How to Automatically Move Emails to a Folder in Gmail

• What Are Filters and Labels in Gmail?
• How to Automatically Move Emails to a Folder in Gmail
• Bonus Tip: Automatically Move Gmail Emails to a Cloud/Local Folder
• Conclusion

What Are Filters and Labels in Gmail?

Labels in Gmail are like folders, but with more flexibility. It is not one to one, you can mark a single email with multiple labels. On the other hand, the same label can be used for different emails. Once labeled an email, you can find it with its label in the left sidebar, instead of the Inbox. Moreover, you can choose different colors for your labels. For example, you can choose red for the “Emergency” label.

Filters are rules you set up to automatically manage incoming emails. It can be used to automatically archive, mark as read, or forward emails. With his feature, you can avoid clutter and prioritize important messages. You can filter emails by their senders, recipients, subjects, sizes, dates, and other elements in Gmail.

Therefore, when it comes to how to automatically move emails to a folder in Gmail, you can make full use of the “Filter” feature, which can bring benefits like:

How to Automatically Move Emails to a Folder in Gmail

In this part, you can see 4 solutions on how to move emails automatically to folder in Gmail. Whether you want to filter the emails by sender, content, or multiple elements, there is a way for you. Besides, you can learn to label an email in the Gmail app on your mobile device.

Method 1: Create a Filter Using a Specific Email Address (Senders)

The simplest and most common use case: moving all emails from a specific sender to a designated folder. This method is perfect if you regularly receive emails from a person, company, or service.

Step 1: Open Gmail and click the gear icon in the top right corner. Select "See all settings".

Step 2: Go to the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab and click on "Create a new filter".

Step 3: In the "From" field, type the email address of the sender you want to filter and click "Create filter".

Step 4: Check the box next to "Apply the label," then click "Choose label" > "New label..." and name your label.

Step 5: Optionally, select "Also apply filter to matching conversations" to sort existing emails.

Step 6: Click "Create filter".

Method 2: Filter Emails by Subject Line or Keywords (Content)

Sometimes it's not about who sent the email, but what it's about. This method lets you sort messages based on content. Use this when dealing with recurring updates like receipts, notifications, or reports.

Step 1: Enter the "Filters and Blocked Addresses" tab in “Settings”.

Step 3: Click "Create a new filter".

Step 4: In the "Subject" field, enter keywords that commonly appear in the emails you want to filter and click "Create filter".

Step 5: Choose "Apply the label," then either select an existing label or create a new one.

Step 6: Check "Also apply filter to matching conversations" if needed. Then, click "Create filter" to save this filter.

Method 3: Use Gmail Search Operators for Advanced Filters (Elements Combination)

Ready to level up? Gmail supports powerful search operators to help fine-tune your filters. Great for users who want granular control over their email sorting.

Step 1: In the Gmail search bar, click the filter icon. Then, choose the demands you want to apply to the filter.

Step 2: After entering the search, click the down arrow at the right end of the search bar.

Step 3: The advanced search box will appear with your criteria filled in. Click "Create filter".

Step 4: Check "Apply the label" and pick or create a label. Then, click "Create filter" to save this filter and label.

Method 4: Using Gmail App on Mobile (Limited Capabilities)

You can set labels on existing emails through the Gmail app, but creating filters is best done on desktop. Here's how to manually label emails on mobile:

Step 1: Open the Gmail app.

Step 2: Tap and hold an email to select it.

Step 3: Tap the three-dot menu (top right).

Step 4: Tap "Label" and select or create a label.

Bonus Tip: Automatically Move Gmail Emails to a Cloud/Local Folder

When your Inbox is in a mess, have you ever thought of deleting some emails to free up space? If so, it is recommended to back up your important emails before deleting. Cloud storage is an ideal backup destination since it is easy to expand the storage and can be accessed anywhere, anytime. But how to easily back up emails to a cloud? Using MultCloud!

MultCloud is an online cloud management service that supports Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive, and other clouds. Its Email Migration function allows you to automatically back up Outlook or Gmail emails to a cloud drive without downloading and uploading. Moreover, it will convert emails into PDF files so that you can view the email content in the cloud drive without opening other apps.

The operations for using Email Migration are quite easy. You can refer to the example steps for backing up Gmail emails to OneDrive.

Step 1: Create a MultCloud account on its website.

Step 2: Click “Add Email” and click the Gmail logo. Then, you will log in to your Gmail account and grant MultCloud access permission in the pop-up window.

Step 3: Click “Add Cloud” and the OneDrive logo to add OneDrive to MultCloud.

Step 4: Select “Email Migration” in the left sidebar and choose Gmail and OneDrive in the boxes.

Step 5: Open “Options” to check the migration settings. Then, click “Migrate Now” to initiate this task.

Conclusion

Learning how to automatically move emails to a folder in Gmail is like giving your inbox a superpower. With just a few clicks, you can create a personalized system that keeps everything neat and easy to find. Therefore, choose a preferred method and try it now!

Moreover, if you want to automatically back up your Gmail to Google Drive, Dropbox, or other clouds, MultCloud can be the best choice. It can help you ignore the annoying downloading and uploading process, but transfer easily.