1. Switch to labels from folders

In other email programs, you might have stored email in folders. In Gmail, you use labels to categorize your email. Labels are like folders, but with a twist—you can apply several labels to an email, then later find the email by clicking any of its labels from the left panel.

You can also:

  • Open a label in the left sidebar to see all email with that label.
  • Nest labels within labels.
  • Search for all email with a label.
  • Set up your inbox as you prefer:
    • See labels on email in your inbox to quickly identify different types of email.
    • Auto-archive email to route it away from your inbox, as you did with rules and folders.