Hi! You’re probably here to learn how to create a Gmail group.

And that’s exactly what I’m going to show you how to do.

Ready? Here we go! 😃

What is a Gmail Group?

A Google or Gmail group is just a collection of individual email addresses. So for example, let’s say I send an email to my Google group called “My Family”.

What actually happens is Google will send an email to my mom, my dad, my dog, my wife, my in-laws, etc. I could accomplish the same goal by including each person’s email address in the “To” or “CC” lines.

So, a Google group just makes it more convenient to email a group of people. And it ensures that people don’t have to worry about hitting “reply all” to keep everyone in on the conversation when they write a response.

How to Create a Gmail Group in 5 Steps

The fastest and most approachable way to create Gmail groups is to simply use Gmail itself. It’s also completely free.

Follow these steps to create a Gmail group:

1. Head to Google Contacts.

First, you’ll need to get to your contacts page, where you’ll have a list of all the people in your contacts list.

You can get there either by clicking this link, or by heading to the top-right corner of your Gmail inbox, clicking the 3×3 grid, then clicking on the Contacts button.

gmail contacts

2. Select the contacts you wish to add to the group.

Next, review your contact list and hover over the name of each contact to get the option of toggling a checkmark next to their name.

Check all the contacts you wish to add to this Gmail group. You can select as many or as few names as you’d like.

gmail select contacts

3. Click the Labels icon.

Look at the top bar of this section and you’ll see a row of different icons. The Labels icon will look like a tag; click it to enter the “manage labels” submenu.

When you get there, you can “Create label.” You can also click the “Create label” directly on the left-hand side of this screen, under the Labels section.

lables icon

create a label

4. Create a Label for your chosen contacts.

Once you click the “Create label” button, you’ll be able to enter a custom name for this group of people.

All the contacts you clicked originally will be assigned this label—in other words, they’ll be added to this Gmail group.

Click Save, and your Gmail group will be ready for use.

create a label for chosen contacts

5. Test your Gmail groups to ensure they’re working.

Now, let’s test to make sure your Gmail groups are functioning as they’re intended.

Head back to Gmail and open a Compose window, then start typing the name of one of your groups in the “To” field. You should see a list of relevant options pop up; from there, you just have to select it.

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The email addresses included in this group will automatically populate when you do, so you can double check to ensure only the appropriate contacts will get this message.

When you’re ready, draft the message and hit Send like normal.

make sure gmail groups are working

Feel free to create as many labels and groups as you’d like. Because of the way labels work, overlap is possible (and may be necessary).

For example, one person might be included in your “Friends” group as well as your “Coworkers” group. You can get a high-level overview of your Labels by looking at the list on the left-hand side of this screen.

You’ll also be able to see how many people are in each list.

view gmail groups

How to Edit Gmail Groups

If you need to edit one of your Gmail groups, whether you need to tweak the name or add or remove people, you can at any time. Hover over the name of your chosen Gmail group and click on the pencil icon to rename the Label.

You can also click the trash can to delete it entirely.

If you’re interested in adding or removing people in a Label, there are several options available to you. Click the Label you’re interested in to see a list of the people included in that Gmail group.

Then, you can click on the vertical ellipses on the right side of each contact to get a list of options.

There, you can click “Remove from label” to remove them from this specific label, or check and/or uncheck all the labels you need to change at the bottom of this submenu.

edit gmail groupsYou can also manage labels for each contact in your general Contacts list. This is helpful if you’re onboarding new email contacts (like if you’re hiring new employees).

You can call up the same submenu here, per contact, by clicking the vertical ellipses at the right-hand side of the contact entry. You can also check a name, then click the Manage Labels icon.

There, you’ll see all the labels that currently apply or don’t apply to this contact, and you can use a basic checkmark system to change this as you see fit.

manage labels gmail groups

The Benefits of Gmail Groups

Why create a Gmail group? Here are some of the benefits:

  • Time savings. First, being able to type a single word or phrase instead of typing out multiple names will save you time. You won’t have to go through the trouble of trying to remember everyone associated with a given project; instead, you can type the first few letters of your chosen keyword and let Gmail groups handle the rest. As you’ll see, creating a Gmail group only takes a minute or two, and once it’s created, it’s easy to manage.
  • Content distribution. If you want to distribute important content to a select group of people, Gmail groups can help. For example, you might be interested in sending periodic updates or newsletters to your most important clients, or you might need to distribute specific memos to team leaders within your organization.
  • Labeling and general organization. Labels are also helpful for keeping your inbox and your contact list organized. Staring at a bland list of contacts from every area of your work and personal life can feel overwhelming; with labels, you can hover over an individual contact and quickly determine their relevance to you and your role within the organization. Labels are also easy to change over time, so you can stay updated as your organization evolves.

Getting the Most Out of Gmail Groups

I hope you’ve found this guide on how to create groups in Gmail helpful!

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