Label, Filter, and Archive messages
Goal
After completing this tutorial you will have the tools in place to start crafting a message curation workflow.
Steps
Your inbox will be filled with too many labeled emails!
Let's archive some emails
1) Select a label on your side navigation
2) Click the Select all checkbox
3) Click the Select all (some number) conversations in that label

With all those items selected, choose archive from the More dropdown menu.
1) Click More
2) Click Archive

Archive = Store away for later
Google Mail basically just has two folders: The Inbox and The Archive. Archived files aren't deleted, they will still show up if you do a search in Google Mail or click on a label. For all intents and purposes, you never really have to delete a message.

Customize the Labels that you have . . .
1) Choose the Dropdown menu next to a Label in the Label List.
2) Choose a color.
3) Choose whether or not to hide the Label in the side navigation panel or in the main message list.

Build Filters and Labels on-the-fly
In an email,
1) Click the Drop Down menu
2) Choose Filter messages like this

Use the From address, or write in other selection criteria
1) Decide what the best criteria might be for triggering the filter. Is it the sender? The subject?
2) Choose to Create a filter with this search

Choose options for messages that are similar to this
1) Choosing Skip the Inbox means it will automatically archive it
2) Apply a label

Be certain to apply the Label to matching conversations
1) Check off Apply filter to matching conversations
2) Create the filter

Google Apps further training
Here is a link to our Google Apps Training module on Organizing Your Email with Archive and Labels.
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