How to Create and Use Mailing Lists in Gmail

Sharon Rajendra Manmothe
Oct 11, 2024
6 min read

Updated: Nov 17, 2024

How to Create a Mailing List in Gmail

Follow these steps to create and manage a mailing list using Gmail:

1. Open Gmail:

Go to Gmail and sign in with your Google account.

2. Create a New Label:

Gmail uses labels to organize emails and contacts. To create a new mailing list, you first need to create a label:

On the left side of the Gmail dashboard, scroll down and click on "More."
Click on "Create New Label."
How to Create and Use Mailing Lists in Gmail
A pop-up window will appear. Type in a name for your mailing list (for example, "Family," "Friends," or "Work").
How to Create and Use Mailing Lists in Gmail
Click "Create" to finish.

3. Add Email Addresses to Your Label:

Now that you have a label, you need to add email addresses to it. There are a few ways to do this:

3.1. Dragging and Dropping Emails:

Find an email from someone you want to add to the mailing list.
Drag and drop that email into the new label folder on the left side of your Gmail dashboard.

3.2. Using the Search Bar:

If you want to add someone whose email you have received, use the Gmail search bar to find that person’s email.
Once you find the email, you can drag it to the label, or you can open the email and manually assign it to the label by clicking on the label icon at the top of the email.

3.3. Manually Adding Contacts:

If you want to add someone’s email manually, go to Google Contacts (you can find it in the Google Apps menu).
How to Create and Use Mailing Lists in Gmail
Select the contacts you want to add.
Click the "Label" icon and choose the label you created for your mailing list.

4. Organize and Manage Your Mailing List:

You can add or remove people from your mailing list at any time by editing the label. Gmail makes it easy to manage contacts, so if someone’s email changes or if you no longer need them on the list, just remove their email from the label.

How to Send Emails to a Mailing List

Once your mailing list is ready, sending an email to everyone on the list is easy:

1. Compose a New Email:

Click the "Compose" button in Gmail to start a new email.
In the "To" field, type the name of the label you created for your mailing list.
Gmail will automatically display the label, showing all the contacts included in that mailing list.

2. Write Your Email:

Type your message in the email body just like you would for any other email.

3. Send the Email:

Once you’re happy with your email, click the "Send" button. Gmail will send the email to all the recipients in the mailing list.

Additional Tips for Managing Mailing Lists in Gmail

Creating and sending emails to mailing lists is just the beginning. To make sure your mailing lists work well and serve their purpose, consider these extra tips:

1. Use BCC to Protect Privacy:

When sending emails to a group, it’s a good idea to use the "BCC" (Blind Carbon Copy) field instead of the "To" field. This way, the email addresses of the recipients will stay private, and no one will see who else is on the list. To do this:

In the email window, click "BCC" and type in the name of your label there.

2. Create Multiple Mailing Lists:

You don’t have to stick to just one mailing list. Depending on your needs, you can create different lists for different groups. For example:

One for family members.
Another for work colleagues.
A separate one for your book club or hobby group.

This way, you can tailor your messages to each group.

3. Keep Your Mailing List Updated:

A mailing list is only useful if it’s up-to-date. Regularly check your lists to ensure all email addresses are still valid. If someone changes their email address or leaves the group, make sure to update your list. You don’t want your emails to bounce back or go to the wrong people.

4. Personalize Your Emails:

Even though you’re sending an email to a group, you can still make it feel personal. Use names, if possible, and tailor the message to the group’s interests. Personal touches can make your emails feel more engaging and less like a mass broadcast.

5. Monitor Your Emails:

Keep track of how your emails are performing, especially if you're using the mailing list for professional or marketing purposes. Tools like Google Analytics or third-party extensions can help track open rates and responses, so you know what works and what doesn't.

6. Avoid Spam Filters:

To avoid your emails landing in spam folders, make sure to:

Send valuable and relevant content.
Avoid using too many links or spammy keywords.
Send emails from a trusted address (like your own domain if you have one).

