BeginnerLesson 1 of 410 min
Labels, archive and search
Gmail has no folders. It has labels, an archive, and a very good search box.
In Gmail a message is never moved into a folder. It gets one or more labels, like sticky tags. The same email can be labeled Clients, Invoices and Urgent at the same time.
Archive instead of filing
Archive removes a message from your inbox and keeps it in All Mail. It is not deleted and it stays fully searchable. Most people archive everything they have dealt with and search when they need it again.
Search operators worth learning
| Type this | To find |
|---|---|
| from:maria | Mail from Maria |
| has:attachment | Mail with files attached |
| larger:10M | Messages bigger than 10 MB |
| older_than:1y | Mail more than a year old |
| label:clients is:unread | Unread mail with the Clients label |
Small features that save time
- Undo send. Set the window up to 30 seconds in Settings, General.
- Schedule send. Click the arrow next to Send. You can have up to 100 scheduled at once.
- Snooze. Hide a message until the day you need it.
- Templates. Turn them on in Settings, Advanced, then save replies you send often.
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Facts checked November 12, 2026