAIL FILTERS

When you get an email, you can use Gmail's filters to organize it into folders or labels and then archive, delete, star, or automatically forward it.


  1. Open Gmail.

  2. In the search box at the top, click Show search options photos tune.

  3. Enter your search criteria. If you want to check that your search worked correctly, see what emails show up by clicking Search.

  4. At the bottom of the search window, click Create filter.

  5. Choose what you’d like the filter to do.

  6. Click Create filter.


Note: When you create a filter to forward messages, only new messages will be affected. ​Additionally, when someone replies to a message you've filtered, the reply will only be filtered if it meets the same search criteria.

USE A PARTICULAR MESSAGE

TO CREATE A FILTER

  1. Open Gmail.

  2. Check the checkbox next to the email you want.

  3. Click More More.

  4. Click Filter messages like these.

  5. Enter your filter criteria.

  6. Click Create filter.

HOW TO USE A SEARCH OPERATOR

  1. Go to Gmail.

  2. In the search box, type the search operator

SEARCH OPERATORS YOU CAN USE

Tip: Once you do a search using search operators, you can use the results to set up a filter for these messages.

WHY APPLYING LABELS TO YOUR EMAIL CAN HELP YOU OPERATE MORE EFFICIENTLY?

  1. Gmail labels are like super-folders for categorizing your email.

  2. They help you identify emails by the type of information they contain without reading the entire content.

  3. Easily locate and search old yet important emails.

Need help managing a bulging inbox? Or perhaps interested in learning more about what email marketing metrics should be tracked? Schedule a COMPLIMENTARY consult with us today!