Some Frequently asked Questions

1. mailing list gmail

Step 1: Open Gmail and sign into your account.
Step 2: Click on the Google Apps icon (the grid of dots) in the top right and select Contacts.
Step 3: In Google Contacts, select the contacts you want to include in your mailing list.
Step 4: Click on the Labels icon and choose Create label.
Step 5: Name your label (e.g., “Work Team”) and save it.
Step 6: In Gmail, you can now type the label name in the “To” field when composing an email, and Gmail will automatically add all contacts from that label.

2. gmail mailing list

Step 1: Open Google Contacts from your Gmail account by clicking on the Google Apps icon.
Step 2: Select all the contacts you’d like in your mailing list.
Step 3: Click on the Labels icon and select Create label.
Step 4: Enter a name for your mailing list label (e.g., “Family Contacts”) and save it.
Step 5: When sending an email in Gmail, type the label name in the “To” field, and all contacts in that label will be added to the email.

3. how to make mailing list gmail

Step 1: Go to Google Contacts.
Step 2: Select contacts by checking the box next to each name.
Step 3: Click on the Labels icon at the top and choose Create label.
Step 4: Name your new label (e.g., “Friends”).
Step 5: Now, when you’re composing an email in Gmail, type the label name into the “To” field, and Gmail will add all members of that label to your email.

4. how to create a mailing list in gmail

Step 1: Go to your Gmail account and open Google Contacts from the Google Apps icon.
Step 2: Check the box next to each contact you want in the mailing list.
Step 3: Click the Labels icon, then choose Create label.
Step 4: Give the label a name (e.g., “Clients”).
Step 5: In Gmail, type the label name in the “To” field to add all the contacts in the mailing list to your email.

5. gmail create mailing list

Step 1: Sign into Gmail and open Google Contacts by clicking on the Google Apps icon.
Step 2: Select the contacts you’d like to include in your mailing list.
Step 3: Click the Labels icon and choose Create label.
Step 4: Name your label (e.g., “Project Team”) and save it.
Step 5: In Gmail, you can now type the label name in the “To” field to email everyone in the list at once.

6. mailing lists gmail

Step 1: Log in to Gmail and go to Google Contacts.
Step 2: Choose the contacts you want in the mailing list by checking their boxes.
Step 3: Click the Labels icon and select Create label.
Step 4: Name your label and save it.
Step 5: When sending an email in Gmail, type the label name in the “To” field, and all members of that label will be included in the email.

7. how to create a mailing list on gmail

Step 1: Open Gmail and go to Google Contacts.
Step 2: Select the contacts you want to add to the mailing list.
Step 3: Click on the Labels icon at the top of the page.
Step 4: Select Create label, name it (e.g., “Team Members”), and save.
Step 5: In Gmail, type the label name in the “To” field to include everyone in the mailing list in your email.

8. mailing list in gmail

Step 1: Open Gmail and click on the Google Apps icon, then choose Contacts.
Step 2: In Google Contacts, check the box next to each contact for your mailing list.
Step 3: Click on the Labels icon and choose Create label.
Step 4: Name your mailing list and save.
Step 5: In Gmail, type the label’s name in the “To” field to send an email to everyone in the list.

9. mail list gmail

Step 1: Open Gmail and access Google Contacts.
Step 2: Select contacts you want in your list.
Step 3: Click the Labels icon and select Create label.
Step 4: Name your list and click Save.
Step 5: In Gmail, type the label name in the “To” field to send an email to your list members.

10. mailing lists in gmail

Step 1: Go to your Gmail account and open Google Contacts.
Step 2: Check each contact you want to add to the mailing list.
Step 3: Use the Labels icon to create a new label.
Step 4: Name your label for easy reference (e.g., “Work Group”).
Step 5: When composing an email in Gmail, type the label name in the “To” field to email all group members simultaneously